A STATEWIDE remembrance day for bereaved babies and miscarriages is one step closer following South Coast MP Shelley Hancock’s address to the NSW Parliament last week.
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Ms Hancock called upon the government to make October 15 Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.
The idea was well-received, gaining unanimous support from the Legislative Assembly.
“It was bought to my attention that this day already exists across the US, in parts of Canada and Queensland,” Ms Hancock explained.
“It hasn’t happened to me but when I was approached about it I had to stop and think.
“One in four women will lose a child through pregnancy.
“That is such a high statistic and it’s an unexplained death, so clearly there would be a lot of women and their families grieving, while the rest of society expect them to move on.
“I really learned a lot myself and I’m grateful for the support from the parliament and hoping something will come from it.”
Ms Hancock was originally approached by campaigner Nicole Ballinger who has experienced pregnancy loss first hand.
The Nowra resident believes the day will act as a starting point for society to acknowledge the pain many families go through, as well as attract more research into the fatalities.
“It is the kind of silent grief, there is no answer, nothing can be done, you don’t know why it happened,” she said.
“We are not equipped to handle that, most people have lost a grandparent so they can understand straight away and know what to say.
“But this is something which is very confronting and most people mean well when they say things like you’re young you can have another one.
“But they don’t understand that there is this ripple affect through the entire family.
“I think this day would raise awareness of the issue and give those families a voice.
“Once I broke my silence and reached out, that’s when I began to get well.
“I think it will be a starting point for society to acknowledge it.”