INCREDIBLY POWERFUL PORTRAIT CAPTURES NEW BORN BABY AND THE 1,616 IVF INJECTIONS BEFORE HER

The newborn baby portrait by photographer Samantha Packer of Packer Family Photography is a moving and poignant representation of the joys and challenges of parenthood. The picture features the sleeping girl snuggly wrapped in a vibrant wrap, encircled by an unusual arrangement. 1,616 syringes that her parents used to conceive her are scattered around her. Patricia and Kimberly O'Neill attempted infertility for more than four years. This comprised 1,616 injections, three miscarriages, and seven IVF attempts. Their daughter London was finally welcomed on August 3, 2018. When she did, the delighted parents approached their photographer with a concept after seeing other newborn portraits.

In order to convey the love and devotion required to bring London into the world, they wanted to include every needle they used during this period. Packer arranged the needles into two heart shapes for more than an hour. Patricia used the inner layer of syringes for her twice-daily blood-thinning procedures, and the outer layer was from her IVF treatments. London, who wears a wrap in rainbow colours to symbolise that she is the O'Neill family's rainbow baby, is paired with them in the middle. 

Packer recalled, “I knew it [the photo] was special when I took it because we were all tearing up. I didn’t, however, realise how strongly it would resonate with others.” Packer's post has since gone viral on her Facebook page, offering support for those struggling with infertility. Patricia also extends words of encouragement. “I hope that there’s a couple out there that’s going through what we are that can see that there’s hope at the end of the tunnel,” Patricia said. “There’s a light and you just have to get there.”