Remembering Little Lives Lost
Since 1988, the month of October has been designated Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.
President Reagan made the proclamation on October 25th that year and said, “When a child loses his parent, they are called an orphan. When a spouse loses her or his partner, they are called a widow or widower. When parents lose their child, there isn’t a word to describe them. This month recognizes the loss so many parents experience across the United States and around the world.”
At MMBNT, we frequently walk alongside grieving parents. Many mothers connect with MMBNT after the tragic loss of their babies. The natural process of laction after childbirth ends up becoming a healing journey through grief. Pumping and donating breastmilk to help another baby can be consoling during an unimaginable loss. The gift of donor milk becomes the gift of life for fragile infants and their families.
Typically, we invite our bereaved families into the milk bank for a memorial event. This year, due to COVID-19, we displayed a pinwheel memorial garden, pictured below, along the main thoroughfare next to our building. Each pinwheel represents a leaf on our memorial tree located in our reception room. This colorful display honors babies who have passed away but helped save the lives of others.
