Carle BroMenn Remembers Lost Infants at Shining Light Infant Memorial

NORMAL, Ill. – Carle BroMenn will host The Shining Light Infant Memorial Service to honor children who have passed.

Families will gather on Saturday night to honor their lost babies and support each other. RNC-OB at Carle BroMenn Medical Center  Keli Sidebottom describes the goal to offer a way to remember those babies that they have lost.

“The ceremony is in conjunction with the Annual International Wave of Light. It’s a worldwide lighting of candles that happens at 7 p.m. on Pregnancy Loss and Remembrance Day, which is October 15th,” she said.

Local families will gather at the Chapel Garden at Carle BroMenn Medical Center at 7 p.m. Sidebottom invites families to decorate luminaries in memory of their lost ones at 6 p.m. At 6:30 p.m., families can take a short “Walk to Remember” and return to the chapel at 7 p.m.

Flameless candles will be lit while the names of the passed babies are read aloud.

Sidebottom emphasized the importance of allowing oneself to grieve and to remember loved ones. Similar to physical healing, emotional healing takes time. As well as Carle BroMenn’s goal to provide support for those that need that support.

“Being able to honor their memory and share the experience with others is helpful and reassuring,” she said.

This is the second year that Carle BroMenn will host this ceremony.

Sidebottom said, “we have been doing the Walk to Remember for over twenty years.”

The event will be streamed to those who cannot attend the event in person. Virtual attendees can register for the event at CarleBroMenn’s website and submit names to be read in the ceremony. The guest will be sent a link with access to the ceremony after registration.