Heartbreaking Photos Of Parents Posing With Their Lost Babies For The Last Time
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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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Crying now
just quickly scanned through them. couldn't stop, was already crying.
tell me about it.. My first baby is 9 months old now and I would just die if I lost her. I broke down crying after first picture :(
Darn... these pictures are heartbreakingly beautiful. I cannot even imagine the pain in their hearts.
I cried.
:'(
I cried for 40 minutes. .gosh
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 think I am going to cry
Very touching...
You know, sometimes I just go about my daily business and run into something like this. Just reminds me how cruel the world is.
i had still born i wish i had those pictures capture the moment. i thought i could love someone so much ... ...
How sad!
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
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'm so sorry you lost your baby Debra
Beautiful pictures.
Incredibly moving
in tears...
Heartbreaking! <3
I think it's beautiful
These are beautiful and these parents are tough as hell!
Tears flowing , My heart breaks for these parents . ^
I cannot imagine the pain those parents must've felt during those times!!! :'( crying right now :'(
What a heart ache for the parents but a beautiful memory of their family
TEARS
Totally breaks my heart :,( But still so beautiful pictures <3
We lost a daughter at birth. I wish I had photos.
I'm sorry Martha.
The Amount of Pain.
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!
Some of these photos are terribly heart wrenching and beautiful. I don't get the ones in which the marriage bands are included. The death of a baby is enough of a symbol.
so heartbroken.. i was lost my baby even before i wasn't ready to say goodbye
crying
Heartbreaking but absolutely beautiful.. What a rewarding and amazing thing to do for parents x
Oh, no words! Beautiful and touching..
modern post mortem
Beloved little ones.
Sehr berührende Aufnahmen.Mit viel Mitgefühl für die Eltern.
Life is not fair T_T
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.
Touching!!
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.
:( how sweet and so sad! I can't ever imagine going through this :(
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.
Got tears in my eyes
So beautifully represented! I have tear's in my eye's...to all those beautiful angel's...
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.
i wish when my baby died, i had thought of some photos.......awesomingly heart breaking
Such beautiful photography covering so much heartbreak. This has touched my life so many times with friends who have lost their babies.
Beautiful!! I'm in tears...
Very sad pictures.
The second to last photo was what got to me. The pain in her expression. .. I never thought of such a beautiful memorial.
so beautiful and so very sad
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.
There are no words I can express, just tears for everyone.
Hurt....
This is so more than love ...
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.
I'm hugging my son now, I'd fall to pieces without him
So sad but a beautiful way of saving a loving memory
I think it is a beautiful way of saving a loving memory
Heartbreaking...don't know how these people get past losing a new baby.
Heartbreaking!!
These are sacred moments not meant for public viewing .
HOW SAD
How beautiful. We have a fading Polaroid of our Margaret, the experience is burned in my heart. Bless the photographers.
It so break hearts
Ouch ! I'm crying... and thinking to my chance to have my children alive ! A lesson of life.
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 cried too :((
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.
I think my heart just shattered.:'(
these pictures are absolutely beautiful. As an L&D nurse, I have witnessed the pain and beauty captured here.
So beautiful,sad. Brilliantly respectful and a deeply kind acknowledgement made to a tiny soul, and the core deep grief of those parents.
Made me bawl. I've been there...
Sleep now, little one, Fly away, and take with you My heart and my tears.
I feel conflicted about this. Beautifully heart-wrenching.
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
Amazingly heartbreaking and precious.
God doesn't exist. This is proof.
Scary that most of these baby's look perfect
Im crying now. So beautiful and so heartbreaking at the same time.
Heartbreaking.
Amazing composure by the photographer to take such beautiful and important photos for the parents.
That's soooo brutal
Gosh.
Crying now
just quickly scanned through them. couldn't stop, was already crying.
tell me about it.. My first baby is 9 months old now and I would just die if I lost her. I broke down crying after first picture :(
Darn... these pictures are heartbreakingly beautiful. I cannot even imagine the pain in their hearts.
I cried.
:'(
I cried for 40 minutes. .gosh
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 think I am going to cry
Very touching...
You know, sometimes I just go about my daily business and run into something like this. Just reminds me how cruel the world is.
i had still born i wish i had those pictures capture the moment. i thought i could love someone so much ... ...
How sad!
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
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'm so sorry you lost your baby Debra
Beautiful pictures.
Incredibly moving
in tears...
Heartbreaking! <3
I think it's beautiful
These are beautiful and these parents are tough as hell!
Tears flowing , My heart breaks for these parents . ^
I cannot imagine the pain those parents must've felt during those times!!! :'( crying right now :'(
What a heart ache for the parents but a beautiful memory of their family
TEARS
Totally breaks my heart :,( But still so beautiful pictures <3
We lost a daughter at birth. I wish I had photos.
I'm sorry Martha.
The Amount of Pain.
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!
Some of these photos are terribly heart wrenching and beautiful. I don't get the ones in which the marriage bands are included. The death of a baby is enough of a symbol.
so heartbroken.. i was lost my baby even before i wasn't ready to say goodbye
crying
Heartbreaking but absolutely beautiful.. What a rewarding and amazing thing to do for parents x
Oh, no words! Beautiful and touching..
modern post mortem
Beloved little ones.
Sehr berührende Aufnahmen.Mit viel Mitgefühl für die Eltern.
Life is not fair T_T
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.
Touching!!
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.
:( how sweet and so sad! I can't ever imagine going through this :(
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.
Got tears in my eyes
So beautifully represented! I have tear's in my eye's...to all those beautiful angel's...
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.
i wish when my baby died, i had thought of some photos.......awesomingly heart breaking
Such beautiful photography covering so much heartbreak. This has touched my life so many times with friends who have lost their babies.
Beautiful!! I'm in tears...
Very sad pictures.
The second to last photo was what got to me. The pain in her expression. .. I never thought of such a beautiful memorial.
so beautiful and so very sad
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.
There are no words I can express, just tears for everyone.
Hurt....
This is so more than love ...
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.
I'm hugging my son now, I'd fall to pieces without him
So sad but a beautiful way of saving a loving memory
I think it is a beautiful way of saving a loving memory
Heartbreaking...don't know how these people get past losing a new baby.
Heartbreaking!!
These are sacred moments not meant for public viewing .
HOW SAD
How beautiful. We have a fading Polaroid of our Margaret, the experience is burned in my heart. Bless the photographers.
It so break hearts
Ouch ! I'm crying... and thinking to my chance to have my children alive ! A lesson of life.
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 cried too :((
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.
I think my heart just shattered.:'(
these pictures are absolutely beautiful. As an L&D nurse, I have witnessed the pain and beauty captured here.
So beautiful,sad. Brilliantly respectful and a deeply kind acknowledgement made to a tiny soul, and the core deep grief of those parents.
Made me bawl. I've been there...
Sleep now, little one, Fly away, and take with you My heart and my tears.
I feel conflicted about this. Beautifully heart-wrenching.
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
Amazingly heartbreaking and precious.
God doesn't exist. This is proof.
Scary that most of these baby's look perfect
Im crying now. So beautiful and so heartbreaking at the same time.
Heartbreaking.
Amazing composure by the photographer to take such beautiful and important photos for the parents.
That's soooo brutal
Gosh.