8-year-old lives out dream to photograph animals in the wild

By JaJuan M. Morris-Guity

One boy is living his dream to be a naturalist and photograph wildlife.

"I love animals and nature because of my experiences in school," said Oban, who is 8 years old.

In 2020, Oban was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Burkitt lymphoma, and it quickly morphed into Burkitt leukemia due to a rapid spread within his body. According to the National Cancer Institute, this is a rare, fast-growing type of blood cancer that can lead to lymph node tumor masses on the chest and/or abdomen, which have the potential to severely impair the ability to fight off illness and disease.

Zee Anna Photography via Make-A-Wish

Oban and Carlton Ward Jr. enjoy the site during their journey through Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in Naples, Fla.

But Oban remains committed to his ultimate goal of going on a wild adventure and becoming a naturalist. Currently in remission, Oban is super excited about gaining an early start to his future career as a wildlife photographer.

Thanks to a partnership between Make-A-Wish Connecticut and Make-A-Wish Southern Florida, Oban was able to travel from Connecticut to meet National Geographic Explorer Carlton Ward Jr. for an exclusive tour through Florida's Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

"I was blown away by Oban's knowledge coming in here as an 8-year-old," Ward told Make-A-Wish. "To be there talking about the Florida panther and Oban being able to recite facts about the panther from articles that I was apart of that he read and he knew the back story and he'd learned about me and what I do. It's super motivating."

During his visit to the backcountry, Oban was able to check out the panther's habitat and had the chance to photograph deer, wading birds, raccoons and a vibrant collection of native Florida flora and fauna.

"To be able to share these experiences firsthand in such a direct way, one-on-one and not just through the pages of a magazine or a TV documentary. This is the reason why we do this," said Ward.

Amid the course of his experience, Oban was also able to learn more about the ins and outs of how Ward positions his camera along the trail to get photos and videos that highlight the state's endangered wilderness.

"It helps to photograph endangered animals you can't see otherwise," says Oban.