Gracie & LeeAnn : Hope Through Grief

Jasper was whisked away to the NICU, and we began navigating life with a medically fragile baby. He was diagnosed with BPD (bronchopulmonary dysplasia), which meant we had to stay home much more to limit exposure.

Each year, On Angels’ Wings presents the VIP (Very Important Photographer) Award to a select group of volunteer photographers who exemplify our mission and values through extraordinary dedication.

I want to talk about something else equally entangled with our mental health: grief. And more specifically, how we respond — or often, how we don’t quite know how to respond — when someone we care about is deep in the throes of it.

On Angels’ Wings spent a meaningful and productive week in St. Louis at the nationally recognized ShutterFest Photography Conference. The experience deepened connections with photographers and families alike, and created new opportunities to expand OAW’s compassionate mission.

Michelle Cramer, On Angels’ Wings Founder and Executive Director, earns Prestigious CFRE Certification, strengthening the organization’s commitment to ethical and effective fundraising

Thirteen minutes after birth, Renesemee’s heart started beating. She definitely was a fighter. Her daddy holding her made her start breathing.

Sophia’s diagnosis reminded me how short life is. I need to cherish every moment I have with my two other kids. We love to talk about Sophia and how she is in a far better place now. We miss her dearly. My kids draw pictures of her all the time. Life is truly such an…

Learn more about anencephaly and what the diagnosis means for your unborn child.

We hope that Evie lives a normal, full life, stays strong, and that—as her family—we never take a single thing for granted. We don’t sweat the small stuff anymore. Life is precious.

Everything changed at the time of his birth. Only then did we begin to understand the magnitude of his sickness and the challenges that were ahead. After he was born, his doctors could finally give us more information about the severity of his condition. Reality set in once we had some concrete facts.