Gaze into the eyes of youthful faces wanting to tell their stories in this exhibition brought to you by photographer Nichole Montanez. Montanez captures the casual expressions of children at play, careless and joyful, all the while living with life-altering circumstances such as epilepsy, Dravet syndrome, and other debilitating conditions. The figures, some cast in deep chiaroscuro, record innocence of smiling faces, courageously navigating through tragic obstacles. In addition to their bravery, these children have something in common – they all have been impacted by growing advancements in the field of medical marijuana (CBD). This topic is close to Montanez’s heart, as she is the aunt of a young girl with Dravet syndrome whose seizures have improved with the use of medical marijuana.

Montanez started this project with the hope of enlightening individuals about the benefits of medical marijuana by sharing the photographs and stories of each child. Montanez states on her website, “My goal is to open eyes in an attempt to change hearts, minds, and possibly legislation.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics only supports medical marijuana for children with "life-limiting or severely debilitating conditions and for whom current therapies are inadequate."