ThedaCare will host an event designed to help bring families, friends and supporters together to honor the memory of their babies and find comfort after loss.
The event, A Walk to Remember, will be held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 4. It will take place at the Gordon Bubolz Nature Preserve, Black Bear Den Auditorium, 4815 North Lynndale Drive, Appleton. Registration is 10-10:30 a.m.
A Walk to Remember, held with support from the ThedaCare Resolve Through Sharing bereavement program, is part of area observations surrounding National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. The event is also made possible with support from the ThedaCare Family of Foundations.
“We’re encouraging our community to come together to help support patients and families who have experienced the loss of a baby, including through miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth or neonatal death,” said Ashley Ebert, registered nurse at ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah and Resolve Through Sharing bereavement coordinator. “Our hope is that this event reinforces an important message: these families are not alone and we are here to continue offering the care, resources and support they deserve.”
The highlight of A Walk to Remember is a short walk to a tree-planting ceremony. Music and a brief meditation are also planned.
“Each participating family will have an opportunity to plant a tree in memory of their baby,” Ebert said. “This serves as a memorial to their baby and offers a place of comfort that they can always return to.”
The event also provides an opportunity for families to connect with others that have experienced infant loss, Ebert said.
“Losing an infant can be incredibly difficult to talk about and many families experience that grief quietly,” she said. “We want to help create a space where they feel comfortable sharing their experiences and know they don’t have to navigate their grief alone. This program is one of the ways we’re here to support them.”
Bereavement coordinators and a chaplain will be available at the event to anyone with questions or for those seeking additional support.
For more information about the event, please visit Facebook Events, A Walk to Remember.
