Today I want to share about an organization that I volunteer with, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. NILMDTS is a non-profit group whose mission is to capture black and white heirloom portraits for families who have lost a newborn baby. I have been a volunteer photographer with them for over five years and it is the most meaningful thing I do with my photography. I have photographed stillborn babies from 16 weeks gestation up to full-term and babies that passed away shortly after birth. Often people say to me "I don't know how you do it." It's hard to describe HOW I do it but one things I keep in mind is that the portraits I capture are the only professional portraits the family will ever get of their baby and I need to do my job to the best of my abilities.
October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. It's also the month that a little nephew of mine was born too early many years ago; I know how much the few photos they have of him mean to his parents and he is one of the reasons I volunteer.
If you'd like to learn more about NILMDTS or make a tax-deductible contribution to them their website is https://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/