Portraits Of Boston: A Really Good Moment

“We’re actually from Alaska, though he grew up in Boston. We’re here because of our son. He was born three weeks ago with a very serious congenital heart condition. The only world he’s known so far is the hospital.”

“When did you find out about the condition?”

“During the sixth month of the pregnancy. And the last four months have been so stressful. It’s a condition that would’ve required open-heart surgery at almost any other hospital in the country. But the doctors at Boston Children’s Hospital were confident that they could treat him without surgery, and so far it’s been great. They expect him to be released in a week.”

“Will that be the end of the problem?”

“He will probably need some extra care. It may be a lifetime struggle, but the worst will be over. You’re actually catching us at a really good moment. Today we used the word ‘celebrate’ for the first time in four months.”

Portraits of Boston is a project of independent photographer Ivan Velinov. He is regularly sharing some of his favorite portraits with WBUR. Visit his website to see the hundreds of portraits he has taken on the streets of Boston.