National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month occurs every October. During the month, we take time to honor and remember those who have lost a child during pregnancy or lost a child in infancy. Our 15th Annual Remembrance Service and Walk to Remember will be held on Sunday, October 12th. This month was established in 2002 to honor, celebrate, and remember babies who have passed away due to miscarriage, stillbirth, newborn death, and other causes of pregnancy and infant loss.
We were unable to hold our event in 2024 due to the impact of the storm. We know that our counties faced so many losses. It has been uplifting to witness so much love, support and connectedness in our communities. As we began planning this year’s theme, we decided the rainbow was a fitting choice as it represents recovery and healing from the loss of a baby as well as loss from the storm.
The program will begin at 3pm on Sunday, October 12th in the Fellowship Hall of the First Baptist Church in Spruce Pine. This is an opportunity for parents and families to come together to share their grief, to remember their babies and to raise awareness. Parents, siblings, families, friends, and professionals are encouraged to attend. Childcare will be available during the service this year; please RSVP to the emails or phone numbers listed below to request childcare by Wednesday, October 8th, so we can ensure enough staff.
You are invited to bring a picture or memento to be placed on your table during the service. After the Remembrance Service, families are invited to participate in the Walk to Remember which will be held on a special path within the church. After the Walk, families will return to the Fellowship Hall for refreshments and to connect with each other.
The families and professionals who have participated since our first event in 2011 have found the programs very meaningful and healing. One mom, Leah Johnson, shared her reflection on the event, “As a miscarriage mama, it has been healing for me to have the opportunity to gather with others experiencing the same type of grief. It has given purpose to my pain, and hope to my soul.”
To get more information, you may contact Sylvia Buchanan at Blue Ridge Partnership for Children at 828-682-0047 and resource@brpartnershipforchildren.org or Teresa Emory at Family Support Network-High Country at 828-284-2287 and emorytd@appstate.edu. You may learn more about the event by checking out our Facebook page, Blue Ridge Angel Babies or on Instagram, blueridgeangel10. If you have any questions on the day of the event, you may contact Teresa Emory at 828-284-2287.
If you are interested in donating, you may mail it to Blue Ridge Partnership for Children, PO Box 1387, Burnsville or drop it by their office located at 392 East Main Street in Burnsville. Please note in memo it is for Pregnancy and Infant Loss. One hundred percent of donations go toward the remembrance service, walk and memory trees.
The event this year is made possible with support from the following organizations, businesses and individuals: AmeriHealth, Blue Ridge Healthy Families, Blue Ridge Partnership for Children, Boogie Brush, Family Support Network of the High Country, First Baptist Church-Spruce Pine, Lakeview Mercantile and Garden, MY Life Center, Thrivent Financial, The UPS Store, Walmart and families who have experienced the loss of a child.
The International Wave of Light invites participants from around the world to light a candle in honor of Pregnancy and Infant Loss, starting at 7pm on October 15th in their respective time zones, and to leave the candle burning for at least an hour. The result is a continuous chain of light spanning the globe for a 24-hour period in honor and remembrance of the children gone too soon.
