This blog was inspired by a recent series Valorie did in BABY about the emotional strain of having your child end up in the NICU. It reminded me of one of my best friends whose newborn spent nearly four months of his life in the NICU.
My pal’s routine pregnancy became anything but near the mid-point of her fifth month. A previously undetected health condition put her life in jeopardy and she was forced to give birth more than four months prior to her due date. The end result: She survived, but the early labor meant her first-born child had to spend the first four months of his life in the hospital. My friend’s little boy faced a mountain of physical challenges (he still battles some of them today), but he made it. He is now a lively and mischievous 7-year-old with a heart of gold.
So what does this tragic tale with the happy ending have to do with photography?
For starters just looking at my friend’s little boy today you would never be able to tell that he was born weighing little more than two pounds and that he fought a horrific battle to get to where he is. The only reminders of those anxiety-filled first months of his life are photos of him taken in the hospital.
I’ve seen those pictures of a teeny tiny Noah strapped to dozens of machines countless times and can’t imagine what my friend and her husband went through during those long months when they didn’t know if their new son would live to see the next day. My friend’s father had the foresight to bring a camera to the hospital and he spent months documenting his grandson’s courageous battle. These days my pal cherishes those photos almost as much as she does her son. She says those shots serve as a reminder of how blessed they are to have Noah in their lives and how precious and fragile life is.
I am an avid photographer, but I don’t think I would have had the foresight or desire to take pictures of my child as he or she fought to breathe in a cold and sterile hospital. Actually, I know I wouldn’t. I would be so busy praying over my child that snapping photos would be the last thing on my mind.
Still, as my friend has pointed out on more than one occasion having those pictures of a sick Noah means the world to her. And I know it’s not because of what they captured in the moment, rather they remind her of what an incredible miracle they were granted.
Once again proving the power of pictures.
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