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Amore
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This is the story of a mother's undying love for her child and the photos that will forever bind them.
AWARD WINNING PHOTOGRAPHER, RACHEL Callander has had a rollercoaster of a year, when what should have been time for celebration was overshadowed by tremendous loss. Rachel completed a Fine Arts degree at the Otago Polytechnic
School of Art and spent four years establishing herself, networking, going to workshops, seminars, developing her brand, vibe and gathering momentum. "I was young, only 23, when I embarked on this venture, newly
married, full of optimism and a sense that I was doing what I was made for." Two years in she fell pregnant and gave birth to a beautiful girl
with an extremely rare chromosome condition, so rare it didn't have a name. For Rachel and her husband, Sam the joy of their firstborn, Evie Amore was mottled with the realisation that there were considerable things wrong with their perfect daughter. "It was nice that she was born without us knowing there was
something special about her because we were able to experience the joy of the first few hours of having a beautiful, perfect baby," says Rachel. Evie was one of only eight known cases in the world to have
Partial Trisomy 9q, a congenital disorder that unbalances a person's chromosomes and causes severe developmental and physical delays, and often very short lifespans. Throughout her short life, Evie suffered from kidney problems, holes in her heart and severe respiratory problems. She had curly little toes and long fingers and an extra set of ribs. She never walked or talked, but she laughed, giggled and learnt to communicate in a different way altogether. Communication with Evie was about love, fun and
102 | February/March 2012 | HER MAGAZINE
