Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep
I have become a Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep volunteer photographer. Or, rather, I am in the process of doing so. I’ve been approved, I’ve paid my membership fee and I have registered for the forum. That registration has to get manually approved and then I have to sort through a mountain of information.
What is NILMDTS you ask? NILMDTS is a network of volunteer photographers that provide private portrait sessions in hospitals and hospices for families whose baby will not survive.
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You can see a Today show segment on NILMDTS HERE.
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March 7th, 2008 19:23
Wow. That is horribly sad and inspirational at the same time. You are a stronger person than I.
On the eve of my twins’ first birthday, that makes me even more thankful that they are here.
March 7th, 2008 21:39
That is too sad to think about. I’m glad people do this.
March 7th, 2008 23:53
I don’t think that I would have the strength to do this. It is an amazingly powerful gift you will be giving to families in a time of great distress. I had heard about NILMDTS but hadn’t ever thought about the logistics involved.
March 8th, 2008 14:53
I saw this on the Today show the other day - it’s wonderful that you are volunteering for this
March 8th, 2008 15:30
I saw it, too. I think this is a wonderful service. I wish it had been around for my friend, who lost a twin at 28 weeks. She has a Polaroid picture of him that doesn’t really fit the bill. I think she really longed for something more tangible. I have a photography minor, and theoretically could “do” it, but I don’t think I’m as strong as you must be. BTW, loved your ad photo.
March 9th, 2008 00:40
The photographer who did my maternity shoot, the twins newborn and 6 month shoots did this. I remember thinking there was NO way I could ever do this. I told her as much and she said that it was such an amazing experience - but very very hard on her emotionally. This is a wonderful service — just be prepared to cry a lot.
March 9th, 2008 01:42
what a wonderful inspirational thing and also sad… we have similar programs in Australia for bereaved parents .I wish they had them when I lost my baby.I only have a few very blurred poor quality photos of my daughter.
March 9th, 2008 07:32
I agree with Trish - while the staff at the hospital where my sister’s daughter died at 2 days old (after 27w6d gestation) were fantastic, all she has is some hand and foot prints, and two Polaroids of her after she died. I think it would have been wonderful to have someone kind and thoughtful to donate their time to take proper photographs.
March 10th, 2008 10:08
It takes a truly amazing person to do this. I know your talent will help this families to cherish their little one, no matter how short their time together was.
March 10th, 2008 12:00
I’m so glad you are doing this. We have no pictures of Nicolas except some crappy polaroids that a nurse took. They don’t even look like him, because she unfortunately had no skill at what she was doing. It was our choice at the time not to take our own pictures, but it was the wrong choice. If there was someone professional willing to take them, i think we would have allowed that (we allowed the nurse, after all), and what a great gift to us it would have been. There are very few tangible things a person can do for someone else grieving such a profound loss, but this is one of them.
March 10th, 2008 14:43
Stacie - what a wonderful thing to do - you certainly have the talent with the camera. God bless you for volunteering to do this.
Love