When Daniel Wilbur was born he was promptly diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that permanently affects body movement and muscle coordination. His childhood and adolescence were relatively healthy, with only a few medical issues scattered throughout a generally normal upbringing. However as he reached early adulthood his health began deteriorating rapidly and at the age of 30, Daniel was moved from his family's home into a nursing facility.
Christian Wilbur, a Long Island-based photographer and Daniel's brother, captures this emotional turning point and the ramifications of the decision in a heartbreaking photo series entitled "With and Without You."
"When he left us, it felt as if a crucial thread had been pulled from the fabric of our home," Wilbur explained to The Huffington Post. Most of Wilbur's raw photos don't depict Daniel himself, but the home he left behind, sensibly different than before. Some images, like tomatoes gone rotten or patio chairs covered in dead leaves, are poetic reminders of something lost. Other images capture the unending impact of Daniel's departure on his family members' faces, in those in-between moments spent zoning out or just trying to understand.
Wilbur's series depicts strength of familial bonds and the pain inflicted when those bonds are tried. He delivers a stunning view of a medical condition's ramifications that reverberate far beyond the doctor's office. For another emotional glimpse at a family's life struggling with the disorder, see Christopher Capozziello's work.
