I’ve been inspired once more to take up a cause in Everlee’s memory.

The pictures I have of Everlee are some of my most precious possessions. They are some of the only physical things that exist that prove she was here and she was real and she was loved. A few quick snaps taken with a point and shoot camera and an iPhone through teared and bleary eyes are the only physical images that exist of my beautiful little girl. When I close my eyes I see her perfectly, but those pictures mean the world to me. If my house was burning down and I could only grab one thing (aside from my family) those pictures would be it. But they’re crude, not very well thought out and there are only a handful but to me, they are my daughter.

Thanks to this article and my friend Karrie over at finallypregnant2012.wordpress.com I’m reminded of some wonderful people who exist in this world who donate their time and talents to give a precious gift to families like mine. An hour of time to take a few pictures that will be treasured for a lifetime, and a few hours of processing, could make all the difference to creating the memories families like mine hold so dearly to our hearts through our grief.

There exists a group called “Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep”. Their website states the following as their mission and work:

Mission
To introduce remembrance photography to parents suffering the loss of a baby with a free gift of professional portraiture.

Our Work
NILMDTS trains, educates, and mobilizes professional quality photographers to provide beautiful heirloom portraits to families facing the untimely death of an infant. We believe these images serve as an important step in the family’s healing process by honouring the child’s legacy.

I’ve reached out in the past to ask photographers locally to volunteer for this organization, but there are still no volunteers for Newfoundland listed on their website. As lovely as it would be to have volunteers for this organization here, it would simply just be nice if the nurses and counselling team at the hospital had a simple list they could refer to when tragedy strikes in what is supposed to be the happiest times of our lives. A few local photographers that are willing to be called upon to help these families in their healing process.

This is where I need your help.

Please share this blog post so that local photographers may see this plea and volunteer to donate their time and talents. I hope their services would never be called on, but wish for families like mine to have what I don’t – beautiful professional photographs of their children. There is not a lot of need- you won’t be called upon often- but the need is a great.

If you are a photographer who is reading this and would be willing to be put on a list that could be called upon to take a few precious portraits for a family suffering baby loss then please email me. rhonda.mcmeekin@gmail.com. I’d love to have a small list to provide to the hospital as a resource for families.

Thank you.