Tuesday, 30 April 2024
Wil can fly

Wil can fly

A Utah-based photographer has released the second installment of his heartwarming photo series in which his two-year-old son, who has Down syndrome, appears to be flying over a set of breathtaking locations.

Alan Lawrence, a father-of-six who debuted the first set of images when son Wil was 18-months-old, creates the illusion by holding his youngest child up in the photos and later cropping himself out.

In the latest round of pictures, Wil is seen soaring over the Golden Gate Bridge, the Grand Canyon, and Joshua Tree National Park in California.

Alan, who shares the photos of Wil on his blog and Instagram account, says of his youngest child's condition: 'What I thought was going to be a trial has become our biggest blessing.'

After receiving positive feedback about his first round of images, the art director decided to compile the photos in a calendar and plans to donate half the proceeds to two Down syndrome foundations.

He previously told ABC of his impetus to start the project: 'When Wil was little, he would lie on his stomach and raise his arms and legs like he was flying. It wasn't something any of my other kids did.'

The dedicated father, who began taking the pictures when his son was just a few months old, admitted on his blog that he and his wife Nikki knew very little about Down syndrome when Wil was born in October 2013.

When their son was diagnosed with the disorder, Alan confessed that his 'mind was flooded with many emotions, most of which were not positive.'

But now, the doting dad says Wil 'brings a light to our family', and 'opened so many doors' for his parents, as well as his five older siblings.

Alan excitedly announced the arrival of the 'Wil Can Fly' 2016 calendar on his blog last week, saying that he became 'emotional' when he picked up the final proof from the printing company.

'We weren’t sure if anyone would be interested in buying [the calendar] and there were a few times that I told myself it wasn’t going to work,' he revealed.

However, with the help of his wife and their Kickstarter project, Alan was able to achieve his goal of raising awareness about Down syndrome.

Above the latest set of images of Wil, Alan wrote: 'We hope everyone will continue to remember that those with special needs can do anything they put their minds to - they can fly.'

-Daily mail

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