WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Bereavement photography can help families grieving the loss of infants, advocates of the service say. 

The World Health Organization estimates that one in four pregnancies around the world are cut short by a miscarriage. Many women report that losing a baby is an isolating experience shrouded in stigma, shame and silence. A 2019 study published in the journal "Global Pediatric Health" found that bereavement photography helps parents navigate the cycle of grief by helping them share their experience, giving them something to hold onto, helping them move forward with their lives and reinforcing that they are still parents – even though their baby is gone. 

Ann Smith, the director of women’s and children’s health at Novant Forsyth Medical Center, said allowing couples to talk about their loss helps many families through the grief process. 

“I'm hoping the more we talk about it, the more we share about the importance of… perinatal grieving and bereavement, that we can get past that. So that… will make it more open for families to talk about it, because some people never get past that and they struggle," Smith said. 

Smith said couples who are not allowed the space to grieve and cope can have a higher chance of getting a divorce, being affected by stress-related diseases and suffering from poor mental health. Her team works to support families who’ve lost a child, from grief counseling to providing infant bereavement photography services. 

Bereavement educator and professional photographer Deneen Bryan runs a nonprofit called Capturing Hopes, which focuses on taking professional quality photos of babies in the NICU. She also created its sister program – Little Lights at Novant Forsyth Medical Center, which takes pictures of babies who’ve passed on. 

“There’s nothing we can do to take away the pain that they’re going through, but we can at least comfort them some, with them being able to have professional photos. Rather than just, like, a Polaroid photo that could fade or a cellphone photo that’s dark and grainy,” Bryan said. 

Through the years, she’s helped many families realize their dream of a beautiful newborn photoshoot, even as their hearts are breaking. She takes traditional posed photos, but she also uses a newer technique that was piloted at Novant. It’s called neonatal immersion photography. 

Bryan fills a clear tub with saline water, which she says mimics the mother’s womb, places the infant inside, and photographs through the top or the side of the tub. 

“It will clear up their skin and make their color a little better. It also delays decomposition. It just creates a beautiful photo that people love,” Bryan said. 

Bryan lost her daughter, Christina, in 1998 when she was six months old. She knows the path these families walk, and that time can fade even the strongest of memories. She wants to help them remember every detail of their time with their child. 

Cassie Gregory, a registered nurse and Little Lights co-coordinator at Novant Forsyth Medical Center, also takes photos as part of the program. She hopes every family realizes how much their nurses and photographers genuinely care and grieve along with them. 

“This is a volunteer-based service that we offer. So no one is forced to do this. This isn't just, oh, that's part of my job role, let me get it done. If we are coming in your room to do these photos for your family and take care of you… we're grieving with you. We are so sad for the loss of your baby, as well, and we're honored that we got to help you get this beautiful, tangible thing that you can hold on to forever to remember your sweet baby's life by," Gregory said. 

Michelle and Stephen Linkous lost their son, James, in 2013. Bryan took pictures of him in the NICU and after he passed away. They said the pictures helped them navigate one of the darkest periods of their lives. 

“The photos have just given us so much that have allowed us to carry him with us. And I don’t know how we would have done that… without those. So I think the grieving process would have been much harder for us without the photos,” Michelle Linkous said. 

They said friends and family can support someone who has lost a child by communicating their love, giving them space to talk about their child, taking them food, offering to care for their other children, sitting with them and checking in on their baby’s birthday to share that they remember the little one. 

“I think people almost become fearful or shy away from that family in a way. They want to support them, friends, family want to support them, but they don’t know how,” Michelle Linkous said. “I didn't forget that my baby died. You know, it's going to go a lot further for me by saying you remember.”  

Stephen and Michelle Linkous both said to not tell a grieving family that they can always have more children later, this too shall pass, at least you have other children at home, heaven needed another angel or this will pass. 

They encourage other families to consider taking these pictures, even if they’re not ready to look at them until years later. 

“We want every family that experiences what we experienced to be able to have those,” Stephen Linkous said. 

More information about Capturing Hopes and Little Lights is available here.