Last fall I proudly became a member of Nilmdts, an organization that gently provides a helping hand and a healing heart. For families
overcome by grief and pain, the idea of photographing their baby may
not immediately occur to them. Offering gentle and beautiful
photography services in a compassionate and sensitive manner is the
heart of this organization. The soft, gentle heirloom photographs of
these beautiful babies are an important part of the healing process.
They allow families to honor and cherish their babies, and share the
spirits of their lives.
{this is taken from their website to give you an idea of what it's all about }
Pregnancy: The state of being with child. [British Medical Dictionary]The beginning of a parent's hopes and dreams. The anticipation of the pitter patter of tiny little feet. A family being
born unto each other. No parent ever expects their dream to shatter. But sadly, sometimes this dream can turn into a nightmare.
Each year nearly 3.3 million babies are stillborn, and more than 4 million others die within 28 days
of coming into the world. [World Health Organization] With advanced medical technology, it is a
parents expectation that those born unto us will out live us. When a baby dies, it is outside the natural order of
life and families are left devastated and forever changed.
Every living being instinctually knows how to grieve. It is learning how to heal, that
some need help with. Offering gentle and beautiful photography services in a compassionate and sensitive
manner is the heart of the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation.
Remembrance Photography is a very important step in this healing process. Photographs are one of the most precious and tangible
mementos that a parent can have, showing the love and bond that was given and shared with their baby. These portraits
will last for generations, and will honor and remember a tiny life that is forever loved and cherished.
So there you have it. My latest adventure. Yes, I am nervous. Brian and I talked and talked and talked some more about it and he reminded me that yes, the first session will be very hard and quite possibly every session after that just as hard, but to think of it as a gift that I am giving someone and that I will walk away a better person because of it. If I can help take away just an ounce of a grieving parents pain, I will do it in a heartbeat. And then I will come home and hold my children for a long time.
