Photographer João Linneu's series 'JJ VFF VV' captures the physical and emotional journey of his partner Fernanda Fajardo through a difficult pregnancy, premature birth, and their son Valentín's first months in neonatal intensive care.
A difficult pregnancy from the start
Fernanda began bleeding in the first semester. 'The doctors told us not to buy anything and instructed me to stay in bed from that time on. I was 36 years old; this was my first pregnancy. I was in the dark, full of fears and doubts,' she says.
João, alone at home while Fernanda was in hospital, captured lightning strikes over São Paulo from his window. 'Out of about 10 rolls, I managed to get about four lightning strikes. One of them, right around the hospital area,' he recalls.
The birth and first moments
When Valentín was born, João was only allowed in for a few minutes before delivery. After the baby was taken for care, João was told to leave. Fernanda spent hours alone in a corridor. The first photo of them without Valentín in her belly shows the moment they were reunited, but without their son.
Hospital das Clínicas in São Paulo does not allow photos in the NICU. The family took secret pictures to show relatives and to help Fernanda express milk. Valentín weighed only 1.32kg at birth.
Struggles in the NICU
During kangaroo care, Valentín would sometimes forget to breathe, turning purple. 'Premature babies often do this; they should still be in the womb and not have to worry about breathing,' Fernanda explains. He experienced prolonged apnoea episodes, extending his hospital stay.
At home without Valentín, Fernanda pumped milk but the hospital did not allow her to bring it from home. She continued to wake at night to pump and discard the milk.
Return home and setbacks
Valentín returned home after three months in the NICU. Six months after birth, he needed hospitalisation again. 'We couldn't believe we were back in a hospital,' Fernanda says. During that stay, doctors performed a lumbar puncture. A nurse gave them a book about a boy named Valentín.
Fernanda recalls: 'They ran many tests on him, constantly drawing blood, and his hands and arms were covered in scars from abscesses. At the moment this photo was taken, I tucked Valentín inside my shirt and said they wouldn't be drawing any more blood.'
An ongoing story
Valentín is now 11 and aware of the photographic record. The project forms a collective portrait of lived experience, revealing a sensitive visual language for circumstances often shrouded in silence.
