Remembrance Photography

Barefoot Dubai have partnered with Small and Mighty and our intention is to use our experience to help bereaved parents… Remembrance photography for parents suffering the loss of a baby, before, during, or shortly after birth and is provided completely free of charge. The goal we are working towards is to have baby remembrance photography offered as a choice in every hospital in the UAE.

Used more frequently in Europe and the USA, remembrance photography provides grieving parents with lasting memories of children who lived so briefly that little else exists to remember them by.

Remembrance Photography is quite a new concept for UAE hospitals and Barefoot Dubai believes that it is an overdue and much needed service. The latest advice from the NHS in the UK is clear: building memories can help to cope with grief, and sharing that grief can help people to cope.

Recent figures show that 3,284 babies were stillborn in England and Wales in 2013, and 1,423 babies died in the first week after birth in the same year. 2013 figures show that seven in each 1,000 births were stillborn in the UAE.

Alex Jeffries, owner of Barefoot Dubai, comments: “People still find it hard to talk about miscarriage, stillbirths and neo-natal deaths and so no-one is prepared for such a tragedy. The time that bereaved parents have with their precious babies is short and confusing – they are trying to take in their entire baby, but there’s so much going on, their time is limited.”

“After losing their children, many parents talk of ‘aching arms syndrome’ – physical pain in their empty arms where their baby should be. When they lose a child, a family loses a lifetime’s potential for capturing milestones as their child grows. Photographing their baby is a way to help parents remember and heal as part of the grieving process, so that parents have something to remind them of their lost children.”

Alex continues: “If you have spent any time in a neo-natal intensive care unit – as I did with our daughter Aya who was born prematurely – you realise how fragile and precious life is. At Barefoot Dubai we spend a great deal of time photographing families celebrating the happiest moments of their lives: from pregnancy and newborn right through to first birthdays and parties. But, we wanted to offer help for parents who wish to have a memento of their baby at a time like this also.”

The overwhelming response has been really positive, especially from people who have been touched by the loss of a baby – either their own, or someone close to them.

Contact us to arrange. We know the window of opportunity is small, but we have a team of photographers ready.

“I went through the loss of our new born exactly 24 years ago almost to the day. We were devastated! They say time is a healer and a doctor… and to some extent of course it is, but such a service as yours, did not exist then. To this day that experience still leaves an indescribable gaping hole in my life to which I know will never be filled. Back then there were social stigmas attached to open grieving and the suggestion of picture taking was abhorrent. From a very personal perspective your initiative is great, it touches a very sensitive nerve, but whilst it is widely used elsewhere in the world, it is a service badly needed here in Dubai.”

Stephen

“Wishing you well on your journey to create awareness about such an awful time in parents lives Alex – well done. It is so important to have these memories.” Kelly

We are also very eager to speak with staff from hospitals to increase awareness, hospital nursing managers, neonatal intensive care managers, hospital management and also Professional photographers do please contact us here.