a bittersweet story with a happy ending.
TW: loss of a child. Shared with permission.
I have done free sessions just because there was a need and I could help. I’ve discounted sessions to make sure that families could capture moments before a loved one passes. But nothing in my 15 years of photography has broken and healed my heart more than this family.
Two years ago this month a family reached out to me regarding a maternity & newborn session. They were traveling out of state, so we worked to ensure we could find time in their schedule to capture both. Their son’s name connected with all of the green we incorporated into both sessions: Sage.
Usually families and I stay connected more frequently but since this family was from out of state I hadn’t had them back into the studio since his newborn session. Randomly this spring Facebook showed me a go fund me link that had been in circulation for quite some time - for this same family, and my heart broke into a thousand pieces. Just a month or so after their newborn photos had been delivered almost two years prior, Sage had passed away from SIDS. Sitting in my studio when I saw the post, I mourned not only for the mom and dad that had lost their son, but their sweet little girl who lost a brother.
But the beautiful part of the news I learned was that mom was pregnant again - with another little boy. And somewhat of a miracle because mom had already taken some precautions not to be able to have another. I immediately reached out and offered her a free session because I wanted to help in some way. My own greatest fear is losing a child, and my heart aches for any mom that has had to experience that. I wanted to give her what I could in this moment to celebrate all the work they had been through bringing another beautiful baby boy into this world.
Welcome Ezra. This family loves you so much. And the name of the green pajamas their wore for part of their session? Sage.
