Meet Baby Sutton, a baby who was born in Texas with a cleft lip and palate. She touched the hearts of many people after her parents arranged a newborn photoshoot with photographer Shannon Morton.
When Morton posted a picture of the 9-week-old baby on her Facebook page, showing Sutton peacefully sleeping in a cream sash and a matching flower headband, the photo unexpectedly became widely popular. In response, Sutton’s parents made a Facebook page named “My Cleft Cutie” to keep everyone updated on their daughter’s life and provide support to others going through similar situations.
Even though Sutton faces challenges due to her condition, she has already had one surgery to fix her cleft lip and nose, and more procedures are in the future. Despite these difficulties, Sutton’s journey has inspired many people to come together and offer support to those in need. If you want to know more about Sutton’s story and track her progress, you can start by visiting the “My Cleft Cutie” Facebook page.
Shannon Morton shared this adorable picture of baby Sutton, and it quickly became popular on Facebook.
In an interview with Bored Panda, Shannon Morton shared the creative mind behind the famous photo of baby Sutton and her heartwarming tale.
When asked about how Courtney and Gavin Gardner, the parents of the little girl, selected Morton as their photographer, Shannon said, “I first met Sutton’s parents at church and knew about their story even before Sutton was born. We had a meeting before her birth to plan for the photo session and discuss the best way to handle her during the picture-taking process.”
Shannon posted the first photo of the 9-week-old girl with the caption: “So. Many. Smiley babies in the studio recently! This is sweet Sutton, the cutest little redhead!”
“It was actually incredibly tender. She was a sweet and sleepy baby. Sutton slept for most of her session. In those moments when she needed to eat, Sutton’s mom would so gently and lovingly lift Sutton’s head and feed her from a bottle. My assistant and I worked to provide the most beautiful pictures of Sutton in order to honor her and her parents,” Shannon shared the photoshoot day with Bord Panda team.
The post has gone viral with thousands of likes and comments from the Facebook community. Neither Morton nor Sutton’s parents expected such a big response from people online.
Shannon also shared about her initial reaction to her post going viral overnight, “I aim to post a picture or two of every baby who comes to my studio for pictures. It was Sutton’s turn, but I definitely did not expect the response she got. Both her parents and I were so wonderfully surprised as the likes and comments came flooding in. The warm reception and words of love and encouragement came in a steady stream for almost a week. It was so beautiful to see how baby Sutton drew people together!”
A huge interest within the community encouraged the Gardners to create the “My Cleft Cutie” Facebook page. This is a place where the parents share updates about their daughter’s life.
Finally, for more insights about that special photo shoot, Shannon said: “After 12+ years of professionally photographing newborns, I can tell when a baby will smile. I can’t and don’t guarantee that I’ll be able to capture a smile because a baby may not smile or it may be too quick for me to catch or I’m not ready with my camera. What is so sweet about Sutton is that she smiled three separate times, and we were able to capture all three for her parents!! What a gift from God! I think that’s one of the details that makes that first picture of her so special – her sweet smile!”