Mangled
I stand in the kitchen looking on from afar, watching him in wonder and amazement. He sits at the table, eyes wide, Cheshire Cat grin spread across his face. He teases the children like a Grandad should, they clamber all over him, playfully pulling him from pillar to post. From this angle, he is just your average Grandad enjoying his Grandchildren but then the time comes to leave. He has been sat down too long, his legs have seized up, he struggles to lift himself out the chair, the children scramble around trying to help. It is tough, a part of him wants to be independent, strong like he used to be but he can’t, his body is eating him from the inside. Eventually he makes it up and very slowly begins to shuffle, one foot in front of the other, each step considered, a precarious navigation not to fall over. His smiles masking the pain as his joints rub, bone against bone.
Mangled is a black and white photo-essay on Ray’s fight with the devastating effects of Rheumatoid Arthritis. A debilitating autoimmune disease affecting around 400,000 people in the UK, to date there is no cure.
The photo essay originally intended to capture the hardships and sorrow of the disease but the camera lens also revealed another narrative. Through an ethnographic observation an unexpected and unspoken language of strength and determination developed. Ray’s story demonstrating the true strength of human condition, how family and love become his purpose, allowing the mind and body to overcome the debilitating barriers of his illness. Ray’s story is one which strikes a chord with me, inspires me, and makes me see the value of people. Ray has taught me not to give up, to appreciate the good things you have.
Ray is my Dad.
