Lessons In Life And Death From 12-Year-Old Lola
Lola Muñoz entered a painful experimental treatment for a rare type of brain cancer, hoping to ultimately help other children down the line. Photographer Moriah Ratner captured her journey.
On Aug. 26, 2016, Lola Muñoz was diagnosed with a diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, an inoperable brain tumor. DIPG affects children almost exclusively, with a 0% survival rate and an average prognosis of nine to 12 months.
Photographer Moriah Ratner spent over a year and a half documenting Lola's journey, first in New York and, later, in Chicago following a family move.
Lola's story has been published by The Washington Post and National Geographic. Ratner talked to NPR about the challenges of photographing a long-term project so early in her career and the toll it took on her.
How did you discover Lola?
