by Anna Rathkopf (Author), Jordan Rathkopf (Author)
Unable to find imagery that was relatable and authentic about a young family navigating cancer, photographers Anna and Jordan Rathkopf turned the camera on each other and themselves after Anna's diagnosis at the age of 37 with an aggressive form of breast cancer. HER2 is an ongoing visual conversation told through the utterly unique dual perspective of the experience as a husband- and-wife team, showing both the ways in which there is a deep bond in shared survival while also highlighting their parallel, isolated traumas amidst layers of grief and joy.
The Rathkopfs' project includes intimate photographs taken at home, in hospital settings, and with their son, providing a raw look at how a chronic serious diagnosis impacts every aspect of life - relationships, parenting, marriage, work and childhood. These images offer a fuller picture of the emotional and daily realities of illness, from the perspective of the diagnosed, the caregiver and the child, inviting viewers to witness and understand the complexity of survivorship, vulnerability, and resilience.