Stillborn Memorial Portraits

Ella Mae

2010-07-07T11:40:00.000-07:00

This is beautiful Ella Mae.

Landon

2010-07-07T11:33:00.000-07:00

"I'm glad you are working to reach more bereaved parents. I think that is wonderful."

--Rachel

Makayla

2010-06-21T20:07:00.000-07:00

"I love having the picture of Makayla. It gives me a sense of peace. I look at her everyday and have her very proudly on my bookshelf as you enter my front door. I have her with my other 2 children. We now have another child after losing her and when I look at his baby picture I see her in it. It's amazing to me how much he looks just like her and he wasn't even born yet. Some people think it's weird to have a picture of her but I love that I can now share her with others. I can tell people about my angel in heaven watching over all of us and I have a face to go with a name. Thank you again for all that you did for us! You gave me something so very special that words can't express how much you gave us. I also would like to add that everyone loves the picture you did of Jesus holding "Makayla". I know that she is up there and he is taking special care of my baby until we get there.

Thanks again!"

--Gayle

Emma Mae

2010-06-19T20:24:00.000-07:00

"I was very happy with the picture that Debbie had drawn for us. It was exactly the way I saw her and still remember her. It was as if she looked at Emma through my eyes. All the blemishes a mother sees past to the perfect image of their child. I could not be happier with the picture we proudly display on our wall of our perfect angel.

Thank you again!"

--Lora

For more information on portraits, please visit Drawn By Debbie.

Peyton

2010-06-18T11:14:00.000-07:00

"It really has been a blessing to our family. We have been able to provide our boys with a visual memory of their older sister. While we have never been secretive about her, we did feel that the photos we had were not appropriate to share due to their ages. However, they are now able to see what I see every day when I look into their faces. She looks just like them.

I do appreciate your sensitivity. Please know that you are also a blessing to us.

Thanks again,"

--Jennifer

For more information on portraits, please visit Drawn By Debbie.

Zachary E.

2010-02-19T21:09:00.000-08:00

"Words cannot express my feelings. It is much more than I could imagine it would turn out. I am very, very satisfied with it. Thank you so much for the drawing… it is truly a beautiful portrait and I am going to cherish it every day."

-Wendy

For more information on portraits, please visit Drawn By Debbie

Parker

2010-02-18T12:42:00.000-08:00

"Having a beautiful portrait of Parker makes it possible for us to share his memory with others without discomfort. It gives us something to look at that brings a feeling of love and comfort rather than pain and grief. The portrait has truly been a gift of healing for all of us. I am so glad I had it done."

- Vanessa

For more information on portraits, please visit Drawn By Debbie

Stillborn Memorial Portraits Informational Video

2010-01-29T12:27:00.001-08:00

Here is an informational video I made to help educate parents of loss. Please know the photos are shown with the loving consent of the parents in order to help other families.

Angel Kisses Fundraiser

2010-01-28T19:34:00.000-08:00

I am so excited this year to be donating a memorial portrait to the Angel Kisses 2nd Annual Fundraiser in Royal Oak, Michigan. This is a great organization that is raising money to benefit the Child Remembered Program at William Beaumont Hospital. This program provides support and services to families who have lost a baby.

The Angel Kisses goal this year is to raise money to fund a bereavement room at Royal Oak Beaumont Hospital. This will be a separate room on the labor and delivery floor away from the joy and flurry of live births. Families of loss need a space to be together and begin the grieving process without the added stress of seeing the labor and delivery activity. I think this is an excellent cause to raise money, and I hope the event is a grand success.

Click here to learn more information about Angel Kisses.

Jacob and Paul

2010-01-22T19:39:00.000-08:00

"Like many loss moms I felt like there was no proof, nothing to show for such a profound loss in my life. I didn't have something I could proudly display in my home. The only picture I have of my sons is the very real, very raw photo of death, it is quite disturbing to some people. I was able to work with Debbie to develop a picture of my sons as I would like to have known them. She has allowed me to have a picture I can lovingly show to everyone. It is on display in my home. I have also used electronic versions of the picture online to show people pictures of *all* my children. It sounds hokey to say, but having a picture of my sons has really completed me."

-- Leslie Dickson, Mother of 4 living children and 2 angels in heaven

For more information on portraits, please visit Drawn By Debbie

Kimber

2010-01-22T19:28:00.000-08:00

"This portrait is one of the most special things I have in my house and is prominently displayed in the main room. The sadness of losing our baby before she really had a chance was very painful, but having a tangible reminder of her provides some closure as it shows that she is not forgotten. Also, I think that the portrait does what an actual photo can not do. It makes her looks so peaceful and alive and even though in some of the photos I have of her, she does look as though she is asleep, it's just different to have the drawing. Probably because she looks so healthy in it and it has all the things in it that remind me of her, such as her little hat and the bracelet that I wear every day.

I wish you the best 2010 and hope that you can continue to help families heal with your drawings."

--Heidi

For more information on portraits, please visit Drawn By Debbie

Tucker

2010-01-22T19:14:00.000-08:00

"I just wanted to let you know how very much we enjoy our portrait you have drawn for us. I still stop and just stare at it all the time. It is the last thing that I look at every night before I go to bed. I am working on my headstone right now and your portrait is going to be in ceramic on the headstone. I will have to email you pictures as soon as it is done. You have such a wonderful gift and you will always hold a special place in my heart for the kindness you have shown to me. You have a special gift and you certainly need to share it with all of the grieving parents that have nothing else of their child but a picture. I want everyone to know what wonderful work that you do and what a special gift God has given you.

Although he is not here with us you have given us the next best thing, your portrait is the closest thing we get to remembering the life of Tucker. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart."

--Candice

For more information on portraits, please visit Drawn By Debbie

Cole & Dillen

2010-01-22T19:01:00.000-08:00

"Our sketch is absolutely beautiful! It took my breath away the first time I saw it. Not only is Debbie an amazingly talented artist, she is also kind, sensitive and respectful in how she deals with her clients. The sketch that she did of our boys is the most precious object in our home! I am forever grateful to her for the wonderful work she did for us."

--Dawn

For more information on portraits, please visit Drawn By Debbie

Zachary T.

2010-01-22T12:10:00.000-08:00

"Our son, Zachary, was born still on December 17, 2008 at 17 weeks gestation. His loss was unexpected and and devastating to our family, he was to be our 5th child and everyone was looking forward to his birth. After his loss, I had no idea how to move forward and be a complete person for my other children. I did, however, know that I needed a tangible reminder of him. One of my concerns was that because he was not full term, he did not have the appearance of a regular baby. Although he was perfect and precious to me, a picture on the wall would not be the most appropriate image. I wanted something that would be a beautiful memorial and reminder to everyone that viewed it. After much searching and prayer I came across a website that showcased Stillborn Memorial Portraits by Debbie Lamb.

My initial concern was that Debbie would not be able to translate an actual picture of my sweet baby boy into a rendition of what he may have looked like had he been born full term. I knew that it was a lot to ask of anyone, especially someone I have never met. Debbie contacted me about my portrait with several suggestions and ideas and I was able to send her photos of my older children as newborns. I also sent a photo of the handmade gown that was sewn by a local church group. These gowns were made to be given out by the hospital to families like mine who had lost their children too early. I asked Debbie to pray about her work before she started and to trust that God would give her the vision that she would need.

A few weeks later, I received an email from Debbie announcing that my portrait was complete. The email also included a digital file so that I could preview her work before she sent it out. The finished product was AMAZING and absolutely perfect! The attention to detail was beautiful and Debbie's talent really show through. Debbie was able to take the comments I made, the photo of Zachary and the photos on my other children and turn them into a true work of art. The end result was a drawing that I am proud to display in my family room along with our other family photos. I was so excited to see what my son would have looked like and how beautiful he would have been. I was in awe of the fact that Debbie was able to copy tiny detail like the delicate way his hands laid across his chest and turn his feet so perfectly.

Amazingly, our story doesn't end there. Three months after Zachary was lost and two months AFTER my portrait was complete, I learned that I was pregnant again. While this was joyous news to be thankful for, it was also a very scary time for me. Pregnancy after a loss can be filled with hope and fear, I felt both through the entire pregnancy. We soon discovered that we were expecting a baby girl to add to our family and w couldn't wait to meet her. On November 19, 2009, Marleigh Anne joined our family. Eleven months after our world crashed down, we were blessed with a new ray of light and she was happy and healthy in every way. One night as I was looking at my sweet baby sleeping, I saw something that shocked me. The resemblance to the baby in the portrait was incredible! Had I not known any better I would have assumed that portrait was one of Marleigh. I now have no doubt in my mind that Zachary would have looked exactly like the portrait Debbie created.

I am forever thankful that Debbie has taken the time to create portraits of such a sensitive nature and has shared her talents with families like mine. While a drawing will never replace the child we are missing, it has given us an opportunity to honor Zachary with a portrait we are proud to share with friends and family. It is truly an item that we cherish, love and admire every day of our lives. Our children are happy to show others the picture of the brother who "lives in Heaven with Jesus" and we are more than happy to recommend Debbie's services to families who share a loss similar to ours. Debbie has a gift from God and she is using that gift to minister to families in a way that offers comfort and healing."

--Heather

For more information on portraits, please visit Drawn By Debbie

Starting Stillborn Memorial Portraits

2010-01-22T09:39:00.000-08:00

Drawn By Debbie started in 2006, and shortly thereafter I began to get requests to draw stillborn babies. It seemed I now had a real purpose for drawing, and that was to help grieving families acquire what seemed impossible. After loss of my own, I knew how badly these mothers and fathers wanted something to show of their baby.

I feel so honored to be asked by each and every family to draw their stillborn baby. And, it is my goal to help every family have a beautiful portrait of their child to share with others. Hopefully, the portrait will become a treasured keepsake and help ease the pain of having nothing to display.

The internet is a wonderful place to meet people and interact with others with similar life situations. Hiding out there are people like me, who are able and ready to help. Many do not know stillborn memorial portraits exist, so this blog has been created to help spread the word and, with the help of those who have found me, tell the testimonials of how the portrait has impacted their lives.

Also, when I find helpful information and products, I will pass them along. It helps coming from a source you know and can trust.

My hope is to provide comfort to families of stillborn babies that they have the option of having a pleasing portrait of their baby at any week of life.

I want to thank all the parents who have lovingly gave permission to show photos and portraits of their babies in order to help and educate other grieving parents.

Be sure to subscribe to receive updates via email.

For more portrait information, please visit Drawn By Debbie