Mermaids of Hope is an annual event for kids battling disease from children's hospital in the San Diego area. Participants will get their mermaid photos taken by award winning photographer, Lisa Gisczinski, at no cost. Lisa has seen how much joy her photographs have brought to families and knows how children have a special affinity for mermaids. She has teamed up with cancer survivor, Joy Clausen Soto, who has been treated at a children’s hospital for cancer and is now an eighteen-year survivor. Joy saw first hand how families used all of their finances to save their child’s life, leaving little to no money left for extras like photography. Together they created this annual event to bring a little happiness back into the lives of children who have been touched by a terrible disease.