July 2019 Volunteer Spotlight

No matter how many calls come in your area we want to thank our dispatchers for being reliably reachable! Having a positive first point of contact with our local NILMDTS volunteers is often what determines if a hospital will continue offering our services. We want to thank Dori Stark and Stacy Jordan, dispatchers in the Seattle, WA area, who each took over 12 calls for session requests within their two week dispatch rotations this spring. Seattle usually averages around 18 calls per month and as many of you can attest, sessions do often come in waives so the upticks all at once can be overwhelming but they were able to complete successful logistics for all sessions that the families did not decline!

We also want to thank Megan Pinto, brand new Affiliate Photographer from Norristown, PA. Megan was at a family gathering when she responded to a session – going very much above and beyond the expectation of our volunteers by leaving her family gathering and driving well out of her way (an hour an a half) to take her very first solo session. We know the anxiety of accepting your first session can be hard to conquer but she did so with grace for this family with a full-term loss. We’ve all had these types of sessions, and normally, the families are so grateful for our services.  Not so in this case. The extended family’s initial reaction and welcome not understanding why the mother would want photos of her baby who died in utero. Megan handled the family as if she was doing it for years, understanding that grief impacts everyone differently. Megan was gentle, reassuring, compassionate and polite.  Everything we hope for in a volunteer.

From the bottom of all our hearts, from NILMDTS Staff and Volunteer Leadership, we thank you very much for all your efforts in serving your local families!

If you have a suggestion of a volunteer who should receive a shoutout in our monthly spotlight, please email volunteercoordinators@nilmdts.org!