So I do some charity work...

[Bindii]

for a brilliant organisation that is dedicated to giving the gift of photographic memories to families that have experienced stillbirths, premature and ill infants and children in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units of their local hospitals, as well as children with serious and terminal illnesses.

Yeah alright I stole that off their website cause I didn't exactly have the right words.. but for those of you who didnt quite get it that means that they send out experienced photographers (shut it... lol)... to photograph stillborn babies, premature babies who may not make it and terminally ill children... its a free service and we do it at our own cost...

anyways for obvious reasons I never post images from these shoots... but just this once I thought that maybe I might be able to show you a couple of images that don't actually show you the family or the baby I was photographing...

I shall call him Sam (not his real name)... he was born at 21 weeks so he had it hard from the start... Sam spent his whole life in the Intenstive Care Unit on a ventilator... he suffered numerous problems in his short time and endured 2 major heart surgeries.. sadly though it was found that Sam has a congential defect and he would never survive without the venitilator.. his parents had to make the heart wrenching desicion to have the ventilator removed and to allow Sam to pass to pass in peace... at 106 days old (when these images were taken) the ventilator was removed and I was called in to try to get some images so that the family would have more than snapshots to remember Sam by...

Sam passed away on the 31st of January at 7.31am.... may he rest in peace...

[blacknstormy]

What a truely wonderful thing to be involved in - proud of you Sue !!!!
you've already got me teary - these photos provide memories that "Sam's" family will cherish forever.
Thank you so much for sharing - you are much stronger than me - I couldn't do it I don't think ..... would be too emotional and I am a sook.
Hugs
Rel

[Bindii]

What a truely wonderful thing to be involved in - proud of you Sue !!!!
you've already got me teary - these photos provide memories that "Sam's" family will cherish forever.
Thank you so much for sharing - you are much stronger than me - I couldn't do it I don't think ..... would be too emotional and I am a sook.
Hugs
Rel

Oh no I am a sook also.. I always have a bit of a tear on the way home...

okay... I bawl like a baby..

[blacknstormy]

still proud of you !!!

[Bindii]

still proud of you !!!

Thanks Ma! *kiss*

[Marvin]

Wow - I read about this service on this site http://www.footprintsphotography.com/index2.php but didn't really think of people doing it in Australia. What a wonderful service for families. Beautiful pictures too. It must be very hard to deal with the sadness but I'm sure that the families are so appreicative to have some beautiful photos.

[pucara]

I VERY PROUD OF YOU SUE, TO DO THIS REALLY YOU HAVE GUTS. THANKS FOR SHARE WITH AS... KEEP YOUR GOOD JOB..........CARLOS

[TonyT]

Hard thing to do
Well done very moving pictures

[myarhidia]

Fantastic, not just your images but what you do for these families.

[Glen]

Sue, very impressed with your generosity here. It is such a wonderful service to offer to people.

You have spoilt my mental picture of you as a bad girl

[Bluebell]

Beautiful images,
and thank you for reminding me how blessed I am

[Big Red]

Damn ...*cough* ... umm ... think theres something stuck in my throat ... and something in my eye ... ahhemm.

that is just awesome of you Sue *bows*


bad girl ...pfft not bloody likely!!

[cobby1]

Excellent Job Sue i am sure all the families are very grateful

You deserv a big pat on the back well done

Cheers Cobby

[rflower]

Well done Sue. These are great. It is a very worthy thing that you are doing.

I liked the colour one the best. I like the DOF and the colour aspect. I reckon it would have been better though,if you had got one after the bandages had been removed (not sure if that was even possible). Well done

[Reschsmooth]

Sue, as a father of an 8 month old who has been blessed with very few problems (ok, one cold!), the photos and background are truly, shall we say, emotional. You should be proud of not only what you are doing, but what you are giving to those who have lost so much.

Well done.

[Matt. K]

Good job Sue. Not everything in life is easy. I've photographed a number of funerals for folk who have relatives overseas and want to pass the pics on. I photographerd my dads funeral to the horrer of some of those attending....and am very glad I did. The pictures are priceless. I would encourage every funeral to be photographed because the memories are are trapped for all time and will never fade.

[Manta]

Wow. I never even thought about this aspect of photography. It's a tool that can provide so much for people at times when emotions may cloud the event or render it unwatchable. The photos are there forever - for when they're ready to deal with their loss. There've been some moments in my life when I wish someone like you had been there to record what we couldn't. Great work Sue. Inspirational in the truest sense of the word.

[ozczecho]

Congrats to you and the other volunteers that provide this service...magical photos, amazing story, so sad, yet so real.

[chrisk]

tragic story. image #1 is just mesmerising.
my charity work is completely different. i dont think i could do what you do, it'd break my heart. ***mwah*** to people like you.

[AndyL]

Sue, this must be heartbreaking work. Just reading about it stirred something in me and I am at a total loss for words.

You are a true gem and an example of what we should all aspire to.

[Old Bob]

What a blessing you and the others are, that do this difficult task, at such a distressing time in peoples lives. The photographs will be so important, at a time when there seems to be so little to cling to. You do a good thing.

Bob

[gstark]

Sue,

Thank you so much for sharing this with us.

It's obviously a very difficult task to engage in, but what you are doing for those families who are the beneficiaries of your work is just magical.

It must take a lot of courage. I am so proud of you. I am so proud for you.

[Travy]

My brother and his wife had a still born baby a few years back now.
I understand the emotions of the families you are dealing with, and it cant be easy for you at times.

very generous of you to do these.

Great work.

[johnd]

Sue, you must be a very special type of person to do this special work.
I'm sure the families are eternally grateful of the memories you help to create.

Regards
John

[Raskill]

Wow!

Really emotional pictures Sue. Damn bugs in my eyes...

My nephew has a serious congenital heart condition, I held him when he was born and I cried like a baby. These images really impacted on me.

What wonderful person you are!

[Big V]

It has all been said...

[colin_12]

Sue, HAve no words,
To busy crying.
Regards Colin

[zafra52]

Very nice pictures, particularly the first one. I guess you will find your reward in heaven although it should be quite rewarding to do that kind of work right now knowing that that you are giving parents a precious memory to hold on to.

[dodge]

Amazing work sue and a touching story also

[Bindii]

Thank you all for the kind comments...

I feel kinda odd though cause I didn't post them for praise for what we do..

You know guys we are always looking for competant togs to volunteer to do this work.. its hard but very rewarding.. if anyone is interested don't hesitate to drop me a PM.. oh and its an Australian wide group also so it doesn't matter where you live..

[Ladybird]

What beautiful and meaningful work Sue.

That is truly a lovely gift you give.

[TC]

Sue,
very powerful images.

[Big Red]

Thank you all for the kind comments...

I feel kinda odd though cause I didn't post them for praise for what we do..

You know guys we are always looking for competant togs to volunteer to do this work.. its hard but very rewarding.. if anyone is interested don't hesitate to drop me a PM.. oh and its an Australian wide group also so it doesn't matter where you live..

i have a lot to learn about people pics or printing yet and not sure if i could focus through a wet viewfinder but would be interested to know the inside story of what you have to do... you know, everything from start to finish.

Although it may seem a bit macabre at the time i think its something you would think more about later on when it would be too late to get pics.

better to get them and not use them than it would be to always wish you had them.

My respect for you grows even more when i think about it .... after all, these would be the only chance ever to get pics ... an enormous responsibility.

[marcotrov]

Thoughtful and touchingly composed and presented images Bindii. The family have been well served in what must have been unspeakable difficulty. I think you have left a grieving family with cherished memories of the short time they had together with the little one. Well done Sue.
cheers
marco

[Sandy Feet]

I haven't been on the site for about a week so missed these and the story that goes with them.
Sue this is an extrordinary thing that you do and a task I do not think I could do myself.
Having friends that have been in this situation and similar the photos and story have me in tears.

Congratulations to you on helping provide such a great service

Cheers
Rod

[PiroStitch]

Great photos matching with the story behind it all. Love these sort of photos which have an emotional side to it. You're a true treasure to the community!

[norbs]

Nice thing to do Sue. I would love to get involved. I don't know how well I would cope though. Myson spent his 1st 8 days in neonatal ICU, and while I was there 2 bubs passed away. Its a tough thing to witness. Good on you for having the heart to do such a good thing.

[Slothfulcowie]

Wow! Thankyou for sharing.

[rahnin]

I consider it the upmost honour to be present at the transition of a soul and to give strength and comfort wherever and however it is needed.

I have been sitting here for 20 minutes asking myself if I have the emotional fortitude to do this kind of work. The answer hasn't come to me yet...

[Yi-P]

Very heart touching story, and you've done a great job for the community.

[Killakoala]

You're a saint Sue.

[Relish]

Brought tears to my eyes. The impact you will have in these peoples lives is truly amazing. I commend your strength to be able to do such beautiful work in such hard conditions.