UnityPoint Health – Trinity again will host the Butterfly Blessings Memorial Gathering event for parents and family members who have lost a baby before or soon after birth.
The ceremony will be from 2-3 p.m., Saturday, June 24, inside the hospital campus’ Jardine Auditorium, 2701 17th St., Rock Island.
The memorial ceremony, organized by team members in the spiritual care and labor and delivery departments, was put on hold due to COVID-19 pandemic. The ceremony will include heartfelt remarks from family members who have suffered a loss as well as music, prayer and a candle lighting ritual, UnityPoint said in a news release.
“There’s a misconception that if a parent or family member hasn’t really known the child, the
child won’t be missed as much. This simply just isn’t true,” Courtney Richardson, chaplain for UnityPoint Health – Trinity, said in the release. “This gathering is our attempt to remember the precious lives which were cut short and to honor the grief of those left behind.”
Butterfly Blessings helps bring people together at a time when many parents and family members feel a sense of isolation and loneliness, she added.
“The grief process is something that everyone experiences differently,” she said. “Those who have experienced this type of loss have found that remembering the children, especially in the company of others who have had a similar loss, helps in healing the pain.”
The event is open to community members who have experienced the loss of a child at or shortly after birth. Admission is free. Registration is not required, but strongly suggested.
For more information or to register, call spiritual care at (309) 779-2989 or email [email protected].
