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Press and Testimonials
Media Contact:  BVGPR, Bryan VanGorder 213.926.0378

Children's Hospital LosAngeles


It is with great pleasure that I write this letter of recommendation for Tim Courtney the founder of the Picture Me Happy organization. I have know Tim for the past two years and have seen first hand how his photography has changed lives and brought such joy and pride into families with chronically ill and disfigured children.

I am Dr. Susan Miller the child and pediatric psychologist for the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive surgery at childrens Hospital Los Angeles. Tim sought me out to ask what he could do to help our children and their families. After looking at Tim’s photos I knew right away that his talent was the missing piece in one of my programs, Girl Talk, as self-esteem program for the patients and their families. Many of our families feel shame and guilt when they give birth to a child with a disfigurement. For this reason they often do not take photos of their precious new babies. This missed opportunity often brings up feelings of unworthiness later when the child is in school and wants to see their baby pictures like all of their friends or siblings have. Tim presented us with an opportunity to photograph the girls and their mother’s after they had a “mother/daughter” make over session. This portrait was the first mother/daughter portrait these families had ever had. The emotions that come out in theses portrait sessions was so overpowering many of the girls and mothers were brought to tears. Tim was so gentle and unhurried with each mother/daughter session that no one felt uncomfortable or embarrassed. What he caught on film was outstanding. We gave theses photos to the girls and their mother’s as a gift at the end of group and the tears of bonding, joy and pride from both mother and daughter was so intimate I did not want to interrupt the moment. Every family called me or sought me out to thank me for this portrait that Tim had done.

It is with great pleasure that I recommend Tim Courtney and his Picture Me Happy organization for any family with a chronically ill loved one. The memories are priceless.

Susan Miller, Psy.D.
Clinical and Pediatric Psychologist
PSY19995
 

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA,
LOS ANGELES UCLA

BERKELEY • DAVIS • IRVINE • LOS ANGELES • RIVERSIDE • SAN DIEGO • SAN FRANCISCO SANTA BARBARA • SANTA CRUZ Thomas J. Coates, PhD
Cell: +1-310-367-9044 Michael and Sue Steinberg Endowed Professor of Global AIDS Research Director, UCLA Program in Global Health Email: tcoates@mednet.ucla.edu Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine 34 Second Avenue UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine Melville, Johannesburg, South Africa 10940 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1220 Tel: +27-11-482-7112 Los Angeles CA 90024-7320 Tel: +1-310-794-3580 Fax: +1-310-794-2795 From the US: +1-310-694-3523 Fax: +27-11-726-3877

Dear Tim

I am writing to provide a strong and enthusiastic endorsement of Picture Me Happy. I work at the UCLA Medical Center and walk down the hallways of the pediatrics wards and I see the children who are sick and hospitalized for long periods of time. Some of them may never go home, and others may be confined to their beds and isolated from the world.

Picture Me Happy is an innovative solution that stimulates the children’s creative energies and gives them and their families positive experiences. Most important, it gives the children something to do for all of the hours of the day when no one else is around. They can connect with their friends and talk and share their creative output.

It is a wonderful concept and I am happy to see it become real and to support it. I know that it will make a difference.

Sincerely,

Thomas J. Coates PhD

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