Photographer Shoots Free Portrait For Family Celebrating Potentially Last Christmas All Together
McKINNEY, Texas (CBS11) - Clicking cameras, awkward poses, frozen smiles and matching costumes. They are cornerstones of the holiday family portrait.
For families like the Batemans, the results almost always capture a brief moment when life seems perfect.
Ricki Bateman is only 38 and knows this Christmas could be her last because of an aggressive brain tumor.
"I've been wanting to get family pictures done because you never know how long you have," says Ricki. "I wanted something that in the worst case scenario that he'd remember me by. it's scary to think this might be the last Christmas."
McKinney photographer Chris Fritchie offered her family a free portrait session with Santa to give Ricki's husband and five children, including her five-month-old son Tynan, something to cherish for years.
"That's something they can look back on forever," says Fritchie. "Can I capture a moment that they can look at and remember the people they love?"
It's the first time the family has ever had professional portraits made because Ricki's husband is in the military and often deployed overseas.
The results of Friday's photo shoot at Fritchie's studio will undoubtedly be priceless to the Batemans.
Ricki's 12-year-old daughter Zoe is old enough to realize the photos will be more valuable than anything she could find under the Christmas tree.
"I think we're going to have photos that we look back on even if times get rough and we're going to think to ourselves that we were happy then and we can still be happy even if we don't have everything we have," says Zoe.
The Batemans are facing financial hardships as well as emotional and physical.
They have an online fundraising account for anyone who would like to donate.
