* perinatal loss *
In 2013 I joined Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep (NILMDTS) as an Affiliated Photographer. I was looking for a way to offer my time and talent to an organization that could truly benefit without feeling like I needed anything in return. I first heard about NILMTS while watching an emotional episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show. After talking with some local photographers, I met the then-Area Coordinator for Ottawa and Gatineau. She tried to persuade me to join NILMDTS for at least a year before I decided to submit my application. I was nervous and wasn’t sure if I was cut out for this type of photography. Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep provides the gift of remembrance portraits to parents experiencing the death of a baby.
My Affiliate Photographer application was accepted in March of 2013 and I attended my first session just a few months later in June. I now serve as the Area Coordinator for Eastern Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec, focusing primarily on the Ottawa region.
If you would like more information, please visit https://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/.
To find a photographer (worldwide) please use the Find a Photographer link on the NILMDTS website. To find a photographer in Ottawa, Gatineau or Eastern Ontario, please call (613) 853-2166 and I will coordinate a photographer directly. Calls are fielded 7 days per week between the hours of 7:00 AM and 10:00 PM.
Local Community
Oct 10/25 – Earlier this year I was interviewed by Marika Bellavance (cultural reporter) of ICI Ottawa-Gatineau, alongside fellow photographer and NILMDTS volunteer, Vincent Valentino. Marika was running a story on perinatal loss and the local resources available for bereaved parents. Today, as we recognize Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month, the story is finally ready for the public–on television, radio and in a written article. We love sharing about NILMDTS, but because social media doesn’t allow news links, I’m posting it all here so we can access it in one place for our local team.
October 10, 2025
Video on Téléjournal (Oct 10/25) at the 17:15 mark:
October 11, 2025
Radio feature on Les Malins for Radio-Canada
October 11, 2025
Written article for Radio Canada by Marika Bellavance. Illustration here by Sophie Leclerc.
https://ici.radio-canada.ca/recit-numerique/13193/deuil-perinatal-photographie-accompagnement-mort
