Glory Baby Ministry plans remembrance event for families
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WNKY) — October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and for families who have experienced that kind of loss, the grief can remain long after the calendar moves on.
Glory Baby Ministry is inviting families to gather Oct. 15 in Bowling Green for a free evening of remembrance and support. The event runs from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Venue, 939 Adams Street.
For Jessica Heffinger, executive director of Glory Baby Ministry, the night is less about asking families to talk about what they have been through and more about making sure they know they do not have to carry it alone.
“That they’re not alone, that there’s a whole community out there ready to support them, walk alongside them, let them know, hey, it’s okay. It’s okay to not be okay,” Heffinger said.
A space to remember
The evening will include dinner, chair massages, a flower bar, dirty sodas and other activities.
There will also be a remembrance portion featuring personal stories from a man and a woman who have experienced loss, along families taking part in the International Wave of Light, lighting candles in remembrance of babies gone too soon. During that time, babies’ names will also be read aloud.
“So a lot of times it’s the family’s first time ever hearing their baby’s name read out loud and that can be pretty emotional,” Heffinger said.
Grief does not follow a schedule
That moment reflects something Heffinger and Shayna McLean, a Glory Baby Ministry board member, both understand firsthand: grief looks different for every family and can resurface years later.
“Grief is not linear,” Heffinger said. “It’s different for everybody.”
McLean has experienced multiple pregnancy losses. She said going through one did not make the next easier.
“Going through it the time before didn’t prepare you for that time,” McLean said. “So each one is just kind of not only reliving a past experience, but grieving a new experience.”
No pressure to participate
The ministry is asking people to register ahead of time so they can plan for food, but walk-ins are welcome.
Heffinger also said families should not feel obligated to attend if the night becomes too difficult. And for those who do come, there is no expectation that they share their story before they are ready.
