I'm David Maddox and I'm 37 from Waterville, Maine. I grew up in Augusta Maine. I'm currently a MHRT-1/CRMA at a group home assisting patients from the psychiatric hospital and am going on my 4th year. I also do concert security for which I've done for 20 years. My hobbies are my cars; 2015 Scion tC and a 2005 MINI Cooper S convertible and upgrading performance and exterior/interior looks. My other hobby is photography.

 

I got into photography probably back in 2000. I used to be an avid National Geographic reader and I ALWAYS admired the photos within. I was a junior in high school in 2000 and at this point, I was really interested in being a photographer for National Geographic. This is still a current dream and I try everyday to gain skills as this position is extremely hard to come by. Everyday I practice my photography in hopes to build a beautiful profile. Around this time in high school, I started getting these bumps. I thought they were like sweat bumps or pimples because they didn't get that big. I never got checked thinking it was just nothing. As time went by, I started getting more and they got bigger and drained more. After becoming sexually active, these bumps were getting worse and didn't compare to what I was already getting. I then became weary thinking I might have an std from unprotected sex. Years passed, many bumps, boils and pain still existed worse than ever. I was scared of what I might have so stubborn me never went to the doctors and honestly preferred everything that came with it than be embarrassed by getting checked by a doctor. This encouraged me to strive within photography and to do my very best to deter my mind from whatever it was I had.

 

In April of 2018, I had a fist sized flare on the inner of my right thigh and a half fist sized one along the front of my waist. These 2 were the worst I ever had. I was extremely scared and my thoughts and worries made me think of my 3 children. I had to get checked. I scheduled an appointment with an MD and he explained what HS was to me. Of course the news saddened me and made me very depressed. We discussed what could be done and the most logical was to perform surgery and I agreed. We completed the operation and all went well. He did verify my diagnosis again as HS. I never talked to ANYONE about my problem, not even my fiance. After officially being diagnosed, I searched Facebook for HS groups and found a handful and to my surprise, there were a lot more people with it than I thought. Once I opened up to people within the groups, it built my courage and I started telling a handful of people and sharing my pics. My new dream at this point was to perfect my photography so I could eventually make a little money on the side as well as donating to HS research.

 

Everyday, I'm taking photos no matter where I am of everything and anything. I find that photos are a great escape from reality especially with the way I edit them and also provide a ton of sunshine in my heart and in others. Everywhere I look, there's beauty in the world and in everybody. All of us are beautiful, scars and all. I'd like to offer my photography as a temporary escape from the pain and reality HS brings us. I continue to fight HS on the daily but now with more courage and inspiration from myself and others. I will continue to show the world my work and hopefully raise money along the way for research and to help others in need when they can't afford help or supplies as best that I can. Please enjoy the following and reach out if you'd like to make a purchase for a photo as a donation towards HS. 
 

David Maddox MHRT-1/CRMA

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VIEW PHOTOS HERE (you will need a google account in order to view the album, it's worth it!)