--- description: "This boy actually fears the water. It's like kryptonite to him." title: Go Behind TIME's Flint Water Crisis Cover image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6f8fb3360b7ed1c1/698879dbbc6cfc4d233db53b/flint-cover.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [LightBox](/tag/time-section-lightbox/) ## LightBox Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Go Behind TIME's Flint Water Crisis Cover by [Olivier Laurent](/author/olivier-laurent/) ## Olivier Laurent Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 21, 2016 12:30 PM CUT  Sincere Smith, 2, of Flint, Mich., suffers from a full-body rash his mother blames on bathing in municipal water from the Flint River. Sincere Smith, 2, of Flint, Mich., suffers from a full-body rash his mother blames on bathing in municipal water from the Flint River.Photograph by Regina H. Boone—Detroit Free Press/TNS/Newscom by [Olivier Laurent](/author/olivier-laurent/) ## Olivier Laurent Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 21, 2016 12:30 PM CUT Sincere Smith is 2 years old, but he looks twice his age. That’s because of the steroids prescribed to treat his rashes, which appear on his face and entire body. Sincere, one of three children in a family living in Flint, Mich., had been bathing in water that the city began pumping in from the local river in 2014\. That water was later found to be contaminated with lead. Sincere no longer bathes with Flint River water—his mother, Ariana Hawk, washes him with bottled water—but that doesn’t mean his pain is gone. Each day, Sincere dreads bath time. “This boy actually fears the water,” says Regina H. Boone, the Detroit _Free Press_ photographer who shot this week’s TIME magazine cover. “It’s like Kryptonite to him: he starts screaming. His mother says it’s burning him and when he’s in pain, the whole family is in pain.” Boone met Sincere and his family after a Detroit _Free Press_ reporter, Elisha Anderson, met Hawk at at one of Flint’s public schools during a blood-test drive for children. Going over to their house the next day helped “put a face to this issue” of lead poisoning, says Boone. When Boone photographed Sincere, she felt his pain, she says. “He just seems so innocent,” she says, “and so sad at the same time.” [**_Regina H. Boone_**](http://reginaboonephotograp.photoshelter.com/ "undefined") _is a photographer with the Detroit Free Press._ **_Myles Little_**_, who edited this photo essay, is a senior photo editor at TIME._ **_Olivier Laurent_** _is the editor of TIME LightBox. Follow him on_ [_Twitter_](http://twitter.com/olivierclaurent "undefined") _and_ [_Instagram_](http://instagram.com/olivierclaurent "undefined") _@olivierclaurent._ _Follow_ **_TIME LightBox_** _on_ [_Facebook_](https://www.facebook.com/timemagazinephoto "undefined")_,_ [_Twitter_](https://twitter.com/timepictures "undefined") _and_ [_Instagram_](https://instagram.com/timelightbox/ "undefined")_._  Sincere Smith, 2, of Flint, Mich., suffers from a full-body rash his mother blames on bathing in municipal water from the Flint River. Photograph by Regina H. Boone—Detroit Free Press/TNS/Newscom  Ariana Hawk, 25, is a single mother of three children under the age of 10, living in Flint, Mich. She is bathing her middle child Sincere Smith, 2, who is unable to bathe with tap water. She says he is suffering from breakouts all over his body due to a reaction to the city's contaminated water. Jan. 13, 2016. Regina H. Boone—Detroit Free Press/ZumaPress  Sincere Smith, 2, is suffering from severe skin rash issues. His mother says they are due to bathing in the contaminated water of Flint, Mich. Jan. 13, 2016. Regina H. Boone—Detroit Free Press/ZumaPress  Sincere Smith, 2, left, sitting with his sister Ali-Ana Hawk, 1\. Flint, Mich. Jan. 13, 2016. Regina H. Boone—Detroit Free Press/ZumaPress  Sincere Smith's skin is raised, itchy and even a bit painful. He is constantly uncomfortable. Flint, Mich. Jan. 13, 2016. Regina H. Boone—Detroit Free Press/ZumaPress ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4187507/time-flint-water-crisis-cover/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4187507/time-flint-water-crisis-cover/"},"headline":"Go Behind TIME's Flint Water Crisis Cover","datePublished":"2016-01-21T12:30:48.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:39:59.808Z","description":"\"This boy actually fears the water. 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