Giving something back: Finding grace in heart of sorrow

WHEN Newcastle grandmother Vivian Hayles left her high-powered corporate job, the passionate photographer wanted to give something back - and that’s when she found Heartfelt.

This is POA nominee Vivian Hayles who is the secretary of Heartfelt, a charity organisation of professional photographers who volunteer their time to take photos of stillborn children as a gift for grieving families. She has done about 60 Heartfelt shoots and is an amazing woman who volunteers a lot of her time every week for the charity she believes so much in. Picture: Bradley Hunter

WHEN Newcastle grandmother Vivian Hayles left her high-powered corporate job for a life less complicated, the passionate photographer wanted to give something back — and that’s when she found Heartfelt.

The national charity is a dedicated group of professional photographers who donate their time capturing the memories of stillborn ­babies, leaving their grieving families lifelong treasured gifts — the only images they have with their children.

As a mother of three and grandmother of four, Ms Hayles wanted to use her fortunate life to honour those lives tragically cut short, and spends at least eight hours a week helping Heartfelt.

Vivian has done about 60 Heartfelt shoots, a charity she believes so much in. Picture: Bradley Hunter

The 55-year-old has been nominated for The Daily Telegraph’s Community Spirit Medal for her selfless work for babies “born sleeping’’, and, true to style, said she wasn’t deserving.

“I’m gob-smacked and so honoured,” she told The Daily Telegraph.

“When I was in my early 50s I left a busy corporate life and moved into photography as a semi-retirement profession. I came across Heartfelt and it really moved me.

“I’ve done about 60 shoots now over the last three years and it’s one of those things that I know if I’m having a tough time with a shoot, I console myself that there’s no way I could be feeling anything near as bad as the family are, and I want to help them.

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“When you have a look at what these photographs mean for those families and knowing what an important gift it is, and how appreciated the images are, that carries you through the tough times.”

Ms Hayles, who also runs photography studio Light Magic Images, often spends up to three days a week on Heartfelt: “It’s quite polarising because when you talk about it people either look at you and say ‘Oh how can you do that’ or they are so interested and willing to help.

“The concept can be a very scary one but I’ve led such a sheltered and lucky life that to see these babies you feel such a sense of loss, because they didn’t even get a chance.

She said “withdrawal of care’’ shoots were the hardest, when babies were taken off respirators. During her first one she had to ask a colleague to hold her camera and change a lens: “I was just shaking too much. If it was that horrible for me you can’t even imagine what it is like for the families.”