LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It has become an annual tradition for Louisville's Brown Cancer Center.

Without much fuss, Paula Anderson, 61, got "camera ready."

“This is who I am,” Anderson said while in the makeup chair.  

Anderson was preparing for a special photoshoot orchestrated by the center, "Capturing a Moment," provided to patients and their families. It celebrates their courage as they face the highs and lows of a cancer diagnosis. 

“They will bring friends, family members, whoever is part of their support network to be involved in those pictures,” said Megan Nelson, Brown Cancer Center physician and founder of "Capturing a Moment." 

Anderson was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020 before undergoing a mastectomy and losing a leg. But perhaps the most difficult news came two years ago, when cancer spread to her lungs.

“I was angry, upset; it just turns your life upside down,” Anderson said.

For those living with cancer, treatment can take many forms, including a photograph.

This year marked the seventh "Capturing a Moment" event and the third year Anderson has posed.

“I feel better now with the cancer than I did the first time, and I think a lot of it is the encouragement,” Anderson said.

Photographers donate their time and talents. Richard Lockette offered his firsthand experience with a cancer diagnosis.

“I’ve had my picture taken twice, and it was such an amazing experience," Lockette said. "It just really blew my mind."

Fifty patients participated in the event, and everyone went home with a framed portrait, with several more prints on the way. 

“I would not be here today if it wasn’t for the nurses and doctors at the Brown Cancer Center," Anderson said. "They really do show that they care."