(Thanks to Kristen for bringing this one to my attention.)
ENDURING IMAGES, LASTING MEMORIES
Parents hold dear photos of their stillborn and gravely ill babies
Hours after Connie King gave birth to a stillborn baby boy, a stranger arrived, carrying a camera. Parma photographer Michelle Reed Cantley entered the room and got to work, carefully and quickly, posing baby Nicholas on the couple's bed and in the arms of his parents, hoping to capture both his beauty and his peace. Cantley, who has spent most of her eight years as a photographer chronicling joyous events such as weddings and proms, has found a calling giving grieving parents a remembrance of their babies ... [more]
- Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer, Friday, April 07, 2006
5 comments:
metro needs to get on this bandwagon, because their pictures - though well-meaning - suck.
Lauralu,
I just am curious what your comment means - I personally think the pictures with this article are exquisite. I applaud the PD and the featured family here for having the courage to run "dead baby" pictures. I think this is a huge step for the greater cause. Is the "Metro" you speak of the paper or the hospital? I surely wish I had these types of pictures of my angels. I got some pretty crappy polarids in the hospital.
Kristen
Mom to still born Christian (died in utero at 24 weeks) and angel William (died after 30 days in the NICU). Surviving triplet son Anthony and Mitchell
Oh, I assumed Laura meant MetroHealth. I haven't seen the pictures that were in the paper, but you said they were lovely.
The photos we received of Calvin at UH are pretty ghastly, too - but they did their best. He wasn't in very good shape, but they cleaned him up, put him in bed, tucked him in. They were very nice - only using shoddy equipment (also a Polaroid) and of course, not everyone is a professional photographer.
My only regret was not bringing in our own camera. They did suggest it, but didn't press for it. How far are you supposed to push people in that situation? I couldn't see how I would want that, and I regret it.
The fact that Cantley has made this a mission is what I feel is most important. So few want to wade into these waters. When someone with true talents makes creating memories for bereaved parents their goal, well, I'm thrilled.
And kudos to the PD for making it so public.
David,
I put the article in the front seat of my car this morning, fully intending to pass it off to you or Toni in the Horizon parking lot. Hope to see you in the next day or so.
Kristen
oh, no, i meant that what the photog was doing is wonderful, and the hospital i went to (metro, which is a different hospital in the same city) should use her, because the hospital's own attempts at pictures were terrible. i think it's fantastic what she's doing, and i wish i had had access to her when my son was stillborn!
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