Greater Purpose

Since losing Brooklyn, I honestly can't even count the amount of times I have been contact by someone who has either lost a baby or child, or someone who is looking for resources and insights for a friend or family member who has recently lost a baby.

Every single time I get these emails or text messages, my heart becomes so heavy. I go right back to the deep feelings of sadness I had last April.

Then I become angry. Angry that I'm receiving these messages way too frequently. Angry that it's 2015 and babies are still dying - some before they ever take a breath.

I was talking to a friend who has recently been affected by the loss of someone's baby. She said her grandmother was saying how it was fairly common to lose a child back in her day. But the past two years, she has heard about it more than ever. This shouldn't be happening. Things need to change. Our system is broken, and very few people are speaking out about this issue.

Mike Colle is one of those people. Mike is the Eglinton-Lawrence MPP, and last Tuesday put forth Bill 141 called the "Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness, Research, and Care Act, 2015." http://mikecolle.onmpp.ca/News/11656?l=EN#.VlB839ocA5Y.facebook

Through this act, he hopes to:

• Establish and expand comprehensive research initiatives and programs to assist mothers and families who experience pregnancy loss or infant death
• Undertake a comprehensive comparative analysis to understand the factors that contribute to an increased risk of pregnancy loss or infant death
• Develop and expand programs to help reduce the risk of pregnancy loss or infant death
• Develop and expand existing programs across Ontario to provide counselling and support to mothers and families who have experienced pregnancy loss or infant death
• Undertake a comprehensive analysis and survey of the best practices in other jurisdiction in regards to prevention of pregnancy loss or infant death

Finally - someone in power is speaking out about a topic often taboo in our culture. People still struggle to talk about pregnancy loss and infant death, and the people affected most are the parents, family members and friends of the child who has died. 

If you are interested in signing this petition, PLEASE do. You will need to print a copy and mail it in. Unfortunately in order for the signature to be valid, online petitions as well as ones that are photocopied and faxed are not permissible. 
Bill 141 Printable Petition

If you are interested in signging but don't have a printer, I have a copy you can sign! Please contact me and I will do what I can to get the petition in your hands. I will even mail it for you.

Also, please contact your local MPP to tell them how important this issue is. Their opinion matters and if they are made aware of this issue and how many people think its important, real change can happen. 

MPP Contact Information - this is the link to find the contact information for your local MPP.


Finally, if you ever hear of people who have lost a child and would be looking for resources or information, please never hesitate to contact me. When people ask me for advice and resources, it helps me feel like Brooklyn's life continues to serve greater purpose. Greater purpose than I will likely ever know.