American Child Photographers Charity Guild Gives Families Images of Hope

American Child Photographers Charity Guild Gives Families Images of Hope Watching a slideshow of photographs filled with parents holding their children, some kissing their sick infant's head or sharing a look of devastation with their partner as they clutch their dying child, you might wonder what type of person is strong enough to be able to capture these last moments of an innocent child's life. Other times, the children are battling illnesses such as cancer or muscular dystrophy and Drallos has some time to arrange photography sessions. "I get emails, maybe not weekly, but close to weekly from people who say they wished they had known about this service or people who lost their babies 40 years ago - they still think about that baby," Drallos said. Sometimes, Drallos is called out of bed at 3 a. , rushing to the hospital where every minute counts, racing to beat the clock. "She said to me, "I think about you every day and I thank God for you. That is the moment Drallos realized what it was she was supposed to be doing. "It all went together," she said. Crediting the idea to her mother, who died of cancer in 1997, Drallos says she was the one who told her before she died that something important was waiting for Drallos and she would do something great with her photography. Seven months pregnant with her daughter, Carrigan, when her mother passed, Drallos decided against returning to work as a special education teacher and instead began focusing on her photography business. "She really is the most amazing person," Smith said. "I'll be honest, it was very difficult to even think about doing it, because we knew those were going to be our last ones," Debbie Smith of Clawson, MI, said. You'd be shocked that she passed away five days later. With her 6-year-old daughter dying of cancer, that child's twin with disabilities and an upset older brother, Smith said that no one, including herself, was in the mood for family portraits that day- until they got there and met Drallos. It wasn't until four years later, however, after receiving a call from some acquaintances who knew she was a photographer that Drallos figured out precisely what she was supposed to be doing with her talent to help others. "They (the parents) called me and asked me if I would photograph their twin baby girls who came premature," Drallos said. I did two rolls of film, it took me like 20 minutes. I did their feet, did everything, I just felt like I had to capture everything about these babies. Leaving the hospital that first time, Drallos says she cried the whole way home while the baby girls passed away just hours after having their pictures taken. Smith was referred to Drallos in 2008 for her family portraits. Convincing the parents to make the appointment, however, and not miss out on their opportunity sometimes takes a gentle prodding. Mackenzie looks great in them. Watching as her work flashes across the screen, Drallos is able to recall each child, each family and every story of why she was called in to preserve a moment for a grieving family. "That baby was so sweet," Drallos says as she gives a small smile while looking at an image of a big-eyed baby on the computer screen. By January, Drallos had decided to start her nonprofit and organized thousands of photographers across the world whose mission it is to give parents something of their children they would always be able to keep. American Child Photographers Charity Guild Gives Families Images of Hope Trade News selected by Local Linkup on 16/05/2012