NILMDTS, Photographer Training Day.

Photographer Training Day:

13th February, Aisling Hotel, Dublin

A few years ago American photographer Sandy Puc set up an organisation called Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep (NILMDTS). These Volunteer photographers provide remembrance photography to parents suffering the loss of a baby with the free gift of professional portraiture. We believe these images serve as an important step in the family’s healing process by honoring their child’s legacy. Last year a group of Irish Photographers volunteered to become the Irish contingent for NILMDTS.

However, WE NEED MORE VOLUNTEER PHOTOGRAPHERS.

Féileacáin (CHY 19635), is an Irish charity which was founded by a group of bereaved parents who came together to offer hope and support to others affected by the loss of a baby who unfortunately would need their help. Feileacáin provide essential emotional and educational training to NILMDTS photographers. It is absolutely essential to attend their meetings in order to take part in this kind of photography. Having never experienced this trauma ourselves we cannot begin to understand the pain that these families go through but Feileacáin explain how we can interact in a caring way during our sessions. When you listen to parents who have received a NILMDTS session, you realise just how much it affects them and how much they cherish their photographs. Photographers who think they’d like to volunteer should be aware than Feileacáin is holding a training session on 13th February in the Aisling Hotel, just near Houston Station, Dublin.

Please contact info@feileacain.ie to confirm your attendance (as the room booked will be dictated by the numbers attending).

Simple Idea, Huge Impact

ISA 2011 Antigua & Barbuda

The annual conference of the International Stillbirth Alliance is due to commence in Antigua during the first week of November. The conference will be attended by leading consultants and researchers in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology as well as bereaved parents and the nurses and midwives who care for them. Féileacáin will be represented by Mairie Cregan (Féileacáin Training and Research Officer, and lecturer on the post-graduate diploma in midwifery in UCC) who will facilitate a training workshop along with Sue Hale of SANDS UK on the setting up of support groups. At the moment there are no support groups in this region so it is expected that the workshop will be well attended. Féileacáin will offer every support to the bereaved parents in Antigua and the surrounding islands in their efforts to form a group, as well as research materials to the professionals also involved.
Mairie’s trip is self funded and she would like to thank her family and friends for all their help and support.
Féileacáin would like to wish her all the best in representing the charity at this conference and to have a safe journey.

One Year On…..

‎”On the 29th of October 2010, Féileacáin was officially launched by Brian Crowley MP. In that year so much has happened. Our service has continued to grow and we have provided meetings in Cork, Galway and Waterford. Our memory boxes are in 16 hospitals nationwide. We have attended conferences both in the South and Northern Ireland. We have met many wonderful staff members in the various hospitals around the country. We are very proud of helping to promote the services of NILMDTS within Ireland and to provide training for a wonderful group of photographers who give this gift to parents. We have nurtured and developed relationships with many other wonderful organisations both at home and abroad. We held the first ever Walk to Remember in Ireland.We would also like to thank all those who fundraise for us. Without your help we would find it extremely difficult to continue our services helping parents and families bereaved by the loss of a baby. For anyone who may wish to forward your fundraising efforts to us, please contact us at info@feileacain.ie and we can let you know the best way to go about this. Thank you all again. Your help and support is more appreciated than you will ever know. Last Christmas we held our toy box gift appeal, where you gave presents on behalf of your babies to Barnardos (we will shortly be launching this year’s gift appeal). We would also like to thank all those who fundraise for us. Without your help we would find it extremely difficult to continue our services helping parents and families bereaved by the loss of a baby. For anyone who may wish to forward your fundraising efforts to

Joint Midwifery Conference 2011

Feileacain was delighted to be invited to partake in the 2011 Annual Joint Midwifery Conference hosted by both the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and the Royal College of Midwives, held recently in Cavan.  As well as Feileacain, there were a number of other organisations represented at the conference, inlcuding SANDS NI and Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Foundation.  In a keynote presentation, Steve Guy of SANDS NI spoke movingly of the work carried out by SANDS in Northern Ireland, and gave a very good overview of what this group does to support bereaved parents in the region.  Steve also pointed to some of the work carried out by Feileacain in the south of the country, particulary the provision of Memory Boxes to maternity units.

A number of midwives sought out the Feileacain representatives at the conference to offer feedback on the Feileacain Memory Boxes.  The feedback was extrememly positive and it was heartening for Feileacain to hear how, as one midwife commented, ‘the Memory Boxes bring some hope and joy in an otherwise joyless situaion’ .  Feileacain was also delighted with the suggesions given by front line maternity staff on how to develop the service further.

There was also a great deal of interest in the photography service offered by Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, and the beautiful photographs taken by NILMDTS photographers on display at the Feileacain Stand drew a great deal of positive feedback.  Many of the conference attendees requested more infomration on how this service may be extended to their particular settings and were greatly impressed by the sensitivity and professionalism of the NILMDTS representatives present who were happy to provide information to conference participants on the wor of their organisation.

Over 200 delegates were in attendance from all over Ireland in what was a very successful and worthwhile conference.  Feileacain was very happy to have had the opportunity to showcase our work and we are looking forward to partaking at similar educational gatherings in the future.

Feileacain in training for Cork mini marathon

Féileacáin (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Association of Ireland) is coming up to a year since its official launch last October. Since the official launch the charity has grown from strength to strength. Féileacáin has helped many grieving parents and continues to do so everyday across Ireland with more hospitals coming on board all the time. Brian and Liz Roche two of the founders of the charity, who are both from the Youghal area asked on their friends and family to join them in walking the 30th Evening Echo Cork City Women’s 4M Mini Marathon for Féileacáin with them.When they asked they never thought how many people would want to walk alongside them in memory of the precious little angels and the families they left behind. Not only friends and family, but the Youghal community have gotten behind them to raise funds and awareness for this very important charity . Youghal’s leisure center Aura has also got behind Féileacáin and everyone who is doing the marathon for them by offering them 2 days training a week with a trainer who is on hand to give diet advice as well as working out exercise plans for everyone.I’m very proud of our friends and family and delighted to see more people coming on board every week”, said Brian Roche ” it is great to all come together get fit and healthy while raising important awareness for our charity. We are so greatful to Aura for bring us altogether twice a week. Every week someone new comes over to us and asks us about our charity , because of all of us training together in our Féileacáin t-shirts . It is great to raise awareness in our locality and the larger surrounding area. read more