"Portraits of the Soul" is an idea that was born out of love for an amazing woman - my mother. As a photographer, it has been my desire to capture people on film. I love to look through my lens and see my subjects eyes looking directly at me. At that moment, I feel as though I can see deep inside the person to the story of their life.

In the summer of 2003, my mother, Elizabeth "Chubby" Ciancutti was diagnosed with Vascular Dementia and Alzheimerâs. Since then, there have been many ups and downs. At times our lives have been filled with so much sadness it seemed as though it would never go away. Some days, I look deep into my motherâs big brown eyes, hoping she will look back at me and say "I am still here". Although she may not say it, there is something in those eyes that speaks to me. They say the eyes are the window to the soul - I believe this is true.

I remember a time when my mother was staying at our home shortly after being diagnosed. She hadnât been regulated on any type of medication and was very agitated and uneasy. In my house, she found a portrait I had taken of her in 1998. She looked beautiful in the portrait. Looking back now, it was 1998 when the beginning stages of this terrible disease must have started. She got very upset when she saw the portrait. I can only imagine she was troubled knowing she wasn't the person in the portrait any longer. That was a defining moment for me. It filled me with sorrow that she truly wasnât the mother I had known my whole life. I am still haunted as I try to understand what she must have been feeling deep in the soul of her being. Knowing she was drifting away from the only life she had ever known for herself must have been terrifying. The next day she would forget the incident.

During the same visit, I took her to a local park to photograph her, she obliged cheerfully as she had done many times in the past. On the outside, she looked healthy and fine. It is such a deceiving disease. She posed, laughed and enjoyed being photographed. For a moment, she was my mom, not the disease. Slowly though, on the inside she was being taken away from all of us. When I saw the photographs they took my breath away - she looked happy and healthy! I had to remind myself she wasnât well. The following day she wouldnât even remember me taking the photographs. I knew then, the importance of preserving the memory of these individuals that mean so much to us.

My intention for this project is to honor and cherish the soul of the victims of Alzheimerâs and other forms of dementia. Although this disease eats away at their brain and memory day by day - I have to believe it doesn't take away from their soul and most inner-being. It only gets hidden deep inside of themselves from the terrible symptoms of the disease. It is a constant reminder that you are not dealing with the person you have known your whole life, but a shell of the disease that has invaded their being.

It is my desire to capture the essence of these people with my camera to clearly show that the soul doesnât change, the effects of the disease may change the behaviors of the person, but the soul is still inside these beautiful people. Each of them has a story and it is important to remember them as the person they were before the disease. It is those memories that family members hold close to their hearts. For that is all we have left as we go down a road that will someday turn to complete darkness.

The ultimate goal is to produce a book containing portraits and stories of the participants in the project. I am in the process of acquiring donations to fund costs associated with materials needed to complete the project. Once published, all proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to The Alzheimerâs Association, Delaware Valley Chapter.

If you have a loved one or know someone who may be interested in being photographed for this project, please contact me - Sherri Ciancutti at 800.970.9949 or send an email to sherri@sherriciancuttiportraits.com.