On October 15, 2011, it was Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. Last year, Kelvin and I hosted a candlelit balloon release on the beach for all the families who had lost children. We had dreams of hosting a large gathering every year, and wanted to be able to give these families an opportunity to commemorate their babies annually. However, this year, with a new baby and a little boy who was still finding his feet at school, we opted for a smaller, more intimate event with close friends only. It was lovely, and I was able to honour Sybella and really be in the moment, be in touch with my feelings...as much as I enjoyed hosting last year's event, I didnt get much time to focus on Sybella myself. I was very busy making sure everything was running smoothly. So it was lovely, this year, to just have a little picnic with some other babyloss parents, then move to a secluded little area and release balloons for our babies. The weather was gorgeous, a light breeze blew, and it was comforting and serene. After our little gathering, I went home with my family and we spent some quality time together. Just being together, feeling the profundity of the occassion and remembering the little girl who is such a huge part of our family but just isnt here with us. At 7pm, we lit our candles for the Wave of Light and we kept it burning for one hour. I always get especially emotional when I light a candle for Sybella. I am not sure why. Perhaps because the fragility of the flame reminds me so much of her little life. Just snuffed out in the blink of an eye.
On October 14 2011, the NSW government officially declared October 15 as Pregnancy and Inant Loss Remembrance Day across the state. While this is an enormous step forward and a key moment in ceasing the silence of infant loss, the next move is to have this day recognised across Australia. PILARI have begun an initiative to achieve this recognition. If you would like to join the initiative, you can click here to sign the petition and email your local MP.
This is a beautiful post. I will be lighting a candle at 7:00PM on Monday October 15th in memory of the baby I lost at 12 weeks pregnancy in early 2009 to hypothyroidism. I trusted my doctors as the experts and never doubted they would know everything there was to know about an underactive thyroid during pregnancy. This was the greatest regret of my life. The Thyroid Federation International estimates there are up to 300 million people, mainly women, worldwide suffering from thyroid dysfunction, yet over half are unaware of their condition. The scientific research clearly links hypothyroidism to miscarriage and still birth, yet the lack of awareness is pervasive. The day I miscarried my baby I vowed to research everything there was to know about this disease and warn other women. I fulfilled my vow on Monday October 1st when I launched my blog Hypothyroid Mom intentionally on the first day of Miscarriage Awareness Month in memory of the child I lost to hypothyroidism and in dedication to my 2 boys who beat the odds and made it to the world.
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