Community of Loss

 The community of loss is something you never know of until you unwillingly become a part of it.

There is a network of support for mothers who’ve lost a baby, that simply overwhelms me with it’s love and beauty.

Day 14 of Capture Your Grief: The Loss Community.

[pinit]I couldn’t really think of an appropriate picture to capture the incredible support network I’ve been blessed by. This picture shows the coin that was given to us at the annual remembrance service held by Johns Hopkins Hospital, the place where Miranda spent her days on ECMO support.

The Family Bereavement Group at Hopkins has been a blessing to us all. It is the opportunity to meet face to face with others walking through life in the wake of losing their child. Each family represents a different type of loss, but we’re all connected by the thread of bereaved parents and siblings. The chance for my children to be around other bereaved siblings and meet with child life specialists has been a help to us.

Most of my support comes from the loss community connected through the internet.

I have connected with other parents whose baby has died after homebirth. We mourn together the injustices that this type of loss brings and we are challenged to make changes that protect other parents from suffering unnecessary loss.

The ACD parent group has been an amazing group offering listening ears for the many questions that come from having a child unable to be helped by medicine and technology.

Through reading the blogs of other loss moms I have seen that there are many Christian women who have faced the darkest days of life and still embrace Christ as their Savior and the Giver of life.

Just the opportunity to participate in a project like Capture Your Grief is a glimpse into the incredible loss community that exists to embrace all those stuck on this journey.

If you are a parent navigating through loss, please do not hesitate to contact me through email (or anyone whose story you’ve read that you connect to), no one needs to walk this path without the support of someone who understands loss.

 

**Capture Your Grief is a 31 day photo challenge created by CarlyMarie. For each day of the month during October (Pregnancy/Infant Loss Awareness) bereaved parents are encouraged to share their journey through photographs as a way to share the healing process. I am participating in this series and will resume sharing our homeschool journey, recipes, and life in general in November. Thank you for your thoughtful understanding while I share my heart this month.**