About Us

Remembrance photography can be a powerful tool in the healing journey after the loss of an infant. These photographs capture the love and bond shared between a parent and their precious baby, creating lasting memories that will be cherished for generations.

Our Mission

NILMDTS Offer bereaved families the gift of remembrance through professional and compassionate portrait photography, honouring the precious lives of their babies.

To offer the gift of professional remembrance photography to parents during one of the most difficult moments of their lives, providing a free and compassionate way to honour the lives of their baby through timeless portraits.

We believe in the power of remembrance. Our mission is to create lasting memories of love and connection, helping families find solace and healing as they honour their child's precious life.

Our Reach

Since 2005, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep has gifted over 70,000 complimentary portrait sessions internationally. NILMDTS provides services across the United States and in over 40 countries globally.

NILMDTS Ireland officially launched in 2015, bringing the gift of remembrance photography to bereaved families through our volunteers' skill, empathy, and kindness.

In 2023, NILMDTS Ireland proudly achieved official charity status. We are looking forward to continuing to offer the gift of remembrance to families across Ireland. 

Our Values

Honour

Honour is at the heart of all that we do at NILMDTS Ireland. We honour the short but precious life of your baby. We honour their place in your family. We honour your grief and your love. We know that the time you have with your baby is all too short and it is our honour to be present in that time and to help you create lasting and precious memories..

Respect

We are always respectful of the journey that families are on at this difficult time. We respect the incredible gift given by our volunteers, of their time and their talents.

Inclusivity

We passionately believe that our service should be available to all families regardless of background or circumstances. We always strive to provide an accessible and inclusive service.

Professionalism

All our volunteers are highly trained and completely professional in all that we do. In all interactions, in communicating with families, in taking photos and in editing and delivering our images, we do so with the highest possible levels of skills, expertise, and professionalism.

Support

We aim to provide an environment that is positive and supportive. We are constantly looking for ways in which to support and empower our volunteers and to share the positive impact their work has on the lives of the families we photograph.

Collaboration

We work in a highly collaborative environment. Honouring the memory of these babies is at the heart of all that we do, and we know that this is best achieved through collaboration and teamwork. We always strive for strong and positive collaboration within the team, as well as with our hospitals and medical partners, and with other organisations. Most importantly we seek insights from the families we support on the service we offer and how best to provide our gift of remembrance.

Our History

Maddux Achilles Haggard was born on 4 February 2005 with a condition called myotubular myopathy, which prevented him from breathing, swallowing, or moving on his own. For the next six days, his parents, Mike and Cheryl Haggard, sat by his side, consumed with questions that had no answers.

“That night was the worst night of my life. But when I look at the images, I am not reminded of my worst night. I’m reminded of the beauty & blessings he brought.”

- Cheryl Haggard, Maddux’s mother, and co-founder of NILMDTS.

Cheryl tried to create memories of their time together using her own camera. Reflecting on the pictures she captured, Cheryl said:

“I saw our tear-stained cheeks, our red swollen eyes, our forced smiles, and the fear in our faces as we looked into the camera.”

On the sixth day of Maddux’s young life, his parents made the heart-wrenching decision to remove him from life support. Before doing so, Cheryl knew she wanted professional images of Maddux to display on her wall alongside portraits of her other children.

“Maddux deserved that space on our wall. I could not comfortably hang the pictures I had taken. The colour images bring back the reality of that day. I wanted heirloom portraits as a way to remember and honour our son,” said Cheryl.

It was then that Mike contacted photographer Sandy Puc’ to take black-and-white portraits of them cradling their son.

The tender photographs documenting Maddux’s eternal connection with his parents inspired Cheryl Haggard and Sandy Puc’ to establish Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep in 2005 as a non-profit organisation. NILMDTS exists to provide bereaved families with the gift of professional heirloom portraits, offering a source of healing and comfort during their most difficult times.