Piedmont Newnan Will Host ‘Wave of Light’ Ceremony in Honor of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day

From Special Reports

Piedmont Newnan Hospital will join in an international “Wave of Light” on Tuesday, Oct. 15 in honor of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. 

Attendees will be invited to light a candle at dusk in memory of their babies who passed too soon, where Mark Riley, Piedmont Newnan’s chaplain, will provide a brief message of remembrance and a moment of silence.

“Pregnancy and infant loss affect an estimated 1 in 4 women,” shared Ashley Maxwell, Director of Women’s Services at Piedmont Newnan, “and we want to ensure that no one in our community feels they are suffering alone. Working in healthcare, we stand beside patients in moments of great joy, but also in periods of deep grief. It’s important to us that we support those who have suffered pregnancy and infant loss and provide a space for remembrance and community.”

October was proclaimed National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month in 1988 by then President Ronald Reagan, who shared: “When a child loses his parent, they are called an orphan. When a spouse loses her or his partner, they are called a widow or widower. When parents lose their child, there isn’t a word to describe them. This month recognizes the loss so many parents experience across the United States and around the world.”

Piedmont’s Wave of Light event will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct.15. The candle lighting will take place at 7 p.m. with the event concluding shortly after.

For more information about Piedmont Newnan, please visit piedmont.org/newnan.