Does anyone volunteer with NILMDTS?

[JustJazzie]

Hopefully I picked the right forum for this, if not- I apologize.

I recently came across this organization and I am looking a little further into possibly volunteering with them.

For those unfamiliar,
Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep is a non profit organization that connects family's who have experienced the death of a baby with a high quality volunteer photographer to capture their little one before he or she is laid to rest.

I am curious if anyone here has worked with them before, and what your experience was/is.

 

[The_Traveler]

We had a volunteer from this organization speak at our local camera club.
The work was interesting but potentially very depressing.
I don't think anyone signed up.

 

[vintagesnaps]

I've heard of it. I have a friend/coworker who was in a car accident when she was maybe 7-8 months along in her pregnancy, and they lost the baby. He lived for a few hours and they did have some pictures taken. I don't remember now how the hospital arranged it, if it was thru this organization or not; our children's hospital is huge and has people come here from all over the world to see specialists so they have extensive services they provide.

I looked to see if there's one locally and found a news story about one in the area. It mentions that it's emotional work; that the parent sometimes may be so distraught that it takes being able to deal with emotional situations.

I remember with my friend that for me seeing that little white casket was very emotional, it still is now just thinking about it, and I've worked with kids who were medically fragile and have been thru a parent calling to tell me their baby had passed away. And in a case like that the child wasn't expected to live a lot of years, and they'd been able to take plenty of pictures of him. I know my friend was glad to have some pictures of their baby since he only survived a few hours.

 

[sm4him]

I've considered it, because I have several friends who could have benefited from their ministry, and the IDEA of it appeals to me.

Ultimately, I decided against it, for reasons both Lew and other Sharon mention--the emotional aspect. I simply don't think I could handle the very raw, rough, fragile emotions and not be adversely affected by it. As someone who has had varying degrees of depression much of their life, and now finds myself living depression-free for the most part, I have to be careful not to engage in activities that could send me into a spiral (at least as long as those activities are within my control to CHOOSE whether to engage in them or not).

 

[Designer]

.. with a high quality volunteer photographer ..

Out of all the needs that a family needs at a time like that I wonder why this org. fixes on photography?

I mean; think about all the other things that are needed:

Fund-raising, baby-sitting, meals, house cleaning, telephone calls, emergency transportation, to name a few.

So now does the photographer take a portrait of the deceased? I know they did that many years ago, but if it seems strange then, it would still seem strange today.

 

[JustJazzie]

We had a volunteer from this organization speak at our local camera club.
The work was interesting but potentially very depressing.
I don't think anyone signed up.

Sad to hear no one signed up, but I do understand the apprehension.

I've heard of it. I have a friend/coworker who was in a car accident when she was maybe 7-8 months along in her pregnancy, and they lost the baby. He lived for a few hours and they did have some pictures taken. I don't remember now how the hospital arranged it, if it was thru this organization or not; our children's hospital is huge and has people come here from all over the world to see specialists so they have extensive services they provide.

I looked to see if there's one locally and found a news story about one in the area. It mentions that it's emotional work; that the parent sometimes may be so distraught that it takes being able to deal with emotional situations.

I remember with my friend that for me seeing that little white casket was very emotional, it still is now just thinking about it, and I've worked with kids who were medically fragile and have been thru a parent calling to tell me their baby had passed away. And in a case like that the child wasn't expected to live a lot of years, and they'd been able to take plenty of pictures of him. I know my friend was glad to have some pictures of their baby since he only survived a few hours.

Im so sorry to hear about your friends loss.

I've considered it, because I have several friends who could have benefited from their ministry, and the IDEA of it appeals to me.

Ultimately, I decided against it, for reasons both Lew and other Sharon mention--the emotional aspect. I simply don't think I could handle the very raw, rough, fragile emotions and not be adversely affected by it. As someone who has had varying degrees of depression much of their life, and now finds myself living depression-free for the most part, I have to be careful not to engage in activities that could send me into a spiral (at least as long as those activities are within my control to CHOOSE whether to engage in them or not).

I am right there with you! I could be called empathetic I suppose. I really have to watch who I hang around with, and I NEVER watch the news. I live mostly in a happy little bubble of unawareness, unless it directly affects me. If I am not careful, I spiral down and it isn't so pretty.

I Love the sentiment behind the organization, but do wonder if I am actually strong enough to emotionally handle such work.

.. with a high quality volunteer photographer ..

Out of all the needs that a family needs at a time like that I wonder why this org. fixes on photography?

I mean; think about all the other things that are needed:

Fund-raising, baby-sitting, meals, house cleaning, telephone calls, emergency transportation, to name a few.

So now does the photographer take a portrait of the deceased? I know they did that many years ago, but if it seems strange then, it would still seem strange today.

Yes, families due need support in many forms during such a time. I do see the value in a photograph though, no matter how "small" it may seem at the time, it would last forever. Babysitting, transportation etc only help in present- but what about future healing?

 

[rexbobcat]

.. with a high quality volunteer photographer ..

Out of all the needs that a family needs at a time like that I wonder why this org. fixes on photography?

I mean; think about all the other things that are needed:

Fund-raising, baby-sitting, meals, house cleaning, telephone calls, emergency transportation, to name a few.

So now does the photographer take a portrait of the deceased? I know they did that many years ago, but if it seems strange then, it would still seem strange today.

According to the website, "NILMDTS has provided for thousands of families, who have delivered babies who are stillborn or are at risk of dying as newborns"

So they do take photos of stillborns but they also give their services to other families.