We volunteer to help others - Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep...

Beverly is a volunteer photographer for a non profit organization called Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep.

For those who are not familiar with this organization, below is a link to a wonderful article from a fellow NILMDTS photographer that gives a great explanation as to what we do during these sessions....why we do them...and gives you a little insight into what these sessions are like. Click here to read article

The article was written by fellow NILMDTS photographer, Angela Gaul...

A couple of my favorite things she says in this article are:...

So yes, I am one of more than 7,000 photographers in the U.S. and 25 other countries around the world who are on call to go to hospitals and hospice locations where we shoot portraits of babies who only have a short time with their parents.

Some of the babies are very ill. Some have already passed; some are born still, and others pass during our time together.

I do this volunteer work, photographing families for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. Sometimes the parents have been prepared for these all-too-fleeting moments with their child from a telling ultrasound onward. Others, not at all...

I photograph the baby's hands and feet, their little ears. I try to show how much hair each baby has, to document every little thing a parent will want to remember in the months and years ahead about a child they can only hold their hearts, not in their arms. I photograph the teddy bears and gifts sent as talismans of strength and faith.

I'm not really sure why or how I have the ability to do this. I really don't know how I can do this work in the hospital without crying or falling apart when I'm photographing people who are beyond devastated. It's not a gift everyone has the ability to give. I can, and... so I do.

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From Beverly....

So many people don't know about the Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Foundation and the countless photographers who donate their time, their talent and their products to families who have lost their child

. We do this as a way of "giving back" and "helping others".

With permission from the parents, I have attached a few of photos from a recent Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep session that I did with Josh and Rebecca Chandler and their precious baby boy, Nolen whom they lost to a devastating illness called Polycystic Kidney Disease on July 1st at only 6 days young.

There is a link at the bottom of this note to the PKD cure organization's website and to Josh and Rebecca's Caring Bridge website. Josh and Rebecca want to share their story with you in order to create an awareness about PKD, to help other families. Beverly

Here's the main article...written by Angela Gaul - NILMDTS photographer NILMDTS Article

Other Links:

Here's a link to the NILMDTS Foundation's website... Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep

For more information on PKD - Polycystic Kidney Disease PKD Cure

Josh and Rebecca Chandler's Caring Bridge Website... Josh and Rebecca's Story