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McConnaughey Photography
Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation Jessica Roe, Executive Director Last Updated May, 2008 Mission Statement – Our mission is to provide bereavement photography free of charge to parents experiencing the death of an infant or small child through illness, trauma or stillbirth and to help them begin their healing journey. A Brief History Of the Foundation – When co-founder Cheryl Haggard lost her son in February of 2005, she knew that her family’s healing was going to come by remembering details about Maddux, not by forgetting that he existed. Her husband contacted local photographer and eventual co-founder Sandy Puc’ and requested her services in helping to memorialize young Maddux. Over time, memories fade, but these cherished photographs will last for generations and help show the love that was shared between this young boy and his family, no matter how brief his stay on Earth was. From these beginnings, the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation was born. Today, the organization encompasses 5,000+ photographers worldwide who volunteer their services by creating sensitive images that will last a lifetime. We have also grown from an all-volunteer status to a small paid staff whose main objective is to support the photographers who provide services to families. We believe the images of these precious children serve as an important step in the healing process and that this opportunity should be available to all in need regardless of socio-economic status. To this end, our entire network Of professional photographers graciously donates their time and talents to this noble service. If you were to assess a dollar value to each session, including the cost of travel to and from the location, execution of the onsite photo shoot, retouching of images, a DVD with a musical slide show and a CD with high-resolution images, it would equal approximately $1,500-2,000. Our main web site, www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org has 1,800 to 2,000 unique users per day who visit an average of 16 pages per session. That equals approximately 30,000 page hits per day, or approximately 11 million hits per year. Current Programs and Accomplishments – Our most prolific program is our photo session for infants from 25 weeks until after birth who have been or will be lost to critical illness or stillbirth. At the family’s request, one of our volunteer photographers comes to the healthcare facility and performs an onsite photo shoot. The photos are then professionally retouched and presented to the family in a DVD slideshow format with music as well as a CD of high-resolution images. To offer a supportive place for parents to grieve, we administer a Family Forum on our website, www.nowisleep. com. We have received tremendous approval from parents on the forum for creating a place for families to gather and work through their grief together with others who have experienced similar situations. At this same web site we offer a second forum for photographers to counsel each other through their sessions and provide coaching to new members. 7800 S. Elati St. #111 Littleton, CO 80120 – 877-834-5667 – www.nilmdts.org |