Choose Hope for 2015

Every year on October 15, nations all across the globe come together in order to recognize Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day.  What started in 1983 with a few volunteers from the Pregnancy and Infant Loss Center (PILC) turned into a movement around the world.   

PILC began by calling out to other groups and organizations to join them in raising awareness of infant loss during the month of October.  As the movement grew they set about to petition the Governors of each state to follow them as well.  Soon many states had declared October as Infant Loss Awareness Month, and their campaign continued to gain attention, support, and success until it finally acquired national recognition. 

In 1988, President Ronald Reagan made this profound proclamation as he declared October as National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month:

“Each year, approximately a million pregnancies in the United States end in miscarriage, stillbirth, or the death of the newborn child. National observance of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, offers us the opportunity to increase our understanding of the great tragedy involved in the deaths of unborn and newborn babies. It also enables us to consider how, as individuals and communities, we can meet the needs of bereaved parents and family members and work to prevent causes of these problems… I call upon the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.”

Several years later, in 2006, the decision to declare October 15 as National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day passed the United States House of Representatives.

Today, countries all over the world recognize October 15 as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day through balloon releases, candlelight vigils, memorial services, and other commemorative events.

Will you join us as we acknowledge National Infant Loss Awareness Day in honor of the precious babies who are now with the Lord and their parents whose hearts ache with a longing to see them again?

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Last year, on October 15, Dallas area Hope Moms and their families met together for a balloon release to honor the lives of their little ones:

“We all met under a pavilion in a local park, somewhere central so a lot of moms would be able to join us on a weekday. We had people RSVP with their hope baby’s gender, and we got 60 balloons in pink, blue, and yellow (for the moms whose baby’s gender was unknown). We had sharpies placed at all the stations with the balloons, and encouraged each family to write a note to their Hope Baby. Once we had a good crowd gathered, we prayed and thanked God for the lives of our little ones, no matter how brief they were. We then waited until about dusk and went to the bridge that crested over a short pond that ran through the park.

After the release, we joined at a restaurant about 2 miles from the park. There, one of our Hope Moms had decorated single tea light candles for each mom to have with their baby’s name on it. We lit our candles and enjoyed our dinner together, sharing about our children in the safety of the Hope Mommies community.

    To me, our balloon release felt like a “mini-retreat.” I was able to enjoy my friends that I had made on our journey of grief all while honoring my daughter’s short life. It is always like coming up for air when I see my other hope moms- a nice reminder that my daughter lived, and that her life matters.”

-Amy Munoz: Hope Mom to Kaitlin
(Director of Hope Mommies’ Dallas Chapter)

“These mamas are some of the strongest, most incredible women I’ve ever met – we have each found our little area that the Lord has called us to in order to reach out to others. Several girls have been able to get Hope Boxes into many of our local hospitals. Others have been able to get area churches involved in hosting Hope Groups or contributing to Hope Boxes either financially or by having Hope Box Gatherings. Some have been involved in sensitivity training for labor and delivery nurses at hospitals nearby. And the list just continues… when we are obedient to the things the Lord asks of us, it’s so neat to see just a little bit of what He’s up to here. So with National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day on October 15, we wanted to have an event that all our area HMs could attend. We sent invites to our local hospital contacts, online, and word of mouth. Our turn out was wonderful! We had a sweet time writing on our balloons, releasing them, praying, and then dinner afterwards for a time of food and fellowship. We had several Hope Families/Hope Daddies join us too, which was great… it has been a joy to find others who also grieve with Hope in Christ, because we do grieve in a different way than those who do not have that Hope.”

-Elyse G. Hope Mom to Emma Kate

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Let’s fill the skies on October 15 and encourage Hope Families by remembering their precious babies.

Invite your friends and family to join you and meet together on October 15 to release balloons. Wear your Choose Hope shirts, write on the balloons, play music or sing, say a prayer, and remember together… let’s bring awareness to this silent grief that affects so many women and families every day.

Our fundraiser with the option for t-shirts has closed, but you can still donate for Retreat Scholarships by clicking here.

Then take a photo of your group and share it using #HopeMommiesOct15.  We’d love to see how you shared hope and remembered our precious babies on this day!

Ashlee is a Content Director for Hope Mommies. She and her husband, Jesse, have four children on earth and two little ones in Heaven.
You can get to know her more by reading her blog, https://beyondundone.wordpress.com/