For those experiencing a late term MC, has a terminal infant, or know someone who is/does
I stumbled upon this organization last night after reading about another woman's experience with her miscarriage at 23 weeks. The organization is called Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, and it is a network of volunteer photographers across the United States and 25 other countries that help parents honor their child who has passed or is passing. I have a great respect for the men and women who reach out to help these parents cherish the memory of their little one. It is heartbreaking and inspiring what these people do, and they NEVER charge for their services as their goal is to celebrate the little one's life and the love of the parent's for the infant.
The following is from the organization's About page:
"This is the place where the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation 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. The NILMDTS mission statement is to introduce remembrance photography to parents suffering the loss of a baby with the gift of professional portraiture. We believe these images serve as an important step in the family's healing process by honoring their child's legacy."
The website can be found here (http://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/home/). There are beautiful stories and testimonials from the families who have been touched by this organization, as well as a local photographer search.
Since I know I had never heard of it, I decided to share it just in case other families had not, too.
The following is from the organization's About page:
"This is the place where the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation 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. The NILMDTS mission statement is to introduce remembrance photography to parents suffering the loss of a baby with the gift of professional portraiture. We believe these images serve as an important step in the family's healing process by honoring their child's legacy."
The website can be found here (http://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/home/). There are beautiful stories and testimonials from the families who have been touched by this organization, as well as a local photographer search.
Since I know I had never heard of it, I decided to share it just in case other families had not, too.
Comments
@SaylorsMommy The little one had anencephaly, a condition in which a portion of the brain and skull do not form. She and her husband had known for about three weeks and spent that time going to several specialist and genetic counselor appointments. If she had not miscarried, she had a heartbreaking decision about whether or not to terminate for medical reasons, since the baby had a chance not carrying to term - or if it did would only live for minutes to hours because of the severity of the defect.
@Jaime77 While I am very sorry to hear of your son Brandon's passing, I am grateful to know you had 53 hours filled with love and care with him before he did. I know it was not an easy thing to go through, but I know those 53 hours will be cherished for a lifetime.
@ncoughlin08 I am sorry to hear about your best friend, but I know she is excited to welcome this new addition to her family very soon. The next chance I get, I will definitely be donating money to this wonderful organization. I was happily surprised to see one of the most popular photographers in our city has donated his time and effort to this organization.