Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day

Official PAiL Campaign Ribbon[1]

PAiL Canada is the official legislative campaign lobbying for formal observation of October, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month and October 15, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day across Canada.[15] In October 2005 following former New Brunswick Minister of Health and Wellness, Hon. Elvy Robichaud's declaration, formally recognizing October 15, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day across the province, founder and international ambassador, Terra-Lynn Coggan, who initiated and commenced the Canadian Campaigns in 2003, subsequent to her family's loss; motivated by the stillbirth of her nephew Riley Joseph, her lobby of the Canadian Federal Government for formalized National observation of both, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month and Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, respectively.[16]

Historic Precedence - New Brunswick, Canada

New Brunswick, Canada is the first province or state and country in the world to officially observe October 15 Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, with declaration in both official languages, English and French, in acknowledgement and observation thereof, issued by the New Brunswick Department of Health and Wellness, October 12, 2005.[17]

Through the lobby effort of Terra-Lynn Coggan, a Saint John resident with the assistance of former Saint John-Champlain MLA Roly MacIntyre, New Brunswick Minister of Health and Wellness, Hon. Elvy Robichaud declared October 15, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day across the province, October 12, 2005, citing "Miscarriage and infant death are a source of grief, often silent, for mothers, fathers, siblings and grandparents."

He called on provincial residents to help promote "support, education and awareness for grieving parents who have lost children during pregnancy or shortly after birth.[18]

CANADA

On October 15th, 2018, Tom Kmiec, Calgary Shepard M.P., rose in the House of Common’s in observation and support of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, sharing his family’s lived experience, the result of the death of daughter, Lucy- Rose, citing:

"Mr. Speaker, today is national Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day, a day to remember mothers and fathers who lost their babies by miscarriage or stillbirth and infant loss.

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada estimates up to 20% of pregnancies end in a miscarriage.[19]

Over the summer, my family said goodbye to our youngest daughter, Lucy-Rose, after only 39 days. I want to thank the staff at the neonatal intensive care unit, the doctors, the paramedics, the police, our First Alliance Church members and the many, many neighbours who dropped off food, comforting cards and gave us hugs at the door. I also want to thank the many parliamentarians who sent my family kind notes and expressed their sorrow.

Too often we prize a long life of achievements over a life well lived, filling the hearts of those around us with warmth and compassion. On this day, let us grieve with the parents who have lost a child, as well as the siblings who lost a lifelong best friend.

Next time members are home, they should hug their kids. If they are old and have their own, hug them anyway, even if they protest. Life is too short and none of us knows when our time will come."[20]

Alberta

^{Official Observation Pending}

British Columbia

^{Pending Notice of Official Observation}

Manitoba

Bill 226 officially declared October 15 as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day in Manitoba in 2008.[21]

Newfoundland and Labrador

^{Pending Notice of Official Observation}

North West Territories

^{Pending Notice of Official Observation}

Nova Scotia

Bill 38 in Nova Scotia in 2017 observers October 15, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day[22]

Nunavut

^{Pending Notice of Official Observation}

Ontario

Bill 141 An Act to require research to be undertaken and programs to be developed for pregnancy loss and infant death and to proclaim October 15 as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day across Ontario received Royal Assent 2015[23]

Prince Edward Island

^{Pending Notice of Official Observation}

Quebec

^{Pending Notice of Official Observation}

Saskatchewan

^{Pending Notice of Official Observation}

Yukon

^{Pending Notice of Official Observation}

As a result of the American campaign effort, Concurrent Resolution 222, supporting the goals and ideals of National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, was passed in the House of Representatives on September 28, 2006. House Concurrent Resolution 222 proclaims October 15 of each year to be Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day in the United States.[9]

The first celebration of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day in Italy took place in 2007 by initiative of CiaoLapo Onlus charity for perinatal loss support. Since then, several local celebrations, as well as national meetings, are held every year on October 15 in many Italian towns. Through the lobbying efforts of CiaoLapo Onlus, on November 26, 2013 a press conference for the presentation of a bill for the official recognition of the day by the Italian state took place in Rome at the Chamber of Deputies, which was attended by politicians Aldo Di Biagio (Senate) and Matteo Biffoni (House) together with Claudia Ravaldi and Alfredo Vannacci of CiaoLapo, promoters of this initiative.[24]

In May 2008, Nicole Ballinger of the State of New South Wales(NSW) contacted her State and Federal MPs asking for help in creating an official Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day in Australia. She wanted it nationally declared but started at the state level in hopes that if it was passed on the state level, it would be easier to get it passed at the federal level. Joanna Gash and Shelley Hancock, MPs at the Federal and State level, respectively, helped Ballinger lobby at both levels.

In NSW, Hancock and NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner announced that Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day had been officially declared.

Ballinger and Gash are still working to get Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day declared nationwide.[11]

The campaign for recognition of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day in Western Australia began in 2012 by John and Kate De'Laney. However it was a letter that Mrs De'Laney penned, in September 2013, to Premier Colin Barnett which brought Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day to his attention.[25]

On October 15, 2014, the Western Australian State Government passed a bipartisan agreement to officially recognize Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. In the motion put before the Legislative Council Premier Colin Barnett said "Through this remembrance day we hope to create a greater awareness in the community about the immeasurable impact that pregnancy and early infancy loss has on so many women, their partners and families within our community. We hope that through the recognition of their loss and the subsequent pain endured, this remembrance day can play a small part in enabling families to find a way forward in their grieving, and in time heal the deep wound of loss. Most importantly, this remembrance day acknowledges that these babies were lovingly anticipated and remain forever in their parents’ hearts."[26]

In October 2009 the first perinatal and neonatal death association, Umamanita,[27] held its first baby loss event en Madrid. Originally called "Globos para el Recuerdo" (Balloons to remember) the event was the first ever to be held in Spain. Umamanita has continued to hold a yearly event during the month of October in Madrid. After holding the event in different areas of the city (Parque del Retiro, Parque del Tio Pio, Plaza de Colon y Plaza Oriente), the event finally settled in the Parque Juan Carols I where in 2016 an Oak tree was planted in the park grounds.

Since 2011 other baby loss events have been established in other Spanish cities, Barcelona, Valencia, Lleida, Mallorca, Cádiz, Sevilla, Zaragoza, Málaga, Burgos, La Coruña, Almeria, Asturias, Logroño y Badajoz.