Heartbreaking Photos Of Parents Posing With Their Lost Babies For The Last Time
The loss or still birth of an infant is one of the most heartbreaking tragedies that a family can experience. There’s no one right way to grieve over such a loss, so some families have chosen a solemn and beautiful way to immortalize the lives that could have been – family photos together with their lifeless infants.
Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep is a non-profit that trains and supports photographers around the world “to provide beautiful heirloom portraits to families facing the untimely death of an infant.“ Over the last 10 years of operation, they have provided 30,000 families with these heartwrenching photo sessions. The organization claims to have participating photographers in every state in the U.S. and in 40 countries around the world, for a total of 1,650 participating volunteers.
The organization was founded by Cheryl Haggard and photographer Sandy Puc. Together with Cheryl and Mike Haggard, Puc documented the brief life and death of Maddux Achilles Haggard, who was born with a condition called myotubular myopathy.
More info: nowilaymedowntosleep.org | Facebook | Twitter (h/t: dailymail)
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Share on Facebookjust quickly scanned through them. couldn't stop, was already crying.
Load More Replies...Darn... these pictures are heartbreakingly beautiful. I cannot even imagine the pain in their hearts.
yes, why not to cry, as long as necessary... i guess, they need such a good bye to recover, for they lost a part of them
i had still born i wish i had those pictures capture the moment. i thought i could love someone so much ... ...
So heart breaking yet so precious! Love the pic :) Saying, Thank you to the Parents, who agreed to show these emotionally loved pics
The photographer was amazing, capturing all of the love and devotion of these parents
Load More Replies...I wish there had been someone there to do this for me when I lost my firstborn (she passed during corrective heart surgery @ 8 days old).
I cannot imagine the pain those parents must've felt during those times!!! :'( crying right now :'(
And I am going to a rally on Boston Common At 2 pm thus next Saturday 03/30 to fight legislation to allow what they say is “abortion “ of a full term baby. I birthed 4 beautiful children. One is mildly autistic. He is on his way to being a famous musician teacher and composer! Imagine if I had murdered him! It is so devastating to see these parents go through such tragedy and then hear others call that baby a cluster of cells. At some point those cells become a living being. I can’t take it. We must stand and fight this atrocity.
So very sad. Yet some of the same people saying they're crying would think nothing of murdering these babies!
so heartbroken.. i was lost my baby even before i wasn't ready to say goodbye
Heartbreaking but absolutely beautiful.. What a rewarding and amazing thing to do for parents x
Beautiful but so sad. I'm so sorry to all of you...you all have an angel looking down
Simply some of the most beautiful photographs I've even seen. It must have taken huge courage on the part of everyone to do this.
Simply, some of the most beautiful photos I've ever seen. I think it took huge courage on everyone's part to do this.
My heart goes out to all these parents, I have a son and I cannot fathom the feelings they had to go through. Great project.
I think their so beautiful. I lost my first baby to being stillborn, I never seen here after birth or during the funeral. pain last foreve
These photos add a dignity to it all doesn't it. These children did exist - even if very briefly.
What A Beautiful cause.. I am betting So appreciated by the parents. a hard job. Well done!!!
It is very touching to see this tradition coming back with such beauty and grace in loving memory of there little ones.
Such beautiful photography covering so much heartbreak. This has touched my life so many times with friends who have lost their babies.
The second to last photo was what got to me. The pain in her expression. .. I never thought of such a beautiful memorial.
My heart goes out to them.I couldn't imagine their pain.I thank God 4 my lo everyday.
I'm not a parent so it was always hard for me to understand what parents go through. I think I know now. I'm in tears.
I have some pictures like that but they were only Polaroid so they're not beautiful. I would like to know how they got the babies to look that good my baby was blue
Exploitation as art. I appreciate the artistry of the photos. But not the intent to manipulate the observer's emotions.
Heartbreaking...don't know how these people get past losing a new baby.
How beautiful. We have a fading Polaroid of our Margaret, the experience is burned in my heart. Bless the photographers.
I am crying. I would never want to feel that kind of grief. So very sad. The portraits are beautiful & priceless. A very moving memorial.
Who Cares what I think. If this helps those parents grief and pain it is right for them
These photos really touched me. My friends, who lost her little boy at 4 months, would have loved to have had a photo like this to keep :(
incredibly moving and beautiful to celebrate these humans who tried to make it and didn't. All creation is precious!
I think it's a beautiful way to have a lasting memory of your child that you still love and will love forever. A way to bring comfort.
very beautiful and heartbreaking. I have had three ectopic pregnancies and they ripped my heart out.
Such beautiful photo's to treasure with their child in their hearts forever.
Such beautiful photo's to treasure with their child in their hearts forever.
As a Hospital worker, I've had the extraordinary honor of witnessing such pain. Thanks to these parents for sharing. These pictures are subl
I don't know, i feel the tear now. I don't know. Life doesn't have to be this painful.
these pictures are absolutely beautiful. As an L&D nurse, I have witnessed the pain and beauty captured here.
Sleep now, little one, Fly away, and take with you My heart and my tears.
And some people believe there's a God who let's these things happen. How truly earth shattering
As someone who lost a little sister when I was young and saw what my mom went through. I think this is a wonderful thing. Beautiful
Amazing composure by the photographer to take such beautiful and important photos for the parents.
just quickly scanned through them. couldn't stop, was already crying.
Load More Replies...Darn... these pictures are heartbreakingly beautiful. I cannot even imagine the pain in their hearts.
yes, why not to cry, as long as necessary... i guess, they need such a good bye to recover, for they lost a part of them
i had still born i wish i had those pictures capture the moment. i thought i could love someone so much ... ...
So heart breaking yet so precious! Love the pic :) Saying, Thank you to the Parents, who agreed to show these emotionally loved pics
The photographer was amazing, capturing all of the love and devotion of these parents
Load More Replies...I wish there had been someone there to do this for me when I lost my firstborn (she passed during corrective heart surgery @ 8 days old).
I cannot imagine the pain those parents must've felt during those times!!! :'( crying right now :'(
And I am going to a rally on Boston Common At 2 pm thus next Saturday 03/30 to fight legislation to allow what they say is “abortion “ of a full term baby. I birthed 4 beautiful children. One is mildly autistic. He is on his way to being a famous musician teacher and composer! Imagine if I had murdered him! It is so devastating to see these parents go through such tragedy and then hear others call that baby a cluster of cells. At some point those cells become a living being. I can’t take it. We must stand and fight this atrocity.
So very sad. Yet some of the same people saying they're crying would think nothing of murdering these babies!
so heartbroken.. i was lost my baby even before i wasn't ready to say goodbye
Heartbreaking but absolutely beautiful.. What a rewarding and amazing thing to do for parents x
Beautiful but so sad. I'm so sorry to all of you...you all have an angel looking down
Simply some of the most beautiful photographs I've even seen. It must have taken huge courage on the part of everyone to do this.
Simply, some of the most beautiful photos I've ever seen. I think it took huge courage on everyone's part to do this.
My heart goes out to all these parents, I have a son and I cannot fathom the feelings they had to go through. Great project.
I think their so beautiful. I lost my first baby to being stillborn, I never seen here after birth or during the funeral. pain last foreve
These photos add a dignity to it all doesn't it. These children did exist - even if very briefly.
What A Beautiful cause.. I am betting So appreciated by the parents. a hard job. Well done!!!
It is very touching to see this tradition coming back with such beauty and grace in loving memory of there little ones.
Such beautiful photography covering so much heartbreak. This has touched my life so many times with friends who have lost their babies.
The second to last photo was what got to me. The pain in her expression. .. I never thought of such a beautiful memorial.
My heart goes out to them.I couldn't imagine their pain.I thank God 4 my lo everyday.
I'm not a parent so it was always hard for me to understand what parents go through. I think I know now. I'm in tears.
I have some pictures like that but they were only Polaroid so they're not beautiful. I would like to know how they got the babies to look that good my baby was blue
Exploitation as art. I appreciate the artistry of the photos. But not the intent to manipulate the observer's emotions.
Heartbreaking...don't know how these people get past losing a new baby.
How beautiful. We have a fading Polaroid of our Margaret, the experience is burned in my heart. Bless the photographers.
I am crying. I would never want to feel that kind of grief. So very sad. The portraits are beautiful & priceless. A very moving memorial.
Who Cares what I think. If this helps those parents grief and pain it is right for them
These photos really touched me. My friends, who lost her little boy at 4 months, would have loved to have had a photo like this to keep :(
incredibly moving and beautiful to celebrate these humans who tried to make it and didn't. All creation is precious!
I think it's a beautiful way to have a lasting memory of your child that you still love and will love forever. A way to bring comfort.
very beautiful and heartbreaking. I have had three ectopic pregnancies and they ripped my heart out.
Such beautiful photo's to treasure with their child in their hearts forever.
Such beautiful photo's to treasure with their child in their hearts forever.
As a Hospital worker, I've had the extraordinary honor of witnessing such pain. Thanks to these parents for sharing. These pictures are subl
I don't know, i feel the tear now. I don't know. Life doesn't have to be this painful.
these pictures are absolutely beautiful. As an L&D nurse, I have witnessed the pain and beauty captured here.
Sleep now, little one, Fly away, and take with you My heart and my tears.
And some people believe there's a God who let's these things happen. How truly earth shattering
As someone who lost a little sister when I was young and saw what my mom went through. I think this is a wonderful thing. Beautiful
Amazing composure by the photographer to take such beautiful and important photos for the parents.
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