Northern Groove

When entering Alli Peck’s home it is clear the fun and warmth that unfold here. She is a mother of four and has no issues joking about the chaos that often comes with having children. Alli is a local artist, mother and wife who has been involved in photography for six years. Originally trained in commercial photography, Alli knew that her direction needed to change when she moved into the North. With Fort St. John being such a young community, Alli began her company Glow Portraits, specializing in Belly, Baby and Boudoir photos.

Unfortunately, moving to the North meant Alli had to leave her parents. Saying goodbye was a hard step but Alli continued to speak with her mom on the phone everyday. It was in September, however, that  Alli received a phone call she will never forget. The news that her Mom, Patti had been diagnosed with Cancer. A disease, that hits all too close to home for many families, and it was no different for the Pecks. The family was devastated and with the doctors being unable to pinpoint the main source of cancer, Patti was diagnosed with what is assumed to be Pancreatic Cancer.

After beginning the aggressive treatments, common side affects took place including the loss of Patti's hair. Not long after that she decided to shave her head. Confiding in Alli one phone conversation about her difficulties with her hair loss, Alli suggested pretty hats and scarves but Patty replied "Alli I feel ugly. You just don't know what it's like." Alli left the phone conversation knowing that nothing she could say would make it okay but instead was inspired to make a stand. If her Mom, someone who meant everything to her had to go through Cancer and deal with the loss of her hair, than Alli thought the least I can do is shave my head as well.

That night Alli called up Jennifer Jarebek, a local friend and hairdresser, to come over. The two of them decided to shave their heads bald without telling Patti what they had done and send her some photos with the final results. "As long as she has no hair I will have no hair. I will be bald" claims Alli.

But for anyone who has worked with Alli it is clear her everyday goal is to encourage women to feel confident and beautiful in their own skin. She continually finds way to keep on inspiring and she truly is a role model to her daughter and women everywhere that beauty lies much deeper than in our hair and skin.

 "The truth is I'm not the real hero in all of this. The real hero is this woman. My Mom. It is the one who is fighting the cancer. The ones battling cancer who are Mom's, sisters, wives. They are the heroes. I just shaved my head"  says Peck.

Welcome to 2012, the year the Mayans gave up on calendars, life, the universe, and everything.  Well, not til December at least...which means we have 11 more issues of Northern Groove mag to go until, much like Y2K, nothing exciting happens and we sit around and wait for the next bit of nonsense about the end of everything to come around.