The Wave of Light, or Let’s Light a Light of Hope, is an event that many parents around the world join every year. What is it about, and why is it important?
Painful loss of a baby
The opposite of hope is despair, gloom, or hopelessness, and these are exactly the states experienced by parents who have gone through the loss of a baby. It is a very difficult period that brings many mental and physical lows and can bring a person to rock bottom.
Unfortunately, today there are many parents who are unable to conceive a child, and even when they finally manage to after a longer period of time, they have no certainty that everything will turn out well. But parents who conceive quickly or already have some children at home also go through loss. Sometimes the cause of the loss is medically established, other times it is not. Often even doctors themselves say that although the baby was healthy, some higher power intervened, something between heaven and earth. Not even famous personalities are spared these tragedies (for example, singer Lucie Vondráčková, actress Veronika Žilková, Miss Natálie Kočendová, presenter Ester Janečková, singer Beyoncé, or Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex).
Although this is a very sad topic and rather taboo in our society, it is necessary to talk about it. We should know that the loss of a baby is unfortunately part of our lives and that every year around 600 families go through a loss shortly before birth, during birth, or within a year after birth. On the one hand, that is a small number compared with the number of children born each year (according to the statistical office, 111.8 thousand children were born in 2021), but on the other hand, it is not negligible. That is why various events and activities take place throughout the year to support families affected by loss and give them the opportunity to share their grief, thanks to which they then find strength and hope for the days ahead.
Baby Loss Awareness Week
On October 15, Baby Loss Awareness Week culminates every year, a week dedicated to children who died during pregnancy, at birth, or shortly after. Around the world, a candle is lit on this day at 7 p.m. local time as a symbol of hope. Thanks to time zones, this light of hope then shines across the world like a wave for a full 24 hours. That is why it is called the Wave of Light, the wave of light.
Who to turn to when you experience the loss of a baby
If you or someone close to you has experienced the loss of a baby, you can turn to organizations that will help you with the formalities and provide information about the options and entitlements you have. They will support you primarily emotionally, and by sharing your story with other families, you will find that you are not alone. And as they say, “shared pain is half the pain.”
In addition to organizations, there are also other ways to cope with the loss. For example, reading books (Empty Cradle, Don’t Throw the Baby Out with the Straw, Fertile Vision, I Was Waiting for a Baby), discussion forums and diaries on Emimino.cz, Diary for My Baby, etc. They will not bring our little ones back; they will remain forever in our hearts, but at least they somewhat dull the pain that is unimaginable.
If your family has gone through the loss of a baby, or if you know someone who has had this experience, join us and let’s light a candle of hope together.
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