My daughter Remianne was stillborn at 6 months of gestation on May 24th, 1994. Leaving the hospital with empty arms and breastmilk flowing, I returned home to a silent nursery completely broken hearted and inconsolable. I began to understand fully why losing a baby brings such silent sorrow. With the exception of her father, no one knew her, no one saw her. My arms were heavy with emptiness.

After several months passed, an article appeared in the local NewsAdvertiser about Sue Hendricks, a bereaved parent, who was starting a BFO chapter in Durham Region. So I called her immediately and a short while later, I was enrolled in an Infant Loss group.

What an impact that had on my life. Finally, I was in a group of my peers who listened with care and without judgment. We cried, we laughed, we shared stories and experiences. With Sue and Shelley (peer facilitator) leading the group, I was instilled with hope by observing where these two bereaved parents were in their healing journeys, and I wanted to get there too. I wanted to feel happy again.

With the encouragement and kindness of the group, I found the strength to journey along the path of grief, to accept my loss, to celebrate my daughter in countless ways, and to embrace my life again. Thank you BFO! My husband and sons also appreciated the positive impact BFO had on me.

After the death of our son Kevin, my husband and I reached out to BFO Toronto for support. I will never forget the voice on the other end of the phone when I finally mustered up the nerve to call. It was the voice of compassion and understanding.

At first, we made the effort to drive to Toronto to attend the monthly drop-in, then joined a mixed group. When the group finished, I felt as though I was still missing something and that’s when I called BFO Durham. I attended a Mom’s group and my husband attended a Dad’s group. It was there that the healing began and friendships were created.

It has been a long 12 years with many ups and downs, but throughout our journey the people who came into our lives, who we would not otherwise have met, are extremely special and exceptional . I can say without a doubt that we would not be in a place of acceptance if it had not been for BFO Durham. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for just “being"