Tansi! Hello!
A little about Zoe. Who she is and why i'm celebrating her.
Zoe Reta Mary Steiner is my daughter. She was born still at 37 weeks gestation on August 4th, 2006 @2:09pm. She would have been turning 15 years old. Every year since we have celebrated her with our own private little party at home. It's not the same as having her here with us, nor will it ever be. Nonetheless, it's important to me that she is celebrated each year, and this year will be a little different. We will still have her party with cake and ice cream. But i have created some discounts on select items in the store for everyone to enjoy. The discount will be calculated at the checkout.
The 15% savings from each order will be calculated at the end of this month when the sale ends, and the total from the 15% savings will be donated to Angel Whispers Infant loss support group. They operate under the umbrella of Families first in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta.
Angel Whispers was and still is an integral part of my healing journey after losing Zoe. I will always be grateful to the group of 3 women who founded and facilitated the support group that in my darkest times walked with me through my grief. Not only do they offer support groups, but thoughtful care packages that they have mailed out all over the world, that include resources, words of comfort, and momentos that honor your child. What makes this organization so special to me, is the fact that all three women Cindy, Lori-ann & Melissa each had their own stories of infant loss, so they truly understood how you felt. They were there to lean on, to support and walk with you.
Angel Whispers also offers workshops throughout the year, such as healing hands which my ex-husband and i took part in for a few years creating Zoe's memory boxes. These were hand painted by us, sometimes our kids. We also held a few workshops in our home with other grieving parents who were looking for a way to give back. I can't begin to express how healing Zoe's memory boxes were for us, knowing that we were providing comfort to other parents who experienced loss just like we did.
Why did we choose the name Zoe? When Zoe's Dad and i were trying to choose a name for her, i was looking for something unique, a name you didn't hear very often. That's when i came across Zoe! The Greek meaning of the name Zoe is life! Although her life was very brief, Zoe has taught me so much through her loss like compassion, acceptance and empathy for others, and also to understand how much people struggle daily with things that they choose not to talk about. She is my anchor in life.
Find out more about Angel Whispers here, or if you want to read more about my loss please read the article i wrote for the Winter 2017 newsletter titled becoming a Grandma after loss.
www.angelwhispers.ca/angelwhispers
A few facts about Pregnancy and Infant loss:
- October is Pregnancy and Infant loss awareness month.
- October 15th is pregnancy and infant loss awareness day. This same day is the international wave of light in honour of all babies lost due to pregnancy and infant loss. It takes place at 7pm October 15th.
- 1 in 4 women will lose a baby during pregnancy, delivery or infancy.
- 1 in 160 pregnancies will end in stillbirth
- Pregnancies 20 weeks and under that end in loss are considered to be a miscarriage,
-Pregnancies 20 weeks and over that end in loss are considered a stillbirth.
Thank you for supporting The Red River Bannock Company and this great cause to spread awareness around Pregnancy and Infant Loss.
Shelly xoxo
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