Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Kris Lindstrom | 171201-N-GN619-065 Portsmouth, Va. (Dec. 1, 2017) – Grieving families and supports...... read more read more
Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) held a remembrance service for parents who have experienced the great loss and heartache of losing an infant. The eighth annual Perinatal Bereavement Candle Lighting Remembrance Service was hosted in NMCP’s chapel on Dec. 1 to continue to bring together grieving parents and their loved ones, showing support and sharing their stories to honor the memories of their babies.
“I think this service is a powerful reminder that each child's life was important, had a purpose, and that the child was loved,” said Norma Dawn Knight-Pongratz, the Perinatal Bereavement Team coordinator at NMCP. “Families experience firsthand that they are not alone or unusual in the grief of losing a child. They are also able to the see the impact their child's life had on our care team.”
The Perinatal Bereavement Team hosts this service in December intentionally, acknowledging that navigating the holiday season with such grief can be a difficult time.
“It is not coincidental that this ceremony is held in what is often called the ‘season of light,’” said Kathleen Bailey, certified nurse midwife at NMCP, during the service. “No matter which holiday you recognize, there is common theme of light. For those who have suffered from infertility, pregnancy losses, loss of a child or family loss, the darkness is particularly deep during the holidays.”
Many of the infants who were mourned in the service where lost to a variety of reasons, from miscarriage and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) to ectopic pregnancy and newborn death. Whatever the circumstance, the parents and loved ones came together to support one another and give each other hope.
“None of us have suffered your loss and we can’t understand what that loss means to you,” Bailey said to the families. “We can only tell you we want to be there for you in the best way possible. We don’t have answers to why the terrible loss happened, but we want to be there in the way you need.”
For some families the loss happened recently, while others experienced their loss decades ago.
“As an annual ceremony, there are many families and staff members who attend each year,” Knight-Pongratz said. “We have parents who had recent losses and parents that had losses more than 20 years ago. There is no expiration date on grief or the love of a child.”
Along with the stories of loss that were shared and a poem reading, there were also songs of reflection played, which included a version of “Hallelujah” by Tori Kelly, “Thy Will” by Hillary Scott, and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Israel Kamakawiwole. A cello performance of John Williams’ “The Patriot” was performed by Joshua Aguirre, the son of NMCP nurse Katrina Aguirre, who is also a parent of loss.
The service concluded with the candle lighting and a prayer circle.
“As we light the candles in honor of those babies we have lost, may the glow of the flame be our source of hopefulness now and forever,” said Lt. Cmdr. Sharon Quallio, the head of the Maternal Child Infant Department at NMCP.
For more information about this annual event or to join the Perinatal Bereavement Team at NMCP, contact Knight-Pongratz at norma.d.knightpongratz.civ@mail.mil or (757) 953-4104.
| Date Taken: | 12.01.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 12.05.2017 15:39 |
| Story ID: | 257541 |
| Location: | PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 134 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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