CORNWALL, Ontario – On Tuesday, Oct. 11 Penny Brown and Aline Bedard met Mayor Leslie O’Shaughnessy in his office at City Hall for the proclamation of Pregnancy and Infancy Loss Awareness Day which will be on Saturday, Oct. 15.
The 15th of October is a day marked worldwide to recognize the grief families experience when a baby is lost during pregnancy or infancy.
There will be a gathering at the Cenotaph on Second Street on Saturday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. where a vigil will be held in remembrance of lost babies.
“Any loss is a loss,” said Brown. “It doesn’t matter what stage you’re at, its hard to get over and sometimes you don’t.”
Brown has suffered through nine miscarriages and when she heard about the international day of recognition she wanted to draw light to the issue.
She also creates Angel Dresses, which are infant sized dresses made from old wedding gowns and are given to families who have lost infants.
Aline Bedard had donated her dress to Brown and had no idea that she would one day need an Angel Dress herself. She said that Brown’s support meant a lot.
Brown has made nearly 200 gowns over the past year and has donated them to the Cornwall, Brockville and Winchester hospitals and to families who need them.
