Help for a friend

This is my photographer friend, Julie, and her family. I took this picture last May when I was in Utah. We actually “met” online on a photography forum and she helped me with a lot of photography things, as well as just being a friend. When I went to visit my grandparents, I knew I had to meet up with her, too. It was such a treat to meet her. I knew I’d already love her from our conversations we’d had before we met. She has the most generous heart, and continuously offers her kindness to others.

Julie is a 2 time cancer survivor. Doctors told her she would never have kids and gratefully she proved them wrong. Julie has been sick for a while and is having a radical hysterectomy on April 1st, for which she has no insurance to cover. Because of her past health issues, fighting and winning her battles with Cancer, she is no longer insurable. No healthy insurance company will give her insurance. Julie and her family are going through serious financial hardship at this time. Needless to say this is taking a very hard financial toll on her family. Both she and her husband are self employed and things have been slow for both her business and her husbands business since the end of last year. They were already behind on bills and things are slowly being turned off.

If you are able to donate even $5, $10 or even $20 to her cause, I would be grateful, and I know she would be too. If you have a paypal account, you can send funds directly to her through her email, [email protected] Tell her I sent you. If you want to mail a check to her, email me and I’ll give you her address.

I thought I’d add a few reasons why Julie is special to me.

1. About a year and a half ago, a friend of mine, Becca, was pregnant and was told by doctors that her baby had Potter’s Syndrome. That her baby wouldn’t survive out of the womb. It was devastating. She talked to me about being at the hospital and taking pictures of their family in the short time they would have with her. I was honored and nervous. On my photography forum, there was a handful of photographers who had done Bereavement photography for stillborn or sick babies. I found Julie and began asking her questions because she was a member of NILMDTS (Now I lay me down to Sleep), an organization that donates time for this cause. I told her about my friend and her baby and she said, “Did you say Potter’s Syndrome? I just photographed a family 6 months ago here in Utah and their baby had Potter’s Syndrome.” I was thrilled at the opportunity to put Becca in contact with Heidi, the mother. Not only do they share the same religious beliefs, but Heidi is a nurse and was able to have conversations with Becca about her experience with her baby and have that bond with Becca that no one else could really understand. I feel blessed that through Julie, we were able to provide that conduit for Becca and Heidi. Becca then helped Heidi make a pamphlet called Angel Babies: Practical Information for parents dealing with a 2nd or 3rd Trimester Loss. Click on the link above to read it online.

2. Julie is a staunch advocate in her state for NILMDTS. Donating her time and energy over and over to provide parents of the gift of photography with their child, so they can have something to hold onto throughout the years. The hospitals call her first because she is the best. There was an interview where the Salt Lake Tribune followed her and took stills and a video of her photographing a tiny tiny baby and their family in the hospital. Listen to how sweet she is with the family and the baby. Click here to see the pictures and her voice over, and also click here to read the article.

3. When I was debating upgrading my photoshop, I hesitated for a long time and she was the one who said, “PUSH THE BUTTON” to buy the upgraded system (trite, I know, but it was a big deal for me).

4. She is fantastic at photoshop and has helped me alter images with amazing results, that I could never do on my own.

5. On the day I met her, I had a terrible earrache and she drove me to her Doctor to have it checked out.

6. She took the family picture of us, that is hanging in my home now.

7. She helps so many people, when visiting her, she had houseguests living downstairs that eventually flooded her basement.

8. I am so impressed with her grace and zest for life. So many people love her.

Cool Blog talking about Julie and her donations of time for NILMDTS Click Here

Here is her website: http://www.juliewilliamsphotography.com/