From the heart of Thomas Balsamo
As a young man, I studied the life of Leondardo Da Vinci. His passion for using his gifts to leave a legacy to the world profoundly affected me. In that spirit, I sought to create a book that would benefit humanity. I have studied portraiture since 1978 and strive to interpret, not merely photograph. I have been compelled to create images that capture the true essence of the human spirit rather than record only physical attributes. I was in search of a project that would challenge me to create portraits that glimpse that human soul. I hoped the work would contain a deeper universal message. I knew the opportunity would present itself when the time was right. The wait ended in the summer of 1999 when Sharon commissioned me to create new portraits of her children, Joey and Raia. I had done work for Sharon and Bob several times before and knew Joey, a bright, friendly boy dealing with autism. For this portrait session, Sharon began to educate me about autism. She passionately explained how to connect with Joey during the session, to better capture his true self. To reinforce to me how important these approaches were in connecting to autistic children, she shared her experiences with other families. Her passion and knowledge on the subject of autism made a strong impression on me. As she was leaving my studio she stated, "Someday I will write a book." I was unable to stop thinking about Sharon and our conversation, and I know I had been called to help her get her message out. Several months later, I shared with her a written plan for this project. She embraced it. We discussed creating a book that would explore autism from a unique vantage and reveal truths not commonly held. The project was to be a collaboration of words and images capturing the essence of children dealing with autism.

I have been fortunate to share the joy of producing this book with Sharon and so many others who believed in the spirit of this project and contributed their love and support. Three very special people showed up just when we needed them. They made major contributions and sacrifices, giving their time, talent and expertise, and love. Without Craig and Alyson Beytien and Keith McPherson, this book would not have been possible. Our hearts were bound together in the shared belief that this book was needed and would touch many lives. This is our gift to the world, our legacy in the spirit of Leonardo.