Contact: Mindy Stone Tappan, PR/Media Outreach Manager (720) 283-3339  

The Board of Directors of Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep (NILMDTS) is pleased to announce Gina Harris has been named Executive Director of the organization. Harris has 12 years of nonprofit experience, and has been personally touched by the services of Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.

“Being named as the executive director of Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep is an honor. I have a great vision of what this already amazing agency can become. It is exciting to be able to combine my professional and personal experience to have a meaningful impact on so many grieving families,” said Gina Harris.

“When she contacted me about the executive director position, I immediately knew she would be a perfect fit for NILMDTS,” said Cheryl Haggard, co-founder.

Four years ago, Harris was pregnant with her first child. During a routine prenatal visit, she and her husband learned that their unborn son had a rare condition called Potter’s Syndrome, which is not compatible with life. The Harris’s chose to carry him to term. Prior to delivery, Harris contacted Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep to request photographs.

In addition to the beautiful pictures co-founder Sandy Puc’ took of their precious son, David; the Harris’ also have video of David. The NBC affiliate in Denver, 9 News, documented their journey.

Not even a year later, the Harris’ lost their second son, Ethan from another, unrelated fetal condition called hydrops and cystic hygromas. Because of his condition, the couple was not able to get pictures of him. “Not having pictures of Ethan made the grief more difficult,” said Harris. “Having images of David and not of Ethan made me realize how important the services of Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep are,” said Harris. “These images are a significant step in the healing process.”

Harris is a graduate of Colorado State University. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from Regis University.

Harris spent most of her career at a youth serving agency called FRIENDS FIRST. She worked there for 12 years. Five years ago, she took over for the founder and became the executive director. In less than five years, she increased the operating budget from $200,000 to $2.3 million and increased the staff from three employees to 26.

Harris said one of her greatest strengths is her leadership and visionary skills to take an organization or project to the next level and beyond.

“I would not leave FRIENDS FIRST for just any other agency,” said Harris. “In all the years of nonprofit work I have done, I have never personally needed a nonprofit’s service until I needed Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. Now it is my turn to give back to an agency that gave me my most prized possession.”

Please click here to watch a video explaining Gina Harris’ journey.

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Contact: Gina Harris, Executive Director Phone: (720) 283-3339 or Click here to email Gina

Deborah Billingsley, a volunteer affiliated photographer of the nonprofit agency, Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep (NILMDTS) received a call last Friday to serve a family. It was a couple that had lost their baby. As a volunteer and professional photographer, Deborah frequently receives such calls. This particular call happened to be from the Duggar family of the TLC show.

The Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep mission is to introduce remembrance photography to parents suffering the loss of a baby with the free gift of professional portraiture. Thousands of families from many different backgrounds and faiths have received services as a way to capture these precious images of their baby. Many families are unprepared for the loss they will suffer. Sometimes having only moments with their child, these images provide tangible proof that their child was real. For many, this is an important part of their healing process. NILMDTS has a network of 7,000 photographers worldwide. Recently, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, the parents in the show, announced they were pregnant with their 20th child. Last week, they learned the baby’s heart stopped beating. The Duggars reached out to NILMDTS for the nonprofit’s service.

“Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep offers our deepest condolences to the Duggar family. No one should have to suffer the loss of a baby. We hope these images will help bring comfort to the family as they heal,” said Gina Harris, executive director of NILMDTS.

Deborah took the call just like she would from any family. The Duggars kept Deborah on call for the delivery of their baby. Their baby was born Sunday where they learned she was a girl and named her Jubilee Shalom.

Deborah served as a registered nurse for 12 years, and has been a photographer for 20 years. When she heard of NILMDTS, she knew this was a perfect organization to give her time and talents. She served the family not only as a NILMDTS photographer, but also as a friend. Because of Deborah’s professionalism and compassion in serving the family, the Duggars invited her to be the only still photographer at the private memorial service. NILMDTS and Deborah have not released any images to the public.

“Words can’t describe what I’ve experienced these past few days with the Duggar family. I feel honored and blessed to have been in the family’s company. They are the most real, down-to-earth, loving people I have ever met,” said photographer Deborah Billingsley. “If every person on earth could spend just 10 minutes with this family, the world would be a better place.”

“NILMDTS is grateful for Deborah who worked many hours to deliver our service to the Duggar family,” said Sandy Puc’, co-founder and president. “She has been extremely professional in the delivery of our services which I know will bring comfort to the family.”

NILMDTS offers professional photography services to families who have suffered the loss of an infant. NILMDTS members are professional photographers who graciously donate their time and service. The family is provided with a collection of professionally retouched images at no expense. The family is welcome to display the images however they want to memorialize their baby.

NILMDTS was founded in 2005 by Sandy Puc’, a professional photographer, and Cheryl Haggard, a mother who lost her son Maddux shortly after he was born.

More information can be found at www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org.

Link to People Magazine Article: Click Here

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• For the maintenance of the Photographer and Family Forums.  Many of you visit the Forum regularly and have received a great amount of good advice and support from your fellow photographers.
• To maintain our website and the web based photographer database.
• To offset the cost of mailing brochures, lanyards and other materials when you request them.
• To ensure that we have the manpower available in our offices to respond quickly and accurately to your needs.
• To aid in the recruitment of other photographers who would like to be a part of NILMDTS.
• To help with the publication of a training manual our Co-Founders and Senior Members are working on right now. Expected completion date is April, 2008. NILMDTS staff will then mail copies to all current members and all incoming new members.