BUFFALO, N.Y. — October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and nearly one in four women experience miscarriage or infant loss, according the World Health Organization.

What You Need To Know

  • October is October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month

  • One in four women experience miscarriage or infant loss

  • For those in Western New York who may be experiencing loss and are looking for support, you can visit WNYPBN.org to find all of the resources available

A walk took place in Buffalo this weekend that aims to keep the conversation going, and remember the babies that were lost.  

More than just a day of remembrance of life, the 31st annual Walk to Remember is also a celebration of life.

“A lot of families, especially if they’re new to their loss, it's more of a somber occasion but a lot of people that are farther out, its just a way to honor, to celebrate the life they did have even if it was for a very very short time,” said Emily Doring, executive director of Western New York Perinatal Bereavement Network. 

Every October, families come together to remember their lost infants or pregnancies while also recognizing others.

“So that not only our baby’s name is recognized but we have so many other families that just want their babies recognized so everyone going is reading all their baby names,” Doring said.

“We’ve been doing the walk to remember since we first lost our son Nicholas in 2019,” said parent Joanna Weld. “This is actually his twin. So its just a really special event for us to be here and be able to honor him and devote specific time to thinking about him and being with him and coming together as a family.”

And with one in every four women experiencing some sort of infant loss, they can realize that they are not alone in their grief. 

“So if you really think of all the women that you know in your life, one in four of those women have had a loss," Doring said. "They may not have ever told anybody about it, because it’s still kind of very much a taboo topic that we want to make so its not taboo."

“When we lost Nicholas it felt like we were in an abyss, in an island,” said Nathan Weld, Nicholas’ father. “Its not a good thing obviously but its nice to know that there's people out there that understand what you’re going through and can kind of help you through it.”

The walk gave families the opportunity to come together to honor their loss.

“Its a wonderful time for families to come together and not just support the moms or the dads, but to support the siblings, the bereaved siblings, to support the grandparents, the aunts and uncles and all of that,” said Doring.

And it even gives some children the chance to know the siblings they lost better.

“He’s been able to kind of get to know his brother through events like this,” said Joanna.