BY GREG SAKAKI
Community members walked and jogged at Westwood Lake to share grief about infertility, pregnancy loss and infant death, and try to find comfort that they aren’t alone.
The Butterfly Run Vancouver Island was held in Nanaimo for the first time on Sunday, Oct. 15. The five-kilometre run and three-kilometre walk at the park raised money both for the Butterfly Run’s own programs and also the Nanaimo and District Hospital Foundation’s related services.
Jennifer Miller, part of the local planning committee, said the Butterfly Run offers support, compassion and community “to honour the babies gone too soon and hope for children to come” and said infertility, pregnancy loss and infant loss is a road that no bereaved parent should have to travel alone.
“It struck me this morning that as we’re gathering, we’re creating community here and as we create community, we create education and awareness and through that, we create hope,” she said.
Deanna Balcarras, a life-cycle celebrant, leads funerals, celebrations of life, and memorial services, and urged those participating in the run/walk to take “pause moments” and recognize that their grief might feel different today than it did a month or a year ago, for example.
“We are not alone in our grief and also in our healing journey,” she said. “We can tell our stories to one another and know that we’re not alone.”
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Nanaimo's Butterfly Run raises awareness about infertility and pregnancy loss.
— Nanaimo Bulletin (@NanaimoBulletin) October 15, 2023
Community members walked and jogged at Westwood Lake on Sunday, Oct. 15, to share grief and hope and to try to find comfort that they aren’t alone…https://t.co/fI6aDUITtF
(📷GregSakaki/NewsBulletin) pic.twitter.com/UutLCxukPk
Stephanie Kennedy, another member of the planning committee, shared her devastation of losing her son Deacon when she went into spontaneous labour after 18 weeks, following a long in vitro fertilization journey. She took four months off work to prioritize her mental health and ended up making a huge life change and becoming a counsellor.
“He was like the guardian angel that was guiding me towards something new, a new life,” she said.
Kennedy expressed love to all gathered for the Butterfly Run and encouraged them to speak their babies’ names, experience the day and allow their feelings to flow.
She said the strong turnout for the run/walk tells organizers that there’s a huge need for support and for community around infertility, pregnancy loss and infant loss.
“We have families that are walking these really challenging journeys and it feels very lonely,” Kennedy said. “And so to come and see that there’s 300 other people that are walking, whether attached to it or walking the experience themselves, it brings a sense of community, a sense of connection.”
Butterfly Run offers in-person supports in Vancouver and virtual support elsewhere, and the hospital foundation supplies comfort items for people going through pregnancy loss. To donate to Butterfly Run Vancouver Island, click here. To learn more information about the Butterfly Run, visit www.butterflyrun.ca.
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