Random acts of kindness

I have decided to take up the latest Blog this challenge. Well actually I didn't have a choice, I have been shown SO much kindness over the last 6 weeks that me participating is a given really! The only difficulty is deciding which random act of kindness to discuss!

When I was thinking about all the acts of kindness my family and I have been shown recently there is one in particular that keeps popping up in my head, especially in that I think it is something that will be treasured from the bottom of my heart for the rest of my life.

On the afternoon I found out that my daughter's heart had stopped beating at 41 weeks gestation I sent a text to a few of my closest friends and family to let them know what had happened. At that stage I'm sure they all probably expected the text to be an announcement of our babies birth rather than letting them know that her heart had stopped beating and that she was still yet to be born. We received text messages back from everyone letting us know they were thinking of us and how sorry they were to hear the news.

Later that night one of my oldest and dearest friends sent me another text asking if I wanted her to organize a photographer to come to the hospital after the baby was born to take photo's of her. To be honest organizing a photographer is one of the last things we would have thought to do so having this suggestion made to us plus having someone organize the whole thing was a godsend. My friend told me of a charity, of which she is a member, of photographers who offer their services for free for families of stillborn or ill babies. They also give you a number of prints of the photo's and a disc with a copy of all the images captured.

Once our baby was born all we had to do was call my friend and she would organize the rest. The photographer was at the hospital within an hour of Lola being born and stayed for 3 or 4 hours. He was a beautiful man and took amazing photo's during this time. Even at the time I didn't realise how precious these photo's would become to our family. He captured all those post-birth moments and now, that is all we have of our precious Lola. Even now, only six weeks after her birth, I look at the photo's and realise that there were so many little memories we would have lost forever if it wasn't for the beautiful photo's we have.

I also have to add that though my gorgeous friend organized the photographer for us, that same evening, on a forum to which I am a member, I had about 8 other people contact me to let me know about the charity including another of the member photographers. It really is one of the kindest things you can offer to the parents and families that have lost a child in these circumstances. Since we lost Lola I have read so many stories of families who have hardly any photos of their baby and deeply regret not having more. I will be forever grateful to all the people that were in some way involved in helping us capture on film these oh so precious moments. Below is one of our favourite photos! Thankyou for reading



Photographer: Gavin Blue (C/o Australian Community of Child Photographers)