|
|
Now
I Lay Me Down To
Sleep
Final
portraits bring comfort
to
bereaving parents
Imagine
a photo shoot where
each moment is a last
moment,
where there will be
no second takes,
where what you're
doing means everything.
Such
was the experience
of Denver photographer
Sandy Puc’, PPA
Certified, Cr.Photog.
It began with a phone
call from a father
who asked her to come
to the hospital to
photograph his newborn
baby. Puc’ tried
to schedule an appointment
for the following week.
No thanks, said the
dad, that will be too
late. Puc’ could
hear the tears in his
voice. His son was
desperately ill, he
told her, and would
be removed from life
support that evening.
“It’s amazing how quickly
your priorities can change,“ says
Puc’. She promptly cleared
her calendar, collected her equipment,
and with three of her staff, drove
to the hospital.
Puc’ is nationally
renowned for her photographic
portraits of loving
families. Part of her
success lies in her
ability to emotionally
connect with her subjects,
but in this instance,
empathy was a double-edged
sword. A mother of
four herself, Puc’ felt
the parents’ pain
as they embraced their
beautiful son. They
explained that they
wanted photographs
of their baby while
he drew breath from
the respirator, and
then they wanted photographs
of the child alone,
no tubes, no wires,
no breathing apparatus.
These would be serene
portraits of parents
and their sleeping
baby. Puc’ nodded
that she understood,
and began the session.
Puc’s years of
experience clicked
into gear as she went
about her work in the
makeshift studio, a
small room in the hospital’s
newborn critical care
unit. The parents were
counting on her to
make heirloom portraits
they would cherish
in memory of their
son’s brief sojourn
on earth. There would
be no second takes,
and the limited equipment
Puc’ brought
with her would have
to serve. The event
was devastating for
that family. They felt
it would destroy them.
But later, when they
saw Puc’s portraits,
an amazing thing happened.
They began to feel
peace and joy and pride
in their tiny son.
They began to find
the closure that would
heal their hearts.
In the aftermath of
the loss of her son,
Maddux, Cheryl Haggard,
along with Sandy Puc’,
co-founded a non-profit
organization committed
to helping families
cope with the death
of an infant. The Now
I Lay Me Down To Sleep
foundation works through
professional photographers
to provide these families
with photographs of
the baby on DVD, and
an 8x10 keepsake portrait.
These services are
donated to the family.
“Having a photographer take
photographs at this difficult time
is usually the furthest thoughts
from a parent’s mind,” says
Haggard. “But Sandy’s
precious portraits have brought
us great joy and peace.”
For
more on the work of
Now I Lay Me Down To
Sleep, visit the foundation’s
Web site, www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org.
If you’d like
to get involved, e-mail
Sandy Puc’ at sam@expressionsphotos.com.
There’s an interview
process for interested
photographers, and
a booklet with details
about providing services
in your area.
|
|
Sandy
Puc' Shares
Her Rewarding
Experience
How
does one prepare
for this?
It’s
a delicate situation
with a factor
of the unknown.
You have to just
put on your professional
hat and do the
job without falling
apart. With parents
so distraught,
it’s difficult
to communicate,
but you have
to make sure
you understand
their needs.
What
were your thoughts
during the session?
I
was concerned
about forgetting
something. Most
pressing was
the knowledge
that my last
photograph would
mark the beginning
of the end of
this baby’s
life.
What
was the session
like?
It
was a quiet,
very calm session.
Tears were flowing,
mine and my assistants’,
the parents’,
the nurses’.
Everything was
spoken in a whisper.
I tried not to
be intrusive
during the intimate
moments. These
were the last
minutes the parents
would have with
their child.
I tried to be
invisible.
Have
you done anything
differently in
subsequent sessions
for Now I Lay
Me Down To Sleep?
Each
session has unique
dynamics and
emotions. There’s
no single formula.
People deal with
stress differently,
so I’m
always prepared
to follow their
lead. Some parents
step back, others
want to be involved
in the session.
How
did the idea
for this organization
come about?
When
Cheryl and her
husband came
to the studio
to view their
images, we left
them alone to
watch the DVD
presentation.
In the following
days she frequently
came back with
friends and family
to view the DVD
again. I saw
the healing begin
during those
visits. I realized
that all my previous
work had brought
me to this point,
and that my new
mission was to
do this kind
of photography.
What
is your role
in the organization?
To
provide services
to parents of
stillborns or
babies who won’t
be leaving the
hospital. I hope
to train photographers
so each state
will have a professional
to do this work.
What
do you hope to
accomplish through
Now I Lay Me
Down To Sleep?
To
provide memories
and start the
healing process
for these grieving
families. Families
with children
who suffer disease
usually have
at least a little
time to create
memories. But
the families
of these infants…need
help to close
the circle.
|
|
|
