The star of Stephen’s photos, his daughter Hannah, is now 4 years old. “She had a very rare immune disorder called HLH and spent 6 months of her first year in hospital, receiving chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, which is the only possible cure.”
“Of 27 million worldwide donors, 3 were deemed suitable, and an anonymous German lady donated,” Stephen told Bored Panda about the challenges that his family faced.
“Because we missed out on so much normal stuff of the first year, we take tons of photos now that we're able to do normal things out of isolation. She is doing much better now, in and out of hospital, but she's lots of fun, always smiling, and has a great sense of humor given what she's been through so far.”
According to Stephen, there are two groups of people when it comes to his photoshopped pictures. “Those who realize it is a joke and find them funny. Then there are those who think I’m doing it for real to get attention. Either way, they get attention and get people talking, raising awareness of bone marrow donation.”
The Photoshop master revealed to us that each image takes about 2 to 3 hours to finish, including taking the photos and editing them. “New ideas are hard, and as she’s a little older now than when I did the original ones, some of the scenarios are not as dangerous,” Stephen said.
Stephen Crowley's creative approach to raising awareness for bone marrow donations is both humorous and thought-provoking. His edited pictures of his daughter bring a unique perspective to safety and perception, reminding us of the unexpected ways parents can capture attention.
If you're intrigued by carefully staged yet nail-biting scenarios that playfully trick the eyes, explore how another dad managed to create similar thrilling pictures to spark conversation using Photoshop to craft precarious setups.