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This is fernando. He's 21 and lives in Chandler, AZ. For the past three years he has been addicted heroin. He has stolen things from friends and family to sell for drugs. He lost friends because of the drugs. One of his close friends died because of it. He has gone to rehab and afterwards gone back to using.
I went to high school with him and we were pretty good friends. For the past three years he has been a stranger. He sunk into another world. He experienced things most go their whole lives without. One of the encounters I had with him during those three years I looked him in the face and the fernando I knew was not there.
After three years he is finally clean. In one conversation he told me, "I used to wake up and start thinking about how I could get high that day". I look him in the face now and see someone different but familiar. He's been through a lot of hard times and matured and grown but the fernando I know is what I see.
It's nice to meet you again old friend.
27 responses
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Harry Snowden (Deleted) gave props (12 Apr 2009):
Excellent!
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Peter Györffy (Deleted) said (13 Apr 2009):
Good luck to Fernando in the future. Love the lightning and the clean portrait.
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Pascal Vasseur gave props (13 Apr 2009):
Great story and shot...
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conchita. del. mundo. gave props (23 Apr 2009):
excellent fit for this theme. love the story, and stick to the plan, fernando! you can do it, man.
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Penny Nannini gave props (23 Apr 2009):
so nice.
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John Linton gave props (12 Aug 2009):
Wonderful entry.
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patrick conaty gave props (10 Sep 2009):
ha, sooo good
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Will Mitchell said (8 Oct 2009):
wow what a great story and hope happy ending
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Chloe Ashcraft gave props (8 Oct 2009):
love this.
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Zeeshan Ali (Deleted) said (9 Oct 2009):
Prefect
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Alicia Bright gave props (10 Oct 2009):
Congratulations to Fernando! and to you too! i love what you've captured here, his facial expression seems to say "i'm not perfect but i'm good now" it's very honest, good work!
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Rogério Salgado-Martins (Deleted) gave props (10 Oct 2009):
great photo, great story.
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Oleg Babanov gave props (11 Oct 2009):
no comments.. amazing!
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Amanda Rodriguez said (13 Oct 2009):
sad story with a happy ending. wish him the best, wonderful entry. best of luck to you both!
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Nicole Varela gave props (13 Oct 2009):
great photo..im glad for him as well.
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Genevieve Genevieve gave props (12 Jan 2010):
haha I love how much this says. its great
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Rebecca Teague (Deleted) said (14 Feb 2010):
I love the lighting and the composition and his expression and that he is clean. Bravo.... both of you!
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Matt Avelar said (5 Apr 2010):
thats a nice frame, what camera did you use
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rachelrobichaux gave props (30 Apr 2010):
great story
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Paul Lavallee gave props (19 May 2010):
love this one, congrats on being published!
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Epin Hervin gave props (28 May 2010):
Iconic, remind me of Pete Doherty
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Antje Woolum gave props (22 Jun 2010):
great story and photograph!!!
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Ella Ruth - said (9 Jul 2010):
Great capture :)
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John Robert Ramos gave props (23 Jul 2010):
inspiring..
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Fernando Gallegos (Deleted) gave props (5 Oct 2010):
awesome portrait
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Carol Holmes gave props (5 Feb 2011):
so inspirational...congrats on being published!
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Mariza Papadimitriou gave props (5 Jan 2012):
Excellent portrait. Simple yet diverse.


















