Name: Nicky Heppenstall
Organisation: Remember My Baby
Award Category: Cherished Keepsake
Sponsored By:
Voting Is Now Closed
My Plea:
Five years from launching in 2014, Remember My Baby has met over 3,500 families, some of them twice.
Remember My Baby provides Remembrance Photography to parents sadly losing their baby before, during or shortly after birth.
Remember My Baby (RMB) is a dedicated team of professional photographers, many of whom have been touched by the loss of a baby and all of whom donate their time and use their skills to provide images which parents can cherish. Our volunteers are part of the very small circle of people who actually get to meet the baby – an honour and a privilege indeed.
The team behind RMB are committed to driving Baby Remembrance Photography forward in the UK, with a registered charity, launched in August 2014. RMB is entirely run by volunteers. This has given families precious memories, captured in images that they can treasure for a life time.
‘I was really unsure about having someone take pictures of me and Cohen, but I’m so happy I did, the pictures are stunning I have some of me giving him a bath and it’s now one of my favourites. Charlie Pugh put me at ease whilst she took the pictures at the Princess Anne, staying long enough to take the pictures but not overstaying when all I wanted was time with my baby. Thank you again xx’ – Charlie
Volunteer Photographers come into hospital or hospice, funeral or family home, to capture a lasting and tangible memory of their baby, at no cost to the parents or to the NHS Trust.
‘We have the most precious, lasting memories of our baby girl in beautiful photos, we cannot thank you enough ❤️ xxx’ – Olivia
Each family receives a special Remember My Baby USB memory stick with high resolution digital images and a print release, allowing images to be printed for personal use. These are funded via a campaign on Just Giving called “Sponsor a Memory” where donations of £5 are invited to purchase each USB. The total cost of each USB memory stick plus the packaging, postage to each volunteer and then special delivery to each family is around £12.
‘These photos are so special to me, they have helped me overcome everything in the last three years, being only 16 and having a stillborn baby. Cheryl came to the hospital and made me feel so much better with these photos and they are here for life so I can remember my baby ❤️ thankyou x x x’ – Gracie
We won’t stop working on recruiting volunteers and NHS Trusts until the volunteer network extends to every maternity unit and birth centre to across the UK. With 329 Volunteer Photographers UK-wide, and a team of 22 Volunteer Digital Retouchers, we continue to recruit to meet the growing demand. The Digital Retoucher team also provide an editing service for parents who were not able to take advantage of our remembrance photography service, editing a small selection of their own images; this is also provided free of charge.
‘Our photos of our Daughter Matilda born sleeping at 28 weeks are so special. The photographer was respectful and gentle and treated her as if she were just sleeping. I’m forever grateful xx’ – Jo
To reach our goal we continue to raise our profile amongst both health professionals and photographers. We have tremendous support from the photographic industry with sponsors and from staff within the NHS embracing what we do and helping to spread the word to their colleagues for the benefit of bereaved families in their care.
‘Received our photographs of our beautiful Jorgie, they are amazing and we will treasure them forever. Thank you, Kim Smith for the care and hard work you have put into them and giving up your own free time to provide us with special keepsakes. Can’t express how important this charity is for those who have to experience baby loss. Thanks again x.’ – Jessica
In the five years since launching RMB, over 100,000 photographs from over 3,500 sessions have been provided by over 300 photographers, an average of more than 3 sessions a day across the UK, though many more families than this are facing the loss of their baby. Help us reach them all, please vote for Remember My Baby.
What Others Have Said
I could never have imagined how amazing these photographs would be, they are proudly in display around our home. They show every perfect little detail of our angel that at the time we didn’t think to take in.
I cannot thank Ruth and Remember My Baby enough for the precious memories we can keep with us forever.
My wife is one of those photographers who go and help families and it’s taken a toll on her but she and I are committed to providing families suffering loss with some memories x
God bless yous so wonderful what you do so important thankyou
Remember my baby gave me beautiful photos of my beautiful boy, without them we wouldn’t have had such amazing professional photos to cherish our boy. I cannot thank this charity enough for everything they do and continue to do.
They gave my baby girl faye who lost her baby boy kian our family some beautiful memories and photos to carry and cherish xx
RMB gave us some amazing photos of our daughter, the photographer was caring and gave us time to compose ourselves between photos. They do such a good service and let us have photos of the us as a family
This charity have given me memories I will
Cherish forever. I can never repay my gratitude ?
this charity means so much to me and my partner
Kim came to us and took beautiful photos of me and my husband with our baby girl and Kim also took some lovely photos of my parents with their grandchild. Helping us to create memories and special photos to treasure. I am so grateful that RMB gave us this opportunity. At the time I didn’t know much about the service and was unable to say how thankful I was. Thank you RMB & especially Kim.
Nicky has devoted herself remarkably to RMB. Her dedication and round the clock work is very admirable and has inspired other to keep going despite the difficulties. She motivates the volunteers with her messages and kind words as well as leading by example.
Thank you Claire, I really appreciate that – this is the Cherished Keepsake link though ;0)
Me and my partner had a Neo-Natal baby girl November 2018 called Nevaeh and Amelia a volunteer for remember my baby was amazing with all 3 and if it wasn’t for her We wouldn’t have had half the photos we do to cherish !! With all our Thank you and Love ?
We use Remember my Baby a lot on the neonatal unit on which I work. The staff are always amazing, they are kind, patient and professional, they go out of their way to help. It must break their hearts at times but the reward for the families is massive. We know they cherish those pictures.
Thank you so much Remember my Baby.
Thank you Louise, we are all volunteers, we have an effective support network to look after all our volunteers’ well being xx
The most amazing lady came to take what are now the most precious photos we will ever have. Our little boy looks so beautiful and the pictures are treasured by the whole family. Without this charity we just wouldn’t have this opportunity to have the image of our baby with us.
Fantastic cause, well done everyone who’s involved
I wished you had been around when we lost Albie xx. You are all amazing ?
I can only applaud the work of these dedicated and compassionate photographers for giving their time to ensure at the saddest moments of a parents life they have someone who will give them something to treasure. In memory of my daughter born 27.03.75 A time when you were not encouraged to even give your child, who had been born asleep, a name or look upon their face. Your memory is the sound of the trolley being trundled out of the room. Harsh times, no different times.