Angel Baby to host walk to remember

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This article was published 13/10/2023 (647 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

An event to remember the babies that have been lost through miscarriage, stillbirth and as infants will be held in Steinbach for the first time.

Hosted by Angel Baby, A Walk to Remember will take place on Oct. 15 beginning at 3 p.m. at the Heritage Cemetery Angel Monument.

The event bills itself as being “in memory of the babies we hold in our hearts instead of our arms.”

Angel Baby coordinator Candace Loewen said Oct. 15 is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day, while the month of October is also set aside for the same purpose.

The roots of Angel Baby started in Steinbach in 2017, giving mothers and parents a place to grieve and access resources. The name was changed to Angel Baby in 2020.

However, until this year, they’ve never done a walk, though Loewen said it is done in other places such as Altona and Winnipeg.

“It’s a great way to bring awareness and the city put up this beautiful angel monument at the cemetery this year,” she said. “We thought that would be a great spot to meet.”

Loewen said that for many parents and mothers especially, grieving the loss of a baby is something that’s done alone.

That’s something they’re trying to address by hosting pregnancy and infant loss peer support groups in person the first Tuesday of every month and on Zoom the first Thursday of every month.

Their website, angelbaby.ca, gives people a chance to view memories and share memories of their own experiences and babies while also accessing resources.

“A lot of people don’t understand when you’re going through a miscarriage or a stillbirth it’s a silent grief,” she said. “This allows people to come together and support each other and raise awareness.”

A brief ceremony will be held before the walk. Attendees will have the chance to check-in and give the name of their lost baby. Those names will be read in the ceremony.

Loewen said one of the mothers who’s been a part of their programming since 2017 will share her story.

Organizations like Angel Baby are becoming more common now but were once unheard of.

Loewen said when she and her husband lost their baby things were very different.

“It wasn’t just Steinbach area that there was no support,” she said. “There was really nothing anywhere.”

Thankfully, she said that has changed.

“There are more and more communities that have support groups or organizations that are there specifically to support women who have been through miscarriage and stillbirth and neonatal loss,” she said.

To learn more go to angelbaby.ca or email candace@angelbaby.ca.