Breastfeeding the Brave
Portraits of Love, Strength and Resilience
Breastfeeding the Brave, written by Lyndsey Hookway and published by Thought Rebellion, explores the importance of breastfeeding for medically complex infants and children, particularly those facing serious or life-limiting conditions. The book highlights the challenges families encounter and the need for specialist breastfeeding support within paediatric healthcare.
Drawing on clinical research and the personal experiences of families, the book brings together medical knowledge and powerful stories of determination, love and resilience. It highlights the importance of compassionate, family-centred care and the vital role breastfeeding can play in supporting vulnerable children.
Leanne Pearce was commissioned to create eight original oil portraits specifically for the book, capturing intimate moments between parents and their children. The paintings bring a deeply human dimension to the clinical information, making visible the emotional experiences, relationships and extraordinary dedication of the families involved.
The collection has been exhibited across the UK, extending its reach beyond the book. The portraits are also used by healthcare professionals to raise awareness, support education and advocate for improved understanding of breastfeeding and the needs of medically complex children. Images from the collection are available for appropriate professional, educational and awareness-raising purposes on request.
Together, the written stories and portraits demonstrate how art can complement medical education, research and advocacy, helping to communicate complex healthcare issues while encouraging empathy, awareness and understanding.
Prints Available
Purchase prints of the collection here or buy the book
How this project supports organisational objectives
Awareness raising
Increasing understanding of complex infant feeding experiences and the challenges families face.
Education and advocacy
Using personal stories to support education and encourage informed conversations.
Research communication
Making complex healthcare experiences more accessible through visual storytelling.
Humanising care
Highlighting the emotional experiences of babies, families and those supporting them.
Challenging stigma
Questioning idealised assumptions about feeding and early parenthood.