Photography News | Issue 55 | photographynews.co.uk
15 Interview
NickyHeppenstall Profile Losing a baby is a devastating time for parents. Nicky Heppenstall is one of the founders of charity Remember My Baby that aims to help families deal with the grief through photography
PN: The title of your charity sounds obvious but for clarity please can you tell PN readerswhat Remember My Baby is all about? NH: Remember My Baby (RMB) is a registered charity providing remembrance photography free of charge to parents losing their baby before, during or shortly after birth. We are entirely run by volunteers. How long has RMB been going and how did you set it up? RMB was launched just over three and a half years ago by myself and seven other passionate, driven women, determined to make remembrance photography available in every hospital across the UK. Some of us had previously volunteered for a US organisation but the UK really needed its own dedicated charity to make widespread coverage in the UK become a reality. Five of those eight remain as trustees and we have a team of regional coordinators looking after volunteers, as well as digital retouchers. What is the aim of RMB? RMB aims to make remembrance photography available as a choice in every hospital across the UK so that more families have the opportunity for high-quality portraiture at a time when it’s the last thing they might think of having done. We know that many families print their images and have them on display in their homes and at work, which is heartening to hear. RMB is a charity; so how can PN readers who are interested in what you do contribute? Is there a Just Giving page? Do you need equipment? There is a donate button on our Facebook page, and also on our
website, and we have a Just Giving page full of incredible stories from bereavedfamilieswantingtodonateto helpus reach our goal. But our biggest need is for volunteer photographers, so recruiting remains our highest priority at themoment. Can readers volunteer their photographic services or time? We are recruiting volunteer photographers and also digital retouchers – the majority of our volunteers are professional photographers, but we also have a number of non-professionals – we recognise that there is a pool of highly skilled photographers who have a different day job, or who are retired, and we welcome applications from them. All applicants are assessed against the same criteria. Digital retouchers help with more challenging editing, such as tube removal where a session took place in a neonatal unit for example. Do photographers need to have any special skills or there are qualities you look for? We need our volunteers to have an empathy for the families we meet who are going through unimaginable grief. They need to be gentle and sensitive whilst capturing precious images for each family. Many of our members have suffered a loss of their own or been touched by the loss of someone close to them; others simply understand the value of what we do and have the empathy to provide it. How do families arrange a session with RMB? In over 100 hospitals we have midwives, neonatal nurses and other health professionals telling families in their care about our free service and making the arrangements for anRMB volunteer photographer to visit. In other areas, parents may have heard about us already, or are told about us by a relative or friend. If we have availability, a volunteer meets the family the same day or the next day as a rule, though sometimes we meet them later either at their home, or at a funeral home. We also visit hospices. photographers so recruiting remains our higher priority Our biggest need is for volunteer
Biography
Years in the photo industry? Eight years, part time. Current location? Derby. Last picture taken? Ballet rehearsals, Russia’s Astrakhan State Ballet, in their home theatre in Astrakhan, about a thousand miles south east of Moscow, Russia. The theatre was a gift from Putin. When youwere younger, what did youwant to bewhen you grewup? Vet, hairdresser, museum curator. Dogs or cats? Cats, three of them! Toast or cereal?
Above Charity Remember My Baby offers solace to parents in the most tragic situation in the form of a free remembrance photography session.
We are routinely carrying out two to three remembrance photography sessions every day across the UK. We have very recently met our 2000th family. What does a session involve? After arriving to meet a family, usually at short notice, our volunteer will take images of the baby, details like fingers and toes, little ears and a button nose, as well as wider shots such as in aMoses basket surrounded by teddies and toys, or being held by mum and dad. We often capture siblings and extended family during a session, sometimes a blessing may take place with a hospital chaplain, or the parents may bath their baby which is an emotional but beautiful event to witness and record. We can be with the family for as little as 20 minutes, but sometimes we stay for as long as a couple of hours depending on circumstances; less than an hour being the average. Black & white images are sent to each family four to sixweeks later, free of charge. Does RMB have any affiliations with organisations such as the NHS or care organisations? RMB is an independent registered charity, not affiliated with but very happy to work alongside NHS Trusts, hospices, and funeral directors to reach asmany families as possible. It is obviouslyavery emotional time for the family; do you offer training for RMB photographers on how to deal with challenging situations? Yes, it’s a big ask for a volunteer to enter the room and meet a family in such devastating circumstances, and we are mindful that strategies for coping are essential for our volunteers
to succeed. Something as simple as pretending the baby is asleep can be remarkably effective. Volunteers support each other in our closed support group, and we also have a counsellor available to volunteers affected by their experiences. The task is challenging, but incredibly rewarding and feedback from families is incredibly positive. We’re clearlymakinga significant difference to their grief. Do you have an ultimate goal for RMB? Ultimately, we wish for every family facing the loss of their baby to be offered high quality remembrance photography as a choice. We need to increase our teams of volunteers to reach more families, and also to spread the load amongst a larger pool –many handsmake light work. This is the most important photo opportunity ever. There are no second chances and there is a small window of opportunity to capturememories to last the family a lifetime. I’m incredibly proud of what RMB is achieving, and to be part of such an amazing teammaking it happen.
Toast, with real butter. Email or phone call? Email. Contact See panel opposite.
Contact
If you want to know more about Remember my Baby or would like to offer your photography or retouching skills, below are key contact details. remembermybaby.org.uk justgiving.com/remember-mybaby Freephone0808 189 2345 info@remembermybaby.org.uk
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