There is a reality so sad, so distressing, that many cannot fathom it. And yet, for 15,000 Alberta parents whose babies are lost each year via miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth and neonatal death, it is an experience they will never forget. Having to say goodbye when never having the opportunity to say hello haunts these parents each day. And yet, these babies brought so much joy to their families. Each of them had an expected arrival, a highly anticipated future. Any one of them could have grown up to be a scientist or a snowboarder, a teacher or a poet. Each one of them was supposed to have a first birthday, a last day of school, a first kiss, a last dance. Their possibilities were, purely, endless.
Parents who have lost babies do not need closure. They simply want an opportunity to openly remember, a chance to grieve and, a quiet moment to honour, without judgment, amongst other families who know this experience far too intimately.
On Saturday, we will walk. We walk alongside mothers and fathers who tread heavily with empty arms and grief in their hearts. We walk to acknowledge our grief. We walk to give voice to babies who never had the opportunity to speak. We walk because there is comfort in community and hope in healing. Life carries on, grief dwells in our hearts, but…
Love Endures.
