Rain and wind postponed Sunday’s Walk to Remember in Steinbach. Susan Penner, Executive Director of Life Culture Canada, encourages parents to consider other ways to honour the life of their baby, such as a memorial on the memory wall at www.angelbaby.ca. Candace Loewen with Angel Baby shared the news on social media. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Angel Baby (@angelbaby.ca) Honouring every baby’s story For Angel Baby founder Candace Loewen, remembering the lives of babies lost too soon remains at the heart of her work. When she and her husband lost their baby at 20 weeks in 2011, Loewen was determined that his short life would not be forgotten. “Part of my grief process was making sure his memory stayed alive,” she says. “Nobody else got to meet him, and it was always important for me to keep his memory alive.” That desire has since grown into Angel Baby, a Steinbach-based program that now supports hundreds of families in southeastern Manitoba who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss. Creating safe spaces for grief Loewen facilitates Angel Baby’s Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support Program, which offers two monthly groups. The Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support Group meets on the first Tuesday of each month for families currently grieving. The Pregnancy After Loss Support Group — known as PALS — meets on the third Tuesday for parents expecting again after a previous loss. “We find that a lot of the moms who come to our original group do end up getting pregnant again,” Loewen explains. “That brings a whole new set of anxieties. Some felt like they couldn’t talk about their new pregnancy without triggering newly grieving moms. PALS gives them a safe space to do that.” Angel Baby also provides care packages to local hospitals and clinics. Each one contains comfort items and information to support families in the first hours and days after a loss. Loewen says the packages are a small but meaningful way to acknowledge the depth of a family’s grief. Healing across generations Loewen has met women in their 60s, 70s, and 80s who carried the weight of miscarriage or stillbirth silently for decades. “Back then, it was just something you didn’t talk about,” she says. “You put it under the rug, wrapped it up, and moved on. But the grief never left.” She says many older women attend Angel Baby events or purchase handmade memory books for themselves — a chance to finally record the details and feelings they’ve held inside. “For some, it’s the first time they’ve had anything to honour their child,” she says. “It shows that healing can still happen 20, 30, even 40 years later.” Remembering without the walk Although the annual Walk to Remember could not take place this weekend, Loewen encourages families to find their own ways to honour their babies this month. Each October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and simple acts — lighting a candle, saying a baby’s name aloud, or writing in a memory book — can still bring comfort. “When somebody says your baby’s name out loud, it validates the loss,” Loewen says. “It reminds you that this little life mattered.” She adds that connection remains vital, even without the public walk. “You realize you’re not alone when you meet someone else who’s walking the same journey,” she says. “There’s an instant camaraderie in loss.” How to support grieving families Loewen says one of the most meaningful ways to support someone who has lost a baby is to acknowledge their grief. “Sometimes people don’t say anything because they’re afraid they’ll remind us of the baby,” she says. “But we never forget. A text out of the blue, using the baby’s name if you know it, or even remembering the month of the loss — it’s like a birthday you never get to celebrate. It means so much.” She says words don’t have to be elaborate. “Less is more. Just say, ‘I’m so sorry.’ Or, ‘I’m sad you had to go through this.’ That’s often all a grieving parent needs to hear.” Even though the walk was cancelled, she adds that the spirit of remembrance can still continue. “Give a loss mom a hug this month,” Loewen says. “That simple act makes a difference.” Stories that help others heal Loewen believes that sharing stories of loss helps others feel less alone and keeps every baby’s memory alive. “There’s so much power in our stories,” she says. “Sharing your story can change somebody else’s life. It lets people know they’re not alone, and it validates that their baby’s life mattered.” For Loewen, that message remains at the core of Angel Baby’s mission. “These babies’ lives were valuable,” she says. “And saying their names out loud is one way we make sure they’re never forgotten.” -With files from Carly Koop.