To parents - thank you for the gift of your child

[Nathan Tsukroff]

I have been given a gift by the parents who invite me to photograph their children. With this project, I feel I am creating some of my most powerful images, and that is because parents allow me to share in their love of their precious gifts.

Most recently, I photographed a little one-week-old boy who was not feeding and had been allowed to go home from the hospital. I arrived at the house to find dad sitting in the living room rocking his son with a smile on his face. We took over 100 photographs in order to get some with eyes open, and I came away amazed at the capacity for love shown by not only mom and dad, but the grandparents and other relatives as well.

A week later, I called to deliver the slide show and other photographs, and was devastated to learn the little boy had died that morning.

I came away from that experience profoundly changed . . .

Here were parents who knew their child was going to die, and they had taken the time to share their child with me. They shared with me the joy of being parents, even knowing that joy was so fleeting. And they opened their hearts to a complete stranger . . .

I believe this is the purpose of my photography - to touch people's lives and to be touched by them in return.

So, to all parents, thank you for sharing the gift of your children.

[Tammy]

Nathan~
Thank you for sharing your story. Very touching. It's my hope the family of that precious little boy are doing alright, and I hope you are doing alright.
My name is Tammy, and I am the mother of three beautiful boys. Two earthly, and my little Chase who passed away 8-25-2005.
I felt compelled to respond to your post, simply to thank you in return, for giving that family the gift of rememberance of their infant son through your gift of photography, and for being a part of the NILMDTS family. Those priceless images you captured of him and with the people who love him will be treasured for a lifetime... forever.
No words can possibly describe the admiration and appreciation I as a parent have for people such as yourself, who have the talent, who graciously give of your time, and have the amazing power to freeze those precious moments with our child, no matter how long or short that time may be. Again, thank you...thanks to all the photographers who are a part of this organization.

[Angela B]

I totally agree with you that it is a gift to be able to photograph these lil ones and the experience I had was life changing and I am very humbled to be invited to help these families.I agree thank you to all the photographers who participate in this as delicate of situations as we walk into.The gratitude as well of these parents makes it worth it