Volunteer Photographers needed to support now I lay me down to sleep (nilmdts) ottawa

The precious moments that Rob and I (Rachel) spent with Aaron after his loss were lovingly captured by Véronique Lalonde, one of the volunteer photographers from Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep (NILMDTS). 

NILMDTS is a U.S.-based non-profit organization that operates in more than 40 countries. It was formed in 2005 by Cheryl Haggard, a Colorado mother whose son Maddux died six days after birth; and Sandy Puc', a professional photographer contacted by Haggard’s husband to take photos of Maddux.  Those tender photographs documenting Maddux’s eternal connection with his parents inspired Cheryl and Sandy to begin a nonprofit organization that has provided thousands of families of babies who are stillborn or are at risk of dying as newborns with free professional portraits with their baby.

​More information on NILMDTS in Ottawa is available in this article from the Ottawa Citizen. 

Véronique captured intimate moments including our nurse Shelley and I dressing Aaron for the first and last time. She photographed his hands and feet and Rob and I holding him.  I cherish these photographs as they are a physical reminder that Aaron was here, if only for a brief moment. Annie Carrier, one of the volunteer photographers who photographed Aaron's Butterfly Run in 2017, is also a NILMDTS volunteer.  

NILMDTS in Ottawa is looking for more volunteer photographers as they are currently very short on volunteers. Last week,  February 21st 2018, marked nine babies photographed in eleven days by Ottawa NILMDTS photographers.  If you are interested in becoming a volunteer photographer, please join the NILMDTS Prospective Photographers Facebook Group.  They will also be holding an in-person information session in Ottawa on Saturday, March 3 2018 at 12:00pm. 

Liz Bradley, another volunteer photographer with NILMDTS shared the following post on Facebook on February 17: ​

Tonight marks seven babies in one week that Ottawa NILMDTS photographers have photographed. My heart hurts. 
It’s been a hell of a week with more calls than usual, and because we are short on volunteers, a few of us took two or more of those calls, myself included.
If you are a photographer in Ottawa who is even just a little on the fence about joining Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, PLEASE let me take you for a coffee to chat about it. It’s such an amazing gift that we, as photographers, can give, and it’s not as difficult as you may think it will be. We NEED you. We really, really do. 
The more photographers we have to call on, the less each individual photographer has to take on, which helps us as a whole. Having time between these calls is important to heal ourselves.
I realize this is asking a lot as we are asking you to share in someone else’s grief. It’s vulnerable and terrible, but it is also humbling. What we give these families is beautiful images of their babies - the ones that make them parents, that make their children siblings, that make their parents into grandparents. What we give them helps their healing and it is the most fulfilling charity work I’ve ever done.
So let me take you to coffee. Let me chat to you about my experiences within the hospital rooms and with these families who really need us on the worst day of their life.

If you are a local photographer, please consider joining the Facebook group and/or attending the in-person information session to learn more.