HELENA — The Wave of Light is a global remembrance event held annually on International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. The Helena community took part in a candle-lighting on Thursday night, led by the Early Childhood Collaborative of the Greater Helena Area.
Learn more about the remembrance below:
Each light represents a miscarriage, a stillbirth, or a child lost too soon in our community.
“It is about being able to acknowledge the reality that a lot of people live with of losing a pregnancy, baby, or child and making sure that they know they are not alone because it can feel very isolating,” Maureen Bjerke, St. Peter’s Health Zero to Five community coordinator, said.
Family, friends, and loved ones light a candle at 7:00 pm local time. As time zones progress around the world, the simultaneous candle-lighting creates a continuous, 24-hour wave of light.
Bjerke says events like this hold a special place in her heart. “I lost my own baby boy twenty years ago, and I felt very alone and ashamed of the loss, and so it’s good to know there are spaces like this now and people are here to find comfort,” Bjerke added.
This year, families were also able to make luminaries sharing a name, date, or memory of their loss.
The Early Childhood Collaborative of the Greater Helena Area holds grief events year-round, and you can visit this link for more information.
