October 16, 2019 - Thunder Bay recognizes Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day with a ‘wave of light’ candle lighting ceremony.
Around the world individuals, families and groups gathered together on October 15 in remembrance of Pregnancy and Infant Loss. The day is commemorated by lighting a candle to support and acknowledge the unique grief of those that have experienced a pregnancy or infant loss.
Pregnancy and infant loss is often an “unmentionable” topic and is associated with stigma, silence, and shame. Loss is actually very common with as many as one in five pregnancies ending in miscarriage, and yearly in Canada there are approximately six stillborn infants for every 1000 births. For the second year, the Prenatal Coalition of Thunder Bay hosted a candle lighting ceremony to commemorate Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day which is an opportunity to create support for individuals and families who are grieving. The event strives to raise awareness and bring together individuals and families who are healing from a loss.
Tia Cooney, the media spokesperson for the event and Peer Facilitator for the Pregnancy and Infant Loss (PAIL) Network, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, stated, “We want women and families to know that they are not alone in their grief and that we have a local circle of support that families can attend for as long as they would like, or they can also find support online or over the phone through the PAIL Network.” It is important to have options to support those who are grieving, and that after a loss, both locally and across the province, timely, compassionate and individualized care is necessary. Our local Prenatal Coalition plans to have more conversations around this topic to consider ways to reduce stigma and meet bereaved families where they are at.
Interested individuals, families and groups participated and contributed to the global wave of light in memory of pregnancy and infant loss by lighting a candle at the Spirit Garden at Marina Park on Tuesday evening.
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