It was only five days. Compared to other cases, it may not be enough, but it is an eternity for some parents who, after the birth of their baby, have to leave it in the ICU. Only those who have gone through it know how hard it can be.
In that place, where he went to visit his baby every day, Rafael Dávila, a first-time father and photographer, was inspired a year later to perform these 15 beautiful pictures of babies admitted to the newborn unit of the Infanta Elena de Valdemoro University Hospital (Madrid).
His son was born on April 18, 2015. But as soon as he was born, they could only give him a hug and had to say goodbye to him. He took it to the newborn unit.
They were days of anguish and bewilderment, but also of gratitude. Fortunately, her baby recovered and they were able to take him home soon, thanks in large part to the care of people working in the ICU of Neonates. It was five days that saved his son's life in the place where he "became a father," says Rafa.
There they treated us in an incredible and super special way and I had always been left with the feeling that they should know the work that these people do of the ICU of Neonates.
Therefore, as a way of thanking and giving visibility to these professionals, after the time he proposed to the hospital where his son was born to perform a photography exhibition, and they loved the idea. After several days taking photos, meetings, etc ... Today we can finally see the photos hanging in the main entrance of the Infanta Elena de Valdemoro Hospital.
From the first moment you cross that door, you only receive smiles, calm, tranquility ... Despite being surrounded by children with days of life that still do not know the sunlight and seeing your first child full of tubes, gauze, lights blinking ... in there you breathe the feeling that nothing bad can happen ... Nurses, doctors ... Smiles. A group of people whose job is to help them live and who nevertheless do so with a level of humility and tranquility that they had rarely seen ...
We leave you some of the photos Rafa has taken in the ICU of Neonates of that hospital, which surely if you have had babies admitted will bring you many memories.
Photos | The Drawer of ideas - Rafael Dávila (reproduced with permission)
In Babies and more | The emotional meeting of a neonatal intensive care nurse with the children she cared for
