WACO, Texas — In 1988, former U.S. President Ronald Regan declared October "Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month" to recognize the parents who have lost the life of their baby with a mission to reduce incidences of these tragedies; a mission Alyssa, mother of Lauren, embarked on when she lost her baby girl.
An unexpected tragedy no mother can imagine.
"I lost my daughter Lauren May, April 29, 2020," says Alyssa.
Breaking the silence of pregnancy and infant loss, she continues to share her story and the life of her baby girl to help other mothers and families grieve the loss of their loved ones.
"I remember asking my nurse, 'have y'all had any other women that have lost their babies this week?' And they're like, 'Yeah,' and I said, 'today?' and they're like, 'yeah', and it made me realize that I'm not alone. And that I don't have to face this alone," Alyssa said.
AdventHealth Central Texas is creating a space for mothers like Alyssa to increase support for families in our community.
In honor of National Infant and Pregnancy Loss Awareness Month, they will host their annual Perinatal Loss Ceremony Sunday, Oct. 16. at 3 p.m. inside the Same Day Surgery Center to reflect on the pain of pregnancy and infant loss, and to honor the lives of babies, their parents and caregivers.
"There's a lot of hidden grief from the women and the families that experience a loss. And then the nurses that care for them. It's a hard experience for us to go through also," says maternal registered nurse, Sarah Sproles.
For more information, please visit their website here.
