A Walk to Remember shows everlasting love

The 14th Annual Walk to Remember was held Oct. 14 at George H.P. Smith Park in Lewes. The walk is sponsored by Beebe Healthcare Perinatal Loss Support Services. The walk recognizes pregnancy loss and allows parents, their friends and families, and other supporters an opportunity to remember babies who died during pregnancy or after birth. Beebe’s event is the only Walk to Remember that takes place in Delaware. Similar walks take place nationwide in the fall in honor of October’s designation as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.

Terri Wyatt, pregnancy loss grief counselor at Beebe Healthcare, welcomed participants and told them of the importance of the event. Pete Dirks, grandparent of Dustin Allan Hennessy, read the Poem “A Walk to Remember.” The group then proceeded around Blockhouse Pond and returned to gather at the pavilion. A short memorial service took place to honor the memory of babies who have died through tubal pregnancy, miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal and infant death by Paula Waite, chaplain at Beebe Healthcare. Each parent then proceeded to release flowers into Blockhouse Pond to create a floating memorial to their loved ones.

The siblings and family members of the babies who have died came forward to assist in the release of butterflies to honor their loved ones. “The whole thing is to remember and to support each other,” said Wyatt. “The community at large is very supportive of the event.” For more information, go to www.beebehealthcare.org.