WHEN Emelia Clayton died soon after her premature birth, the staff at Launceston General Hospital made sure her mother didn't have to return home empty handed.
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With their limited camera gear, nurses recorded memories that would help Karen Clayton and her family through their grief.
A friend later put Mrs Clayton onto Heartfelt, a volunteer organisation of professional photographers who take photos of stillborn, premature and ill babies or children for their families.
They edited her photos to a professional standard.
"We felt very fortunate - it's not something we thought about at the time," Mrs Clayton said.
"It meant that we had something to take home, because you think you're taking a baby home. It's comforting to have something to remember her by."
Yesterday Mrs Clayton presented the LGH maternity ward with a Heartfelt camera kit, including a small portable printer, ink and photography tips, in memory of Emelia.
She said the kit would be important in circumstances where a Heartfelt photographer wasn't available.
"My hope is the camera will never have to be used, but the reality is it will be, so I hope it helps other families," Mrs Clayton said.
"This is something that's been in the making for a while, so today's a bit bittersweet, but it's nice to give back to the hospital because they were wonderful to us at a very difficult time."
For more information on Heartfelt, visit https://www.heartfelt.org.au/.