National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month

Sometimes I feel like the month of October should have Thanksgiving in it. There are so many things to be thankful for this month. So many causes in which to show your support. I know a lot of you know it is Breast Cancer Awareness month and enjoy flying the pink colors to support women with breast cancer. There are a lot of other things to be aware of that share this month including Autism Awareness Month, Domestic Abuse Awareness Month, and even National Squirrel Awareness Month (yes, really).

With all of the things to be thankful for and aware of, there is one cause that is very dear to my heart. October is also National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. And today, October 15, is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. President Reagan proclaimed that October be a month of remembrance and awareness of little angels across the country in 1988. "When a child loses his parent, they are called an orphan. When a spouse loses his or her partner, they are called a widow or widower," Reagan said. "When parents lose their child, there isn't a word to describe them."

I have been so blessed to do what I love and use my camera to create cherished memories for my clients. I knew I needed to give back. When I heard about the organization Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to volunteer, but I was so overwhelmed with the desire to gift my talent to families in need, I decided to try. NILMDTS offers remembrance photography to families suffering the loss of a baby. 

I get called to go to hospitals and capture little angels for their parents, so that they may remember every single detail of their little one. Parents suffering the loss of their baby often say that their short time with their angel seemed like a blur, and they soon forget the small details and what their child looked like. I am so happy that I am able to create priceless photographs to capture those small details.

So please consider wearing a little blue with that pink this month. Tonight at 7:00 pm in all timezones, there will be lighting of candles to honor angles lost. There are also many balloon releases happening today all over the country. Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep is a non-profit organization that functions solely on donations.  If you would like to donate to this worthy cause, you can do so here.

The photo in this post was used with permission from the family.

S.C. Photography, NILMDTS Volunteer Photographer

Want to be an S.C. Photography Bride? Contact sheena@sheenacphoto.com or see my work here.