A Gift of Remembrance,
Photography for
parents suffering the loss of a baby.
The empty side of pregnancy and birth. What do you do when a
baby dies and your world
is turned
upside down. There is a deep sadness that cannot be explained.
There is no
joy, only sorrow and pain.
It may not be possible for you to even think about or consider that you
might need something
to hold on to to remember this precious life that was so brief.
Portraits by Rhonda would like to provide a helping
healing hand.
When families are overcome
by grief and pain, the idea of photographing their baby may
not occur to them. I would like to offer
a gift of gentle and beautiful photography to cherish for the days
& years to follow.
I will come to your hospital or hospice location and
conduct a
sensitive and private portrait session.
The portraits are then retouched and presented to you on CD which can
then be used to print
portraits of your cherished lil one. I would like to donate my time to
help families heal at no cost to them.
Contact me any time.
I work in Indianapolis & the surrounding Areas.
Portriats by Rhonda is available to all
parents suffering the loss of a baby as early as 25 weeks gestation
or at the descretion of medical personnel. IF YOU KNOW OF A
FAMILY THAT COULD USE MY
SERVICES, PLEASE
DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT ME
ASAP.
You may also download the Authorization for Release form HERE.
There are no fees for this service.
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Photography Helps to Ease the Grief
As parents move through grief they
also
may struggle with holding on to memories
and feelings about this short time with their baby, in the extreme some
may wonder
if their baby ever was.
Todd Hochberg
One way of holding on to memories is through photographs of the baby.
Photo Source: Sona Psotová. Intimate.
Royalty Free Use.
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Photographs help by:
1. Making their baby's life and death real for the parents.
Making the
life real is a significant issue
with brief perinatal lives.
2. Validating the parents feelings, both at the time of their baby's
death and up to the present.
3. Being an affirmation of parenthood, a reminder that there was a
child that they were a parent to.
4. Providing a tangible record of their time with their baby. The
photographs often include cherished
close up details of their baby's physical features and evidence of
loving familial bonds.
5. Allowing them to connect with the many feelings and memories that
may have gotten lost in the torrent
of overwhelming grief at the time or in the weeks since.
Offering parents an illustrated narrative of "their story" for
themselves and the loved ones they choose to share it with,
helps to fostering greater social support and connection, which also
aids in the grieving process.
Source:
Hochberg T. In
Your Eyes; The Caregiver and Bereavement Photography. Share. 2003.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Why take pictures of dying babies ?
Answers to the Difficult Question from
Anencephalie Mom
- A picture helps to confirm your baby's
existence and to confront
the reality of her or his death.
- A pictures shows exactly what the baby looked
like. So you don't
have to rely on your memory or imagination.
- A picture gives you the possibility to share
your baby with other
people. In your grief you can show whom you
are grieving for. Not a fantasy nor a dream, but your child.
- A picture can even be the only tangible memory
of what your baby
looked like. For siblings who weren't been
born or were too young at the moment of the baby's death, it's
important to be able to show them a picture saying :
" this was your brother, your sister. "
- Pictures along with other mementos are a way to
prevent families
from leaving the hospital with empty arms on
top of broken hearts.
Photographs create a tangible reminder of the brief moments shared between parent and child.
Bereavement Photography
God be with you.
