Carol Allen-Storey's 'Defying the Myth' documents single mothers caring for disabled children

Award-winning London-based photographer Carol Allen-Storey spent over a decade on 'Defying the Myth', a deeply personal project chronicling the untold stories of single mothers raising children with severe disabilities. The book, to be published in July 2026 by GOST, features intimate portraits of mothers like Annalisa, Shoulana, and Nicola, whose children—Maria, Mekhye, and Kallan—have severe cognitive disabilities and require round-the-clock care. The images capture moments of love and resilience: Annalisa embracing Maria after hospital tests, Shoulana placing an epilepsy helmet on Mekhye, and Kallan mimicking Godzilla in Battersea Park. Guardian head of photography Fiona Shields, who wrote the foreword, notes the project's collaborative power and the love at its core. Allen-Storey's work aims to destigmatize disability and reveal a lived experience often unseen, with the mothers becoming part of her family.