Families, caregivers, and staff at AdventHealth Tampa gathered for an event called “Always in Our Hearts: A Pregnancy & Infant Loss Memorial Evening” to mark National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. The gathering provided a space for families who have experienced the loss of a pregnancy or infant to come together for support and remembrance.
The evening included prayer, reflection, and a candle lighting ceremony led by hospital chaplains. Speakers at the event included Rebecca Vires, women’s health director, and Dr. Sh’nai Simmons, a licensed therapist and community builder who shared her personal experience with loss.
Chaplain Anthony Baffi, who helped organize the event, said, “Coming together in shared grief reminds us that even in sorrow, love endures. Each light we lifted tonight represents a life that will always be remembered and a family that will always be cared for.”
Families were given the opportunity to write their child’s name on a heart and attach it to a tree of light as a way to honor and remember their child. The evening concluded with a candlelight ceremony to symbolize remembrance and healing.
AdventHealth Orlando, located in Orlando, Florida, was founded in 1908 and serves as a training hospital with a pediatric ward. The hospital’s current president is Terry Shaw. More information about AdventHealth Orlando can be found at https://www.adventhealth.com/hospital/adventhealth-orlando.
