Salt Lake City Student Brings Comfort to Parents Experiencing Loss 

At Galen College of Nursing, students are prepared to care for patients and to show up for people in life’s most meaningful and difficult moments. For Whitney Timmerman, an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) student at Galen’s Salt Lake City campus, that calling has taken on a deeply personal and powerful form.  

Whitney’s journey into this work began more than three years ago while working in labor and delivery. At the time, a local group provided free photography services for families experiencing infant loss, but when that support suddenly disappeared, Whitney noticed the gap immediately. 

“One night we had a loss, and there was no one to call,” she shared. “It didn’t sit right with me that if I knew how to do something and didn’t step in, I was failing at what I’m here to do.” 

Having previous experience as a family photographer, Whitney already had the equipment and foundational skills. She took it upon herself to learn more by studying appropriate positioning, postmortem care, and best practices. From there, she made a commitment to be on call 24/7 for any families who might need her. 

Her connection to this work quickly became personal. Whitney first began providing these photographs while she was five months pregnant with her first child. Even during her pregnancy and postpartum leave, she continued to show up for families in need. 

“I actually started doing these pictures when I was pregnant with my first,” she said. “Even after having my baby, I wanted to still come in and take pictures.” 

Now a mother, Whitney says that experience has only deepened her sense of purpose. 

“Especially being a mom, I feel more drawn to do these pictures because everyone deserves a day they can remember with their babies or children,” she shared. 

That perspective shapes the way she approaches each session. In moments often defined by grief and trauma, Whitney focuses on helping families hold onto something meaningful. 

“If it was a traumatic loss, I try to find the beauty in their child,” she said. “Their hands, their hair, maybe a birthmark. Something they can remember from that final day that isn’t just the trauma.” 

Now working in the emergency department, Whitney has continued this quiet act of service. She provides photographs for families facing the loss of infants and children, offering something tangible in moments that are otherwise impossible to hold onto. 

“As a mom, I feel more able to sit and cry with parents and hug and love them in the moment,” she said. “I remind them this will always be their baby, and they will always be their parents.” 

She also offers reassurance in moments often filled with doubt and guilt. 

“In a lot of these situations, they did everything right, and they loved their baby so much,” Whitney said. “I want them to know how amazing they are for that and to give themselves grace.” 

While completing a recent clinical shift, Whitney found herself present during a terrible loss – the passing of a baby who had been under antepartum care for several weeks. Now expecting another child of her own, it added a deeply personal layer to an already emotional moment. It also became an opportunity for Whitney to extend compassion in a way few could. 

With her camera equipment still on hand from a previous session, Whitney was granted permission to stay after her shift to offer her services to the grieving family. 

“The loss of a baby is something no parent could ever prepare for,” Whitney shared. “In a moment that is so sudden and unimaginable, the last thing on their mind is taking a picture. And yet, it becomes the only day they will ever have together as a family.” 

What she offers is more than photography. It is presence, remembrance, and a way for families to hold onto something tangible in the face of overwhelming loss. 

“I went into medicine to heal, to make a difference, to help make things right,” she said. “But I’ve learned that sometimes healing doesn’t look the way we hope it will. Sometimes, there is no cure, only comfort and compassion. In those moments, the smallest thing I can offer can mean the most.”  

The family was so touched by her kindness that they invited Whitney to attend a small funeral service for their baby a few days later. Understanding the importance of both her clinical responsibilities and the family’s request, Whitney reached out to Associate Dean Tonya Condas to ask for permission to briefly step away and support them during the service. She offered to make up the time without hesitation. 

“Whitney truly showed compassion in action,” said Associate Dean Tonya Condas, MSN, BSc, RN, CNE. “Her ability to give back to families who have lost young children is a small token with large meaning. This is a wonderful example of the kind of nurse she is becoming.” 

Whitney’s story is a reflection of what it means to care beyond clinical skills, to be present in the most difficult moments and offer whatever comfort you can. 

At Galen, those moments matter. Through students like Whitney, compassion continues to shape the future of nursing, one family, one act of kindness, and one lasting memory at a time.