The Still Held Initiative
Still Held
A Space for Love, Even in Loss
Some moments in life are impossible to prepare for — the ones that bring both the deepest love and the most unbearable ache. Still Held was created to honour those moments. To offer something gentle and tangible when words fall short. Through this initiative, I offer free photography sessions for families with babies in the NICU or receiving palliative care at Royal Darwin Hospital. These sessions are tender, respectful, and entirely guided by your story. A quiet offering, gently preserving your love in the moments that matter most. Whether your time together is short, uncertain, or not unfolding the way you’d imagined — Still Held is here to remind you: your baby is deeply loved, your journey matters, and you are not alone.
Why I Created This…
This initiative is deeply personal for me. As a mother to both a heart kid and a lung kid, I have walked the halls of hospital wards, held my breath through surgeries, and felt the weight of the unknown. My son underwent heart surgery at just three months old. We had to fly interstate to receive the care he needed, and we were lovingly supported by HeartKids throughout that journey.
I will never forget what it felt like to be held in those moments — not just by medical care, but by compassion, support, and the knowing that our story mattered too. Still Held was born from that space. A place of deep empathy and understanding. A way of gently giving back to families walking their own fragile path, and offering the only thing I know how to give — time, presence, and photographs that hold meaning far beyond the moment.
How It Works.
All Still Held sessions are offered free of charge and take place in a respectful, heart-led way — whether in hospital or in a quiet space that suits your family’s needs.
There is no pressure, no expectation — just the opportunity to be seen and remembered. These sessions are purely for the families involved — a private and personal gift. Images from Still Held sessions will never be used for promotion, marketing, or social media. This is not part of my business. It is a separate space — one rooted in care, love, and quiet remembrance.
After your session, you’ll receive a carefully curated collection of images, and thanks to community donations, we’re also able to provide printed keepsakes — so you have something tangible to hold on to when words or memories feel out of reach.
How to Support
If this initiative speaks to your heart and you’d like to help, donations can be made directly into the Still Held account.
Every single cent goes toward the cost of prints, albums, and keepsakes for the families I photograph — nothing more, nothing less. This is a project of love, fuelled by love. Your contribution helps ensure that no family walks this path without the chance to have their story honoured.
Still Held Donation Details
Every cent goes directly toward printed keepsakes for families. Thank you for supporting this space with your heart.
Account Name: Still Held Project
BSB: 067-873
Account Number: 18248358
Bank: Samantha Mulkerrins - Comm Bank
Reference: Donation or your name (optional)
(Please note: This is a dedicated account used solely for the Still Held initiative.)
For Families in Need of a Session
A soft invitation to reach out — no pressure, just a gentle open door.
Need support? If you or someone you love is walking through NICU or palliative care, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I will do everything I can to gently support you during this time.
Share with Someone…
A soft prompt to help the initiative reach those who need it.
Know someone who might need this? Please feel free to share this page with a family, friend, or healthcare worker.
Sometimes love finds us through someone else’s kindness.
Thank you for being here. Whether you’ve come to this space in search of support, or simply to stand beside those walking through tender moments — thank you. Your presence here matters more than you know. Still Held exists because love doesn’t disappear with loss. It lingers in memory, in story, in the quiet knowing that someone cared enough to help hold it all. If your heart feels pulled to reach out, to refer a family, or to support this work — please do. Together, we can make sure that even in the softest, hardest moments, love is seen… and still held.
Still Held. Forever Loved.
No matter how brief, every story deserves to be seen, remembered, and held.
Still Held is my way of making sure they are. These sessions are not about perfect pictures or posed moments — they are about love, in its rawest and realest form. They are about honouring the quiet strength it takes to show up each day. They are about giving families something they can return to when memories fade and grief rises.
If you are a family in need of this space, please know: I see you. I honour you. And I am here to walk gently beside you.
If you're someone who feels moved to support, your generosity becomes part of this story too. Together, we can offer families something that lasts far beyond the moment — a piece of their love, still held.