Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues.

“Jacob Ryan was born on October 2, 2008, at 3:45 a.m. The doctors said he was perfect but would never take his first breath. I was only 22 weeks into the pregnancy. His lungs were too underdeveloped, so it was a stillbirth. The hardest thing that I ever had to go through was to pass this little body to the nurse, knowing we would not leave the hospital with our son.”

I read this account that was written by a constituent and which precipitated the bringing forward of this motion today.

“I did my best to make it appear to others that everything was okay. To everyone else, it seemed that I had successfully dealt with the loss and moved on with life. The death of my child was not a big deal, and we would just try again later. The truth was that losing Jacob was heartbreaking. Almost instantly I was filled with shame and guilt. Shame that I should have known something was wrong and the nagging guilt that I had somehow been responsible for his death. There were constant reminders that we did not have our baby, which left me depressed, angry and feeling alone. In the months following our loss, it was painful having

to hear that other couples were expecting and even harder having to see them bring their babies home.

“It was close to the first anniversary of his death that I finally started the process of accepting the loss of Jacob. For me, it started with the realization that life is not always fair and bad things happen. It was also during this time that I was forced to deal with the disappointment and heartbreak I still felt over the earlier pregnancy which had ended in a first-trimester miscarriage. I was fortunate enough to be able to connect with others who shared their stories and helped me discover that it was possible to make something good out of my experience.

“Although we have since been able to bring home a healthy baby girl from the hospital, I will never get over the memory and pain of having a miscarriage or of having to bury Jacob. I have been told numerous times over the last few years that you do not get over a loss like this, but you can learn to live with it. Since we’ve lost Jacob, I have been surprised by the number of people who approached us and said that they also had experienced a similar type of loss. Until then, I had no idea that these individuals had ever been in the same situation as we had. Losing a baby is not a happy, feel-good topic, so it is understandable that it isn’t something that comes up in casual conversation. It can be uncomfortable for both the person sharing as well as for those who are listening, even more so for those who have been fortunate enough not to have lost a child. However, it is something that many individuals and families face. If you haven’t experienced it directly, you know someone who has.”

“In many provinces, October 15th has already

been declared as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. It has been designated as a time to draw attention and educate others on miscarriages, stillbirths, SIDS and the death of newborns. It was not created as a day to get sympathy or make others feel bad, instead as an opportunity to celebrate the little lives that are not here with us and show support to the families who have lost them. The goal is to encourage others to share their story and start a conversation that can lead to an openness of the topic. Everyone deals with their loss in their own way and time; however, it is important that they know that they are not alone. There are others who have had the same experience, those who understand firsthand the struggle and pain that they are going through. These people are willing to support and help them if they want it.”

I’m happy to recognize today in the gallery a young woman who has started a support group for parents

who have lost infants. I’m really pleased to see that that support is there in the community and I think that we have a role here as a government to go one step further, to recognize this one day and to offer our support in any way we can to parents, to grandparents of families who have lost a little one. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.