By Lynne Adkins

Philadelphia (CBS) – A 52-year-old Wilmington native turned his cancer diagnoses and treatment into an award winning film.

John Kaplan was diagnosed with two different types of cancer when he was 48. To help conquer the fear and deal with his new life, he started taking pictures and videos of his experiences and he turned it into a documentary entitled Not As I Pictured.

“I thought life was going along swimmingly, and when you face a sudden life threatening illness like this it truly is not what you pictured in life. And for me, being a photographer, I certainly document the lives of others going through large challenges in their lives. I never thought I’d have to turn the camera on myself,” says Kaplan.

His film focuses on family and faith as his way to cope. He hopes his project helps patients find their own way to cope and survive. The film will be shown at Fox Chase Cancer Center February 2nd at 6:30 p.m. Registration is required.