Carina was a precious child with the sweetest smile. Along with her mother Roxana, she had come to Istanbul seeking better treatment for her illness. She was undergoing treatment at Acıbadem Maslak Hospital and spent most of her days there with occasional stays at a rented house in Istinye.
When Roxana asked me to do a photo shoot with Carina, I sensed from their Instagram photos that Carina was going through a tough time. I hesitantly asked Roxana about her situation and she candidly shared their story with me. I wanted to do the shoot for them but of course I couldn’t accept payment. When I contacted Taht Istanbul, a photo shooting platform, they generously allowed us to use their space for the shoot. No one expected anything in return; we just wanted to do our best to capture some beautiful memories.
During the shoot Carina and her mother had a great time playing with a cat, admiring the view and taking photos in Roxana’s Ottoman costume. Although I wanted to continue shooting for hours, Carina got tired and her mother suggested we end the shoot. On the way back to their home in Istinye we stoped briefly in Ortaköy where Carina fed the birds and smiled for the first time that day.
After dropping off Carina and Roxana at their home I kept in touch with them and hoped for Carina’s recovery. We even planned another photoshoot a few months later. However it was not meant to be. Eight months after our shoot Carina passed away and left us with only these precious photos. There are no words to express the sadness we feel but I will always remember Carina’s beautiful smile and her fighting spirit. Rest in peace my little angel.
In Remembrance For Carina by Ufuk Sarisen
