HeartFelt
*Trigger Warning
The following blog contains dialogue about stillbirth and may cause some readers heartache.
Please note: the following image is not from a HeartFelt session
The past year or so, I have been contemplating joining an organisation called Heartfelt. I am not sure if you have heard about it at all, but once you have, you will realise how beautiful it is, but also why it has taken me so long to take the leap of faith to join.
I know what it is like, to get to the birth of your baby, and know things are not right, and do not end up with the fairytale ending of taking home your perfectly healthy baby. Although I was crushed in the following hours after the birth of my daughter, as she was born blind, we were able to take her home within a normal time frame. And 18 years later, she is a thriving, beautiful, independent young woman. Many women, couples and their families are not so lucky, their babies are born sleeping, or critically ill. The amount of heartache these families must feel must be immense, and just writing this, I feel the enormous hole, one would feel in their hearts and souls.
Heartfelt is an organisation that tries to help these families with a lasting memory of their baby.
Heartfelt is a volunteer organisation of professional photographers from all over Australia and New Zealand who have come together to form an organisation 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. Heartfelt is dedicated to providing this gift to families in a caring, compassionate and heartfelt manner.
In Perth any hospitals are welcome to join, although some do have their own private service. If you are a midwife or nurse, you are welcome to contact me, and I can get some fliers organised to be delivered to your ward if you do not have any.
Heartfelt was founded in 2010 by Melbourne Photographer and current President Gavin Blue along with Sydney Photographer Casandra Anguita-Deep and a handful of committed photographers. Heartfelt had its origins in a organisation that operated from 2007-2009 called the Australian Community of Child Photographers (ACOCP) which was started by Siobhan Cowell and Jessie Broome.
Since 2010, Heartfelt has grown into an international organisation, with over 320 volunteers who have provided photographic services to over 9,000 families.
If you are a photographer or retoucher interested in becoming a member, Heartfelt would love to hear from you. Please visit this page.
If you would like to make a donation to Heartfelt, please go to this page.
If you are a staff of a maternity ward, or a parent wanting to request a session, here is the link to the organisations contact persons. Please go to this page