As they grow older, they’re going to have quite the story to tell.
One photo, captured by Williams Lake photographer Laureen Carruthers shows 31 babies born to mothers who were evacuated from their homes due to the B.C. wildfires.
The idea started with a woman named Amy Lyn Emery who was forced to flee her home in 150 Mile House on July 6, when she was eight months pregnant.
Her first child, a son named Carver, was born Aug. 10 in Prince George.
“It was definitely scary,” said Emery of being out of her home. “It’s my first child so I though this was already going to be scary enough.”
However, she said staff at Prince George hospital were “amazing” and they were welcomed with open arms.
So Emery had an idea. She decided to post on a Facebook page for Williams Lake residents asking if anyone who had to give birth in another location, due to the wildfires, would like to get their babies together and take a class photo.
She received a ton of responses.
“I thought it would nice for them to know each other and they all have this awesome birth story,” said Emery.
That’s when Carruthers, who had to leave her Williams Lake home for about three weeks, stepped up to offer her services and studio for free.
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Emery says she knows more babies have been born out of their homes due to the fires, but she was surprised when 31 parents showed up for the shoot. She says they came from around B.C. as some were still out of their homes.
Carruthers decided to photograph the little ones in groups of seven and says it went much more smoothly than she could have imagined.
“We actually finished in under an hour,” she said.
She then compiled the photo from there.
(Click the Facebook link below to enlarge the photo:)
Emery added it was such a fun experience. “It was really neat because we had moms all over the place and babies all over the place,” she said.
They also raised a bit of money from the parents who came to the shoot and decided to donate half to Four Paws pet shelter in Kamloops and to a local girl in Williams Lake who stayed behind during the evacuations to help care for the animals and livestock left behind.
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