Oblivion can become a silent weapon of contempt and discrimination. All human beings needs bonds of love and support to develop in a healthy way. However, society has often shown that stigma, prejudice and disregard are the most common ways to make a person with a disability become invisible. This story seeks to highlight the reparative force of desire and the bonds of love in front of social injustices that threaten life itself.
Oblivion can become a silent weapon of contempt and discrimination. All human beings needs bonds of love and support to develop in a healthy way. However, society has often shown that stigma, prejudice and disregard are the most common ways to make a person with a disability become invisible.
Jorge was born in a small rural town in Argentina 38 years ago with a congenital malformation caused by a medicine with thalidomide prescribed to his mother without any pharmacovigilance sanitary protocol, one year before he was born.
With only a few weeks of life both the doctor who brought him to the world and his own family environment, they told his mother that it was better if she let the child die because he would still be unable to survive in this world by himself given his condition.
But Jorge has an incredible liFe Force and his desire to live was so powerful that he persevered despite the circumstances.
He is studying at a Community school to finish his studies. He is also married to Vero. She was born with mielomeningocele, which affects her ability to walk. They fell in love 8 years ago and the greatest miracle for them was the birth of their daughter Ángeles.
Sadly and unfairly they seem invisible to social services. They receive very little economic support from the Argentine State.
I started this project at the end of 2015. Initially I approached Jorge and his family from the place of classic photojournalism angle with the intention of photographing the tragedy and the victims of disability in Argentina. Then I understood that this was an important but non conditioning aspect and that despite having so much against, this family was trying to build a decent and possible life. I let some time goes by and I went back to photographing, but this time I did it after living with them for more than a year and a half.
This story seeks to highlight the reparative force of desire and the bonds of love in front of social injustices that threaten life itself.