Happy October everyone! Maybe you're excited about fall weather, football season, or whatever pumpkin spice drink you prefer now being available. Or maybe the realization that Christmas is only 12 Fridays away is just too much to handle right now. Whatever the case may be, I want to shed some light on the month of October. I'm sure we are all aware that October is breast cancer awareness month. The NFL will allow teams to wear pink, high schools will have fundraisers, you'll be hit up for final donations by people taking part in some breast cancer awareness walk/run. But did you know that October is also National Pregnancy and Infant Loss and Awareness month? It's okay if you don't, it's a taboo topic and I wouldn't expect anyone to know unless they were in my shoes.
In 1988, President Ronald Reagan designated October as Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness month. The campaign started in 2002 when a group of women petitioned the federal government to recognize October 15th as Pregnancy and Infant Loss remembrance Day, by 2006 they had the support of the House of Representatives.
In 2000 according to a statistics report done by the CDC, 15.6% (1,003,000 of the 6,401,000) pregnancies in the US ended in either miscarriage or stillbirth. That same study says that of the 4,093,000 live births in 2003, 27,500 ended in the death of an infant under the age of one.
Reagan and this group of women who founded this month and day of awareness sought out the ability for people to become aware and for families to share their stories but still this is a topic that is kept hush hush. No one wants to hear of a baby dying, but that is our reality. It happens every day across the country. When a spouse loses his or her partner they are considered a widow/er, when a child loses his/her parent(s) they are considered and orphan. When my parents, sisters, and I lost Christian... there was no word for us as siblings and parents. This month recognizes those parents and siblings and also provides resources for people in this position. On October 15th at 7pm, in all time zones all over the world, families will light candles to remember their children.
I encourage you to look into more than just breast cancer this month. The giant "support bra" was unveiled this morning in Chicago to raise awareness for early detection of breast cancer, everything will soon turn pink for the entire month. We get a day, one day worldwide to light candles and remember our sons/daughters/brothers/sisters. Be with us as we remember and celebrate their lives. Support people in this unfortunate situation. And most importantly... be aware. October is so much more than Breast Cancer Awareness month. #doitforCJ
In 1988, President Ronald Reagan designated October as Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness month. The campaign started in 2002 when a group of women petitioned the federal government to recognize October 15th as Pregnancy and Infant Loss remembrance Day, by 2006 they had the support of the House of Representatives.
In 2000 according to a statistics report done by the CDC, 15.6% (1,003,000 of the 6,401,000) pregnancies in the US ended in either miscarriage or stillbirth. That same study says that of the 4,093,000 live births in 2003, 27,500 ended in the death of an infant under the age of one.
Reagan and this group of women who founded this month and day of awareness sought out the ability for people to become aware and for families to share their stories but still this is a topic that is kept hush hush. No one wants to hear of a baby dying, but that is our reality. It happens every day across the country. When a spouse loses his or her partner they are considered a widow/er, when a child loses his/her parent(s) they are considered and orphan. When my parents, sisters, and I lost Christian... there was no word for us as siblings and parents. This month recognizes those parents and siblings and also provides resources for people in this position. On October 15th at 7pm, in all time zones all over the world, families will light candles to remember their children.
I encourage you to look into more than just breast cancer this month. The giant "support bra" was unveiled this morning in Chicago to raise awareness for early detection of breast cancer, everything will soon turn pink for the entire month. We get a day, one day worldwide to light candles and remember our sons/daughters/brothers/sisters. Be with us as we remember and celebrate their lives. Support people in this unfortunate situation. And most importantly... be aware. October is so much more than Breast Cancer Awareness month. #doitforCJ
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| October 15, 2013 - candle in remembrance of Christian Jonathan Cruz Aguilar |
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