Parents who have lost a child during pregnancy or shortly after birth don't have to grieve alone, says Colleen Thompson.
Thompson is the director of Butterfly Wings Perinatal Bereavement (http://www.butterflywings.ca/), a not-for-profit organization that provides support for parents in Sudbury who have experienced the death of baby through miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth or shortly following birth.
Thompson said one in four families in the community will experience the death of a baby, but the topic remains taboo, and parents are often left to deal with their loss alone.
“It tends to be discounted because unfortunately society doesn't always recognize that such a brief life really mattered,” Thompson said.
With the passing of Bill 141 - The Pregnancy and Infant Loss, Research, and Care Act — on Dec. 8, 2015, the province of Ontario now officially recognizes Oct. 15 as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day.
To recognize the day Butterfly Wings Perinatal Bereavement will host its third annual Wave of Light event, in which bereaved families can gather and light a candle in honour of their baby that has passed away.
Sudbury Deputy Mayor Al Sizer will make an official proclamation at the event to recognize Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day.
While the venue for this year's event is already expected to reach capacity, Thompson said anyone with questions about Butterfly Wings Perinatal Bereavement can reach her at 705-562-4955 or [email protected].
