Photographers Give Griving Parents Something To Hold Onto

A few months back in the early Ottawa spring, Veronique, my NILMDTS Area Coordinator an myself were interviewed by the Ottawa Citizen newspaper about our services.  For a moment I have to admit that I started to believe that our article would not come out after all.  It had been so long.

After it came out a couple weeks ago I quickly realized that this was not the type of article you build overnight.  I mean for us we were so excited to have a little bit of exposure.  But then I put myself in the shoes of the writer (who was great by the way).

Putting all of these pieces together, meeting some of the families we helped, listening to their stories, looking at photos of their beautiful angels, sharing some of the most intimate and hardest moments parents can ever go through.  It's heavy stuff.  But he did a beautiful job.

This article, the work of our NILMDTS Ottawa/Gatineau team, I want people to be aware that it is ok to talk about the loss of a child.  A grieving parent will be more grateful to you for acknowledging what happened to them, will be more grateful to you for listening to them, then pretending than nothing happened.

Because no mater how small their little angel was, he or she was already loved and the parents already dreamt of what could have been.

Please take a few minutes to read the article by clicking the link below

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/photographers-give-grieving-parents-something-to-hold-onto

Love,

Annie

Born Still But Still Born

I believe every stories are worth being told.  Some are, unfortunately, harder to read than others. When it comes to the loss of a child, I think it is so important to allow families to talk freely about what happened to them.  Because worst than not being able to talk about it, is feeling the need to keep it bottled in as the world might not understand.

I can't imagine how hard it would be for a parent to put those words on to paper. However I can see how it would help make it real. A way to fully document the events, so they are remembered. Not a split second missed.

The article I am sharing with you today is the story of Emma and Aaron, who welcomed their beautiful son Reid, still, on April 4th. Although it is a sad story, it is also a beautiful one. About a little angel who was loved from his first heartbeat to the last.


You can find the article here : Born Still But Still Born

Love

Annie

Helping grieving parents heal with photographs

Via Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Facebook, April 6th, 2015

In 2013, NILMDTS Affiliated Photographer Tonia LaRiviera captured the love and relationship between Baby Elodie and her parents, Alethea and Roman. They recently shared their story with their local news station in Hamilton, Canada. You can view their story by clicking the 2nd link below.

As part of Recruit a Photographer Month, we encourage you to watch and share this beautiful report on how one photographer was able to share her skills and compassion to honor Elodie and bring comfort and healing to her parents.

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep is in need of more compassionate and skilled photographers like Tonia to help families across Canada, the US, and several other countries. If you are a photographer, please learn more about how you can be a part of our organization:

https://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/photographers/become-an-affiliated-photographer/ 

http://www.chch.com/helping-grieving-parents-heal-with-photographs/

The Little Signs We Encounter

Via Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Facebook, April 8th, 2015

Many of our parents have shared stories about the little ways they still feel their children around them. Some just call this wishful thinking, others believe that we carry our children in our hearts forever, and others feel peace and comfort in finding these little 'signs' or symbols such as is mentioned in this penny poem.
If anyone has a story to share of feeling your baby near you or your children near you or even ANY loved one that has gone before us, please share!

Grieving is Hard Work / Le Deuil n'est pas Chose Facile

Via NILMDTS Facebook

Grieving is hard work, often done quietly, internally, and alone. But sometimes we just NEED to talk out loud. NEED to say the words, "My heart is broken".

And we NEED others to understand those words and not be afraid of them. Just hear them and treat those words with a bit of understanding and compassion. And maybe throw in a hug . . . hugs are good.

Grieving is hard work . . .

__________________________

Le deuil n'est pas chose pacile.  Il est souvent silencieux, interne et solitaire.  Mais parfois tout ce que nous avons BESOIN est d'en parler à voix haute.  Un BESOIN de laisser sortir les mots, "J'ai le coeur brisé".

Et nous avons BESOIN de la compréhension de ceux qui nous entourent, afin qu'ils comprennent et n'aient pas peur de ces mots.  Simplement entendre ces mots, et les traiter avec un peu de compassion et de compréhension.  Et peut-être une caresse... Elles font du bien.

Le deuil n'est pas chose facile...