WATCH: Little ones gone but not forgotten
An optimistic Amanda said that the event was also meant to dispel the belief in many communities that bereaved parents should not talk about their deceased babies and should just move on.
Parents who were never granted the chance to raise their children after their lives were cut short due to unforeseen circumstances had an opportunity to remember and celebrate their babies’ spirits during the annual Walk of Remembrance on Sunday, 20 October.
This 2,5km walk, which coincided with International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, saw families and activists flock to the Avianto Estate Clubhouse in Muldersdrift. The event was warmly received by the public from all walks of life.
One way to identify the many families in attendance was the various T-shirts imprinted with baby pictures and heart-warming messages worn by the attendees.
One of the organisers of the event, Amanda Dean, explained the purpose of the event. “The event started last year and the purpose of it is to bring parents together who have lost unborn babies during pregnancy or infants shortly after birth. The aim is for the parents to come together and celebrate their babies by showing pictures or lighting a candle as well as making friends,” she explained.
An optimistic Amanda said that the event was also meant to dispel the belief in many communities that bereaved parents should not talk about their deceased babies and should just move on. “We are slowly starting to change this attitude, especially through this walk. I also think that with the help of the media, we can influence many communities,” she explained.
One of organisations that supported this great cause was The Voice of the Unborn Baby, founded by Sonja Smith of the Sonja Smith Funeral Group. This organisation is on a mission to challenge government to allow people to bury their infants without being subjected to the criteria of weight and number of weeks of gestation.
“It is very important that the human rights of parents are respected. Not having the choice to bury your little one is an infringement of your basic human rights, especially the right to privacy, equality and dignity. What harm will it do if you want to bury your deceased infant and have a place to go back to?” she asked.
“It is very important for parents to know that they can have a dignified send-off for their little ones without being subjected to a law prohibiting that. The gravity of the loss is not determined by the weight of the baby or the number of weeks of gestation – it’s a baby and it’s a loss,” she explained, adding that stillborn is still born.
When asked what happens when a baby dies before fully maturing in the womb, Sonja said if the foetus is born before 26 weeks, it’s regarded as medical waste. “The fetus is discarded with amputated limps, organs, blood and tissue. However, after 26 weeks, it’s regarded as a stillbirth, therefore you can bury or cremate your child, but before 26 weeks you’re given no choice,” she detailed.
Sonja told Northsider that they have been fighting this matter for the past four years in the courts of this country. “On 14 November we will be back in court, to continue our fight for the rights of parents who have suffered pre-term or stillbirth losses,” she concluded.
For more information, visit https://www.walkofrememberance.co.za.
