Bowling Green families honor babies gone too soon

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WNKY) — There were tears, hugs and long conversations Thursday night as families who have experienced pregnancy or infant loss gathered in Bowling Green to honor their babies.

Glory Baby Ministries hosted the Oct. 15 event at The Venue on Adams Street for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day.

Families join worldwide Wave of Light

The most emotional part of the evening came at 7 p.m., when families lit candles as part of the worldwide Wave of Light.

Babies’ names were read aloud one by one. Families then lit individual candles in their honor.

Attendees also shared a meal and made ornaments for their babies.

Grief that often stays private

A Glory Baby Ministries board member who has experienced pregnancy loss herself said the event gives families a place to deal with grief that is often carried quietly.

“It just shows women and families and husbands, everyone, that this is a real thing. It happens of way more than people could even understand,” she said.

The board member said some families do not realize support like this exists until they need it.

“It’s just a space where I feel like a lot of people don’t know it’s here, but definitely need it,” she said. “And it gets you through those times where you may have kind of hit it in the back of your mind and gives you that time to process and actually grieve if you have it.”

By the end of the night, the candles were only one part of what stood out.

So were the names being spoken aloud, the stories being shared and the simple fact that families had a place where they did not have to explain why the loss still matters.