Family Life

12.21.11 | Sarah Harnisch

  A stillborn baby photo of the Duggar family child is provoking anger. The miscarried body of Jubilee Shalom Duggar was photographed and the photos were displayed at a memorial service conducted by the family this week. The child was miscarried earlier this month. The Duggar family, stars of the TLC show "19 Kids and Counting," was expecting Jubilee as their 20th child. The photos include one of Jubilee's hand being held by her mother's index finger - which is now being featured on the Duggar family website. Another photo showing Jubilee's tiny feet contains the caption: "There is no foot too small that it cannot leave an imprint on this world."
   The images have caused mixed reactions. Ted Edwards of the L.A. Times said,  "posting a photo of a miscarried baby is not a trend among grieving families. Stop using this as a publicity stunt for your TV show".
    A user named "sides with the kids" on a Washington Post article wrote "I don't see that publicizing the miscarriage and the funeral was any worse than publicizing the family for reality tv. The main problem is the lack of any concept of privacy, especially by parents for their kids."
     But the Christian Post interviewed grief counselor Allison Daily. She said people grieve in different ways and the Duggars' decision to take photos is an acceptable outlet for their grief.
    "There are some people who will say, 'Oh my gosh, why would she do that?' " Daily told the LA Times. "I feel like no one should judge unless they have been in that situation. It's one of the hardest, most awful things that can happen to a parent. They have to decide what is right for them. To me, she is a role model in how we should handle the loss. In the past, too many people pushed [news of a miscarriage] down and decided to make it go away and it causes depression and you never really finish the process of grieving. But this child was part of her life. I think it's a beautiful thing that she did."

     Judy Blore, director of the Basis bereavement program in Pennsylvania, called the Duggars courageous for their unconventional approach and said it will ultimately provide the family closure and peace. "By showing this picture they are showing that this child is real, and if you have a real child you have real grief," Blore said.

 Warning-- these images may be uncomfortable for small children.

   To see the one of the photos and hear an audio recording of Michelle Duggar's letter to the babe, go to the Duggar Family website, here.
   To see a second photo, go here.