All of the deaths we encounter through our clients are difficult, but it’s those that deal with the loss of an infant that really hits home. Our funeral directors in Bellingham and Ferndale take extra special care in these situations as we understand how important this process is for our families.
Unfortunately, miscarriages and stillbirths are far more common than you may imagine. They account for 1 in 115 births in the United States each year. While many people may not be aware of this, there is actually a day formally recognized by the government to remember these little ones. Each year October 15 has become International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.
If you’re wondering why the date is October 15, it comes from the founders of the idea. The two women who pushed for the date are Robyn Bear and Lisa Brown who both experienced miscarriage and stillbirths. Lisa Brown the co-founder had a stillbirth on October 15 which is a large part of the reason for the date. The other factor was that it needed to be in October as this was the month President Ronald Reagan initially chose in a 1988 proclamation.
Making this happen didn’t come easily and took a lot of work on the behalf of these two women. They enlisted the help of volunteers across the country to get a proclamation from the governor of each state. This took a number of years and a lot of letter writing but eventually made it possible to go forward to the House of Representatives in 2006 and make it permanent.
The day is marked by ceremonies, walks, and events in every major city and community. While there may be various different events commemorating the day, there’s one part that’s the same no matter where you are and that is the lighting of a candle at 7pm.
These women haven’t stopped at the day of remembering, they’ve developed a website that sells a wide range of memorial keepsakes as another way for people to show their support. The most popular of their item is necklaces which is likely because they lay closest to the heart. There are many different designs available and they can be hand stamped, engraved or even sculpted using clay.
While these women know all too well there isn’t an easy way to get through this terrible loss they believe that shared grieving is shared healing and strive to lessen some of the suffering by creating a strong support network.
As funeral directors in Bellingham and Ferndale, it’s important to us that you feel supported no matter what type of loss you’re suffering. We want to show our support and understanding for all types of loss and hope this article helps provide some relief and shows support that is available out there.