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Dustin | Graduation | Life

North Battleford Graduation Photographers Saskatchewan Photography

Hey all!

First off … I am sorry … I tried so hard to keep up with my blogging … and now I am more behind than ever!  But that stops now and I am dedicated to continuing on with my blogging!  3 times a week for until September I hope :-D

Now to the important stuff: meet Dustin Seib.

On my blog you see him as an awesome young guy from Battleford, Saskatchewan, who is a crazy awesome mountain biker, has a truck with a killer stereo system, and just graduated high school with all of his friends – out into a world of possibility and opportunity.

But I’ve known Dustin in a way for many years and am proud to call him and his family friends.  And to me, Dustin is a hero.

To hear his amazing story and see the awesome smile he now has on his face, hit the link:


I met Dustin and his family as I was volunteering on the Pediatrics ward at Royal University Hospital, visiting sick kids ages 4-18 doing whatever I could to help them have a little smile during whatever dark and difficult situations them and their families are currently facing.  Dustin came into the Hospital during his grade 9 year, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and was in and out of the hospital for the next 2 years, over which I shared a small part of this journey with his family.  Over that time he was diagnosed with a rare sub-type of leukemia called Philadelphia Positive, which required that he undergo a bone marrow transplant from his older sister.

Our last meeting was in the Pediatrics Intensive Care Unit.  For the last 3 months his liver was being hit from a autoimmune disease, his lungs were in rough shape, he was down to 76 lbs, was on continuous oxygen and a feeding tube, and couldn’t walk.  The doctors said he probably would never be able to mountain bike again. Yet I remember how he somehow mustered a smile when I came into that room.

But here he is with his family infront of me, looking great after an amazing recovery at the children’s hospital in Winnipeg, just recently got back from an amazing heli-mountain biking trip in Whistler, is graduating with his friends despite having missed 2 years of school, and still smiling at me with the same determination and and embrace of life that beamed from his even during the amazingly difficult times that I doubt I would have been able to take myself.  It is an honor to be able to call you amazing people my friend -  just by sharing a little bit of your journey, you have taught me so much about life.  Oh, and next time you are going quadding through 4 feet of mud with with chipped 700′s, you should call me :-D

I look at these pictures and this is the guy I saw the whole time in the hospital. He looked different then, but this same contagious spirit of adventure that runs through him to his core that you can see here in his eyes was always there the whole time. In my eyes, he is a real hero.

North Battleford Graduation Photographers Saskatchewan Photography North Battleford Graduation Photographers Saskatchewan Photography North Battleford Graduation Photographers Saskatchewan Photography North Battleford Graduation Photographers Saskatchewan Photography North Battleford Graduation Photographers Saskatchewan Photography North Battleford Graduation Photographers Saskatchewan Photography North Battleford Graduation Photographers Saskatchewan Photography North Battleford Graduation Photographers Saskatchewan Photography North Battleford Graduation Photographers Saskatchewan Photography North Battleford Graduation Photographers Saskatchewan Photography North Battleford Graduation Photographers Saskatchewan Photography Next up – The crazy cool Sawatsky family

~
Justin

by Justin

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July 19, 2010 - 8:25 am Donna Seib - Oh Justin, you have truly captured Dustin's spirit in these amazing pitures! They are fantastic! My eyes tear up, my heart melts as I look at my son in these pictures and see "LIFE"! Thank you so much. Dustin's mom

July 19, 2010 - 8:30 am Justin - Hey Donna! Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to see you all again after the worst has passed - it is humbling to be able to see the life in Dustin that I knew was there and heard stories about from before, but was hard to really understand underneath the difficulties that were there. It was a real honor to work with you. Congratulations to Dustin and I hope to keep in touch :-D

July 19, 2010 - 9:35 am Carla - I love these photos of Dustin. I work with The Children's Wish Foundation and had the great priveledge and honor of granting Dustin his wish. Putting all the details together and making his dream become a reality is something that I will always cherish.

July 19, 2010 - 9:37 am Juli - what an amazingly inspiring story.... Love the pix!

July 19, 2010 - 10:27 am Kristina - What an inspiring story and amazing pictures of a handsome young man.

July 19, 2010 - 10:45 am Gail Epp - To the Seib Family, Congraulations on your grduation Dustin. Enjoy your holiday in the mountains!! yf, Gail

July 19, 2010 - 11:17 am Joanne King - These photos are great! Congratulations!

July 19, 2010 - 11:58 am Jim Walls - Justin, your blog and portraits of Dustin and his family are terrific. You are right, Dustin is heroic and an inspiration to everyone who meets him. The images with the bike are great. Nice work! Best of luck.

July 19, 2010 - 12:26 pm Tori Bonnett - They turned out really good Justin I love the one of me and Dustin. :) It was a blast when you where here doing the pics.

July 19, 2010 - 1:55 pm Tracy Sweeney - WOW! These are the most incredible photos! They bring tears to my eyes! Congratulations of your graduation Dustin. These photos capture your incredible soul and should be made into magazine covers. "Never Give Up, Never Give In"!

July 19, 2010 - 2:12 pm chantelle - wow-great shots-great grad! Justin, you know the coolest most amazing people.

July 19, 2010 - 2:45 pm Sheila Johnson - Justin - Your comments on Dustin's journey tell his story well and your photos are incredible. In his own quiet way Dustin continues to amaze and inspire many, and it was also my honor to be part of his journey to graduation. Congratulations Dustin! Never Give Up, Never Give In!! Best of Life to You!

July 19, 2010 - 3:10 pm Joan & Floyd Andersen - The pictures are fantastic! Dustin is an inspiration to all of us. Congratuations on your graduation Dustin. Darryl & Donna, you must be so proud!

July 19, 2010 - 3:31 pm Trish McBratney-Flick - Wow, tears are streaming down my face. Amazing. I'll never ever forget you guys. So happy everything is go so well for all of us now. Congrats Dustin! Very handsome!

July 19, 2010 - 4:31 pm Linda Houk - Wow what a feeling, Congratulations Dustin, to the rest of the Seib family you look amazing as well. These pictures are awsome and tell a great story! Keep going Dustin, from the Houks

July 19, 2010 - 7:31 pm Jennifer Harder - Wow! What great pictures of you and your family Dustin. You are an inspiration to all kids your age Dustin. You have done a remarkable job under the circumstances. You and your family look wonderful in your pics. Great Job on your graduation and all of your accomplishments. you are truly an awesome kid.

July 19, 2010 - 9:27 pm sheila - wow i just viewed Dustin's grad pictures,they are truly awesome.and the introduction is very touching. my family and Dustin's family are very good friends infact we consider each other family.I just had to let you know what i thought.

July 19, 2010 - 10:22 pm Barbara Cantelon - Wow - some of those amazing shots bring back some great memories of our own grad 28 years ago! I graduated with Daryl and Donna in 1982 and am so happy that Dustin has reached this milestone in his life! Congratulations, Dustin - you are part of a beautiful family - the photographer has captured some of that character in these beautiful pictures!

July 20, 2010 - 5:43 am Glen Seib - What awesome photo's The photographer has a good eye and creativity to bring the real nature into the photo's Everyone looks so relaxed. Looks like it was a lot of fun doing the shot regards Glen

July 20, 2010 - 5:46 am Jacqueline Winters - Just beautiful Photo's All of you look so nice and happy too. Congratulations Dustin Jacqui

July 20, 2010 - 2:52 pm Kelley - Congratulations Dustin!! Great pictures, with an even greater story of human spirit & courage behind them.

July 21, 2010 - 7:09 pm Ernie Kachmarski - Wow!!!Dustin, you are looking so great.Enjoy life to the fullest cuz you you and your family deserve it.

July 22, 2010 - 6:42 pm Judy DelFrari - Amazing pics Justin! You've shared with people the amazing spirit of Dustin. It truly does shine from within him. He has a smile that could melt anyone's heart and you have done a great job capturing that!

July 29, 2010 - 12:42 am jesslaine - very special photos justin. love that wall in NB! i gotta find it!

November 15, 2010 - 11:31 pm Brenda Mennie - Excellent pictures, Dustin's joy and zest for life has been captured in each picture. Thank you for this gift. Brenda (Seib) Mennie

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