like i said when i shared a photo from their shoot-this family has been through a lot in the past year. they experienced a horrible tradedy and i wanted to share their story here to raise awareness and help them in any way i can.
this is from Anna:
On July 20, 2006 I went in for an induction and when the nurse went to hook me up to the monitor she could not find our son’s heartbeat. After our son was born we found out that his foot had gotten tangled in his umbilical cord and cut off his life line. He was perfect in every way. He weighed 8 lbs. 5 oz. and was 21.5″ in. long. We named him JLB, which stands for Jack’s Little Brother. Through out my pregnancy we could not decide on a name so we started calling him JLB and when things happened the way they did that day we didn’t feel like we could change his name, so JLB it remained. I hope that one day our son Jack will think of it as a gift, that his brother was named after him.
I was always one of those people who thought stuff like that doesn’t happen to me and now here I am. Going through the weeks and months that have followed the death of our son I realized that there should be more for us…..more guidience….more understanding….more support. My husband and I are in the first steps of starting a memorial fund through our local hospital. The goals of our organization would be to offer support for the parents and to provide them the things that they need to make this time a little easier. To educate medical professionals on how to handle a grieving mother and father with care. Lastly we would like to build a children’s memorial park in our town. Not everyone is comfortable with going to a cemetery but if there was a place where they could go to remember their children I think it would be a good thing. No matter when a person loses their child that child has touched their lives…their hearts …..and their souls forever. It is good to remember our babies because that is how they live on.Stillbirth results in 28,000 deaths a year and that number is increasing. If you are interested in raising awareness in your community you can check out some of these websites to learn more.
www.missfoundation.org
www.missingangelsbill.org
www.october15th.com
when anna contacted me she said that after the last year, she wanted to capture her family right now as they begin to start over. what i saw in them was a tender and strong connection and it was an honor to be a part of their life for even the small amount of time that i was.
Your photos reflect the light that shines inside your clients souls – just beautiful!
Very beautiful. You have such a way, so beautiful. Thank you for sharing this information, it is so touching. My thoughts and prayers are with this family! Gorgeous Mom!
I love the second to last one.
chicken skin.
AKA
goosebumps.
AKA
you rocketh.
ps.
finally got the nosemeat pierced.
what a brave family ~ thank you for sharing. The park memorial is a marvelous idea, and sadly needed in every town. My heart goes out to them. The photos are a wonderful celebration of life and love, good job!
Thanks for sharing their story, Tara. My husband have lost 2 babies due to late miscarriage in the last year and a half. It is amazing what you find you need to pull from your character in order to get through. I started crying reading their story. So sad and it shouldn’t happen… but it does. You have a great gift for capturing hearts on paper. You are providing people with not only pictures, but legacies.
What a beautiful family with such an amazing outlook. I am grateful that there are people like this family in the world who can take a personal tragedy and use it to better the community. THANK YOU ANNA AND FAMILY.
Gorgeous pictures T. And such a heartbreaking story. I had goosebumps reading that. I love that you were able to do this for them.
You captured them just like they wanted. I feel as if I know them. What a beautiful family they are.
Beautiful.. I didn’t expect to come here and cry.
I should know better by now!
wow..what a story…
wonderful pictures!
How awful. I can’t even begin to imagine the pain and heart break they must have gone through.
The pictures are absolutely beautiful, and what a wonderful way to capture that time in their lives, when they are starting fresh and new.
i have goosebumps.
thank you for sharing their story.
such a beautiful family and their hope resonates in their smiles.
Oh my gosh, my heart breaks for them.
They are a beautiful family and I got chills as I looked at this series. Amazing and breathtaking.
Anna – We have a similar organisation in Australia – they may have some helpful ideas and be able to support you in the early stages of beginning something so important.
http://www.sands.org.au/
They send out packs to the parents home, and continue to send newsletters for three months, after that time you pay a nominal fee to continue receiving them. The packs are wonderful and filled with a variety of items – nothing fixes the problem or takes away the pain but there are a range of items in there and you can usually find something that makes coping possible.
Tara – you did a fab job. Lovely to have a smiling family – when they may well have thought that they would never smile again. This was such an important shoot. And you did it so beautifully.
Tara~
I have been a “lurker” of your blog for awhile now, I’ve just never commented. I love your work! I’m an up and coming photographer, I just started my own side business. But that’s not why I’ve chosen to comment today. 2 years ago on the 30th of this month I too lost a baby boy during birth. The darn cord was to blame (stupid thing, can’t live without it though!!) He was 6lbs 2oz and perfect in EVERY way! 2 weeks shy of his one year, I had another baby boy who just turned one yesterday! My heart goes out to this family, I know exactly what they fell and what they are going through. I also live in Arizona and would love to get in touch with them, I’d love to help with what she is trying to get done. Thanks! And thanks for all your wonderful pictures that you share, they are so inspirational!
Jessica
goose bumps and tear rimmed lids.
What a precious family! They will be blessed!
Thanks for sharing this, I hope they achieve what they want, there can’t be enough help for times like that. Love the pictures you took!!! and can’t wait to see your website :-)
Tara – these are truly gorgeous photos of a gorgeous family. What a touching story and my heart goes out to them. They’re baby will always be a part of their family and I love that they named him JLB. Bittersweet.
I have no children (yet) and would hate to think of something so horrendous happening right when your child is about ready to enter the world. These are cool pics also. (:
Thank you for sharing their story.
Very beautiful photos and a touching story. I’m sure the family will cherish these forever.
WOW…..
beautiful photos, as always!
and i have a link to share:
http://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org
photographers can sign up to be available for families who have stillborn babies or newborns with illnesses incompatible with life. there is no fee for families; approved photographers agree to take photos of the baby and family (often in the hospital) and provide a CD of images at no charge. photographers are asked to donate $25 to help with costs of keeping up the board.
Bless Anna and her family! Wonderful photos, Tara!!!
I, too, have lurked this blog, preferring to just read other’s thoughts. But, as mom who also experienced a stillbirth 6 yrs ago, I wanted to express my condolences. Right when I think I’ve stopped crying over it, I read/hear/learn of another and I cry again. I wish them well.
I can’t imagine the pain and heartache of losing a child.
These portraits are just lovely.
Hi Tara….just wanted to say thank you to all of your readers for their kind comments. Thanks again for the images I will cherish them always. You are an incredible person and a wonderful photographer…….thank you…
what a beautiful family. you captured them fantastically well.
i am so sad for this family. they are so positive and willing to give after such an awful tragedy.
you captured their family beautifully, another job well done.
I thought you and your blog readers might like to know about a program that addresses this tragic experience in a very special, creative way. It’s called the Memory Box Artist Program. They coordinate with the bereavement programs at hospitals all around the country to provide memory boxes for parents of stillborn babies or infants who pass away so that they have a place to keep the few tangible memories they have of that child.
Since most of your readers are artistic, creative and caring people, they are the perfect group to participate by creating boxes to provide for the program.
Their website is http://www.teraleigh.com/memoryboxes/
Thank you for sharing your talent and for exposing us to so many special families.
I have a dear friend who recently went through a similiar experience and I was heart broken for her and now for this family, In the world we live in with all the technology I really just can’t wrap my head around why this stuff can still happen? anyway.. I think you have captured this family so amazingly well and I wish them much happiness as they start to rebuild their future. Thanks for sharing thier story
Her story breaks my heart. Another wonderful photographer, Blair Blanks, lost her son to a cord accident last year and she has made it her mission to spread the word. You can read her heart-breaking, poignant story at http://www.blairblanks.com/james
What a great thing you’re doing to tell her story. I lost a son last summer at 12 weeks pregnancy due to a lethal chromosomal condition and it changed my life. Your work is beautiful.
One more thing…. you MUST see the photographic essay of James’s birth on the site. It is breathtaking. I know you will appreciate it.