Mike Hettwer Photography - Documentary, Archaeology and Dinosaur

826CHI Volunteer Photo Book: My World Project - Part 2: CANCER STICKS

“I’m going to step outside, Mom,” Maria said. “Smoking kills!” her mom yelled. “Pshh, as if I haven’t heard that one before,” Maria thought to herself. Yelling back wouldn’t help since that’s always what she argued about with her mom. Maria paced back and forth as she lit her cigarette, her cancer stick that got her though the day. She now finished a box daily. Of course she would. She smoked for every little thing. She had a job interview – oh, there’s a smoke. Finished eating – another one. Maria never stopped. She was well aware of her addiction and the consequences, but just joked about it, never made a fuss about it. She slowly took another puff and exhaled after. Her lungs were very weak now. She had been smoking since her early teens and was now a middle-aged woman. Little did she know that she had lung cancer and it was developing more and more. Her friends told her to get checked, yet she ignored them. A very naïve woman she was. She inhaled more and coughed extensively, but it wasn’t a big deal, nor did she care. Her sweet addiction was all she knew and it killed her more and more every day.
CANCER STICKS, Photo and Story by Elisa Fabian



“I’m going to step outside, Mom,” Maria said.

“Smoking kills!” her mom yelled.

“Pshh, as if I haven’t heard that one before,” Maria thought to herself.

Yelling back wouldn’t help since that’s always what she argued about with her mom. Maria paced back and forth as she lit her cigarette, her cancer stick that got her though the day. She now finished a box daily. Of course she would. She smoked for every little thing. She had a job interview – oh, there’s a smoke. Finished eating – another one.

Maria never stopped.

She was well aware of her addiction and the consequences, but just joked about it, never made a fuss about it. She slowly took another puff and exhaled after. Her lungs were very weak now. She had been smoking since her early teens and was now a middle-aged woman. Little did she know that she had lung cancer and it was developing more and more. Her friends told her to get checked, yet she ignored them. A very naïve woman she was.

She inhaled more and coughed extensively, but it wasn’t a big deal, nor did she care. Her sweet addiction was all she knew and it killed her more and more every day.