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Recognizing Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month

To raise awareness for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month, on Oct. 15, the Wave of Light will host events across the world. An event will take place at the Riverwalk Commons in Newmarket.
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Mayor Rob Keffer and members of council were joined by Liz Moore and Sarah Khouri, co-chair's of the Wave of Light Newmarket chapter, Jane Sanchez of the Wave of Light, and Rosemary Walsh Vandrie of the Bond Head Women's Institute for a flag raising in honour of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month.

The month of October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month, and to mark the occasion the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury held a flag raising last week attended by members of the organization, Wave of Light.

Each year on Oct. 15, the International Wave of Light is held on Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. Participants around the world light a candle at 7 p.m. in their timezone and leave it burning for at least an hour.

Mayor Rob Keffer and members of council were in attendance at the flag raising alongside Liz Moore and Sarah Khouir, co-chairs of the Wave of Light Newmarket chapter

"By holding the flag raising ceremony in Bradford and by hosting the Wave of Light service in Newmarket we seek to provide comfort to families along their journey of grief, shock and unspeakable loss,” said Moore. “It is our intention to help raise awareness of pregnancy and infancy loss so that no one feels they are alone and that support is available. The Wave of Light aims to be significant in shining a light through the darkness toward healing and recovery.”

Wave of Light is an international organization that raises awareness for pregnancy and infant loss and works to support those who have dealt with loss and grief.

“When a pregnancy is lost before 20 weeks gestation it is referred to as a miscarriage,” said Moore. “A loss after 20 weeks is a still birth. One out of every four pregnancies end in miscarriage. In Canada 2,628 babies were stillborn in 2021. In Ontario between 560 and 840 babies were stillborn, each year, for the past several years.”

Over the last five years in Newmarket, an event is held on Oct. 15 for those who have felt the pain of pregnancy or infant loss to come together. It’s held at the Riverwalk Commons.

“Across the globe communities light up landmarks, bridges at 7 p.m. in pink, blue and purple to honour and remember all babies lost in pregnancy and infancy,” said Moore. “Because of the different time zones it creates a  continuous wave of light for 24 hours. In Newmarket the Southlake Davis Drive Bridge, Fred Lundy Bridge, Splash Pad Area and York Region Clock Towers are illuminated.”

Each year the Wave of Light Newmarket chapter seeks to explore opportunities to create awareness and support families.

This year they’ve joined forces with the Bond Head Women's Institute and will be working over the next year to build weighted teddy bears for women and families leaving the hospital with "empty arms.”  This initiative seeks to help provide comfort and support to grieving families at a time of significant loss.

“As part of the Wave of Light we fundraised in 2018 and were able to provide Southlake Regional Health Centre with two cuddle cots,” said Moore. “A cuddle cot is an in-room cooling unit in hospitals that gives families a gift of time by allowing precious, irreplaceable hours, to bond, obtain precious photos, plaster moulds and for extended family to meet the baby. A cuddle cot provides families with the gift of time to say goodbye.”