Friday, October 15, 2010

Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Day




"Today, October 15th, is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. The 'Wave of Light' that marks the day is an international affair, something everyone can be part of. At 7pm local time, across every time zone, all are invited to join in lighting a candle in remembrance and honour of little ones loved and missed.
A wave of light around the world may only go a small way to brightening the darkness and silence of babyloss...both as an individual experience and as a taboo subject. But it is a beginning. May the light illuminate and honour, and if it is bright enough, foster discussion, research and prevention, empathy, and support for those who grieve."
(Quote from the Loss Directory)


I post about this every year, so you may recognize the above graphic & quote. This cause is precious to me for so many reasons -- my own loss along with the losses of friends & family.  We have so many children waiting to meet us in Heaven.
If you click on the Pregnancy Loss label on the right, you can see other posts that I've put up about this topic. Or click on Losing Lily to read the story of my pregnancy loss.  I've written a lot about Lily because in order to deal with my loss, I needed to talk about it.  I'm not shy about talking about pregnancy loss because, quite frankly, it's about time people got over this hush-hush mentality about it. Miscarriage is devastating and women (& men!) should be able to talk about it without other people making them feel they shouldn't. With any other issue people are encouraged to talk about their feelings and not bottle them up, but somehow this is different.
I hope, if you have suffered a loss, that you have someone to talk to about it.  I didn't have anyone at the time, so I found support online, which was a huge blessing.  There are groups & forums out there, you just have to find the right one for you.

2 comments:

Julie said...

thanks for reminding me of this today. It just hit me today that my nannie got to meet my TJ before I did. That fact brings me to tears, yet brings comfort as well.
(((Hugs)))

Jhene said...

Thanks so much for bringing attention to pregnancy loss. After my own experiences I needed to believe that the world was different in a positive way because of the losses. I was driven to create something that would not have existed had I not miscarried. A filmmaker by trade, what resulted is a ten-minute short film The House I Keep, about a woman who struggles to come to terms with the loss of her baby through miscarriage. A relentless war between her internal and external life has plagued her recovery until she stumbles upon a curious symbol of hope that helps lead her back to peace.
After screenings of The House I Keep, I have been overwhelmed by the heartbreaking stories of miscarriage that women have felt compelled to share. These gatherings became transformative.

Discussing the film has provided an 'appropriate’ place to share their own stories. Their silence was broken and isolation bridged. My mission for the film is to improve the mental health of women and their families mourning miscarriage by providing an identifiable voice through the film. The film is a platform for discussion and understanding, and hence, an impetus for healing.

With the film now complete, and ready to premiere in 2011, we are doing everything we can to raise awareness about the topic of miscarriage and our film. Please visit our website at http://www.thehouseikeep.com for more detailed information about the film. If you like what you see, please join us on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-House-I-Keep/69409738707. Anything you can do to help us spread the word is, of course, very much appreciated!
Very best,
Jhene Erwin
Producer/Co-Director/Writer – The House I Keep