This is an incredible organization of volunteer photographers dedicated to providing beautiful and meaningful images for families faced with the loss of an infant. Sounds a little morbid, I know, but it is really some of the most amazing work I’ve ever had the privilege of doing.
NILMDTS was started about 3 years ago by photographer Sandy Puc and mom Cheryl Haggard. Cheryl and her family were faced with the fact that their newborn son, Maddux, would not live long. They asked Sandy if she would consider coming in to the hospital to photography baby Maddux and the family while he was still on life support – and then again after the life support was removed. Sandy eventually agreed, and the resulting images were a priceless gift to the Haggard family. What they both realized, was that there were many families faced with this same type of loss every day and that, sadly, most would not even have a photograph of their baby to keep. So – Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep was born.
I read about the organization through one of my professional magazines shortly after they had the non-profit set up and immediately joined. Don’t know why exactly – but it just spoke to me. It was something I knew I could do and knew it would be something of real significance. So often we get so busy working, that we don’t always see just how we impact people. This was one way I can give back – and believe me the gift returned to me – and all of us, I’m sure – is in the hugs and gratitude these families share with us.
In the last year I’ve had my name removed from the active photographers list because my good friend Sandra is off to a stint in Iraq for awhile. She and I were the only NILMDTS photographers for about the first year and a half. We worked hard to recruit new members, so when she decided to take up the tour in Iraq, these new members stepped up to act as coordinators and active photographers. While Sandra is gone I’m working both my studio and hers, so that when she returns she’ll (hopefully) have a studio to go back to work in.
So, til she returns and we can become active with the organization, I continue to try to support it, educate and present to the community when asked. Getting the word out about this important work is so important. To date I think the organization has over 3.000 photographers world wide. Here in the Valley we have over a dozen signed on and have photographed for somewhere in the neighborhood of 60 or 70 families from the Fargo, Grand Forks, Bismark, Minot areas. That’s a bunch.
