My name is Jordyn, and I am the aunty of an angel.

My path to volunteering with Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep began with my best friend, Amber, and her daughter, Halle.

Amber and I have shared a long friendship. What started as lab partners in eighth grade, grew into nearly twenty years of laughter, inside jokes, and a mutual protectiveness that only deepened with time. We have always shown up for one another in big and small ways, but nothing could have prepared me to walk alongside her and her husband, Joel, through the loss of their daughter.

I was a part of the gender reveal - Amber and Joel entrusted me to make them a little letter to announce "IT'S A GIRL" and photograph their reaction. In addition to that, I did her maternity photos at the beach! But in an instant, their world changed, Halle was stillborn just weeks before her due date. We had celebrated Halle and Amber at her baby shower on Saturday and were putting away mountains of clothes and toys on Sunday. A few days later, I received a call from Amber’s sister, Maddie, with the news of Halle’s passing. Amber asked for a few days simply to exist in the shock and begin figuring out how to move forward in this new life without her daughter. While our instinct was to rush to the hospital, we respected her wish to have that time with her family.

Still, we, her Best friends, could not just do nothing. While Amber and Joel were at the hospital, our little friend group gathered at their home. We deep-cleaned, caught up on laundry and dishes, and prepared freezer meals—anything we could do to lighten the weight waiting for them. We wanted their home to be a place where they could focus solely on grieving, honoring Halle, and taking the first steps forward together.
The hospital provides a memory box, with extra handprints and footprints, comforting words and verses. Amber did not want the prints to fade away over time, so I brought some camera equipment over and did a little session of all the prints and some detail shots with blankets. So in a way I did a NILMDTS session before I even became a volunteer.

Watching Amber and Joel navigate grief and growth left a permanent mark on me. Their strength and honesty continue to inspire me. Halle matters. Her name matters. Volunteering with Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep is one of the ways I keep her memory alive. Her name lives on my camera case alongside the NILMDTS logo.

What initially drew me to this organization was the understanding that, for many families, these photographs may be the only tangible memories they will ever have of their baby. In moments when everything feels unreal, these images say, This life mattered. This love is real. Knowing how meaningful that can be compelled me to step into this role.

Halle continues to guide me through each session. When the work feels heavy, I think of her and of Amber and Joel— what it meant for their daughter to be acknowledged and honored. Remembering Halle grounds me and helps me move through each session with purpose and care. What inspires me most is the quiet presence of love. Even in profound loss, there is tenderness—parents holding their baby, memorizing every detail. These sessions are not about capturing grief; they are about honoring the baby and the family’s connection. Being trusted with that is an honor I do not take lightly. What keeps me going is knowing that families grow around their grief, much like Amber and Joel have. While loss never disappears, peace and meaning can still take shape. Knowing I may offer even a small sense of comfort or closure gives purpose to every session.

Halle by NILMDTS Affiliated Photographer Melanie Rodger

When I photograph for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, I move slowly and intentionally. I follow the family’s lead, respect their space, and work quietly in the background capturing the little moments between them. This is not just a photography session—it is  acknowledgment , empathy, and remembrance.
For other volunteers stepping into this work, the advice I would offer is simple: let the work itself carry you through the session. Focusing on your role—on the details, the lighting, the small moments— this often quiets any anxiety about “doing it right” or being present in such a tender space. I also make a conscious effort to speak about and to the baby as if they are still with us. Using their name, acknowledging them openly, and treating them with the same gentleness as any newborn often helps put parents at ease and reinforces that their child is seen, honored, and respected.

Volunteering with Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep allows me to honor Halle, stand alongside families experiencing unimaginable loss, and offer something meaningful when words fall short. It reminds me that photography can be an act of love, a form of peace, and a lasting acknowledgment that every life—no matter how brief—deserves to be remembered.

— The Aunty of an Angel,
Jordyn