Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day is a day of remembrance for pregnancy loss and infant death. Although this day is observed in many places around the world, it is still not well known. The Canadian Foundation for October 15th, known as CFO, is an official foundation leading the campaign to recognize October 15th as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day in Canada.
The goal of the CFO is to obtain an official day of remembrance – October 15th of each year – to ensure that all Canadian families who experience the loss of a child during pregnancy or shortly after birth are given the opportunity to acknowledge their loss, seek support and honour their child’s memory in an understanding and supportive environment.
The CFO works to promote national and international pregnancy loss, and infant death awareness remembrance and support, enabling the larger community with the knowledge and skills required to assist and meet the needs of families who experience pregnancy loss and infant death.
This special day is already observed in many countries, provinces and states, through participation in the International Wave of Light, a candlelight vigil starting at 7:00 p.m. every October 15th. The result is a continuous wave of light that spreads around the globe for 24 hours, and it is a beautiful image.
A Pregnancy and Infant loss Remembrance Day is a small but important gesture for every family and community, but especially those who have felt this loss. It shows our support and our sympathy, and reminds us of the research and prevention work that needs to be done.
New Brunswick was the first province in Canada to honour October 15th as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. This is where we can help in this Assembly, and that is by designating October 15th as a day of remembrance for infants lost through miscarriage, stillbirth and SIDS. I would like to see our territory join other jurisdictions in honouring this day each year, in support of those who have suffered the pain of losing an infant during pregnancy or shortly after birth.
I bring this topic up today in the House at the request of a young mother in Hay River who lost her first child at 24 weeks, and has subsequently happily given birth to another healthy child, but that loss and that remembrance of that child that she lost – and many other people have experienced the same thing – never really fully diminishes. It never really fully goes away, and yet, when people go home from the hospital, sometimes with empty arms, there isn’t much knowledge or support or, even in our society, a good understanding of how we can support and remember and help those families.
I will have questions later today for the Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
