St. Elizabeth's Hospital issued the following announcement on April 8.
HSHS St. Elizbeth’s Hospital recently held a memorial service for parents and family members who have experienced prenatal and infant loss. These commemorative services will be held quarterly to offer comfort, closure and hope to families.
The service was held at Lake View Memorial Gardens in Fairview Heights, which generously donated the location for St. Elizabeth’s memorial stone. The stone is inscribed with the following message: “An angel opened the book of life and recorded my baby’s birth, then whispered as she closed the book, too beautiful for earth,” and “The Lord stood with me and gave me strength.” 2 Timothy 4:17, HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital.”
“With one in four pregnancies ending in loss, we are pleased to be able to offer special memorial services to area families,” said Jessie Mesa, RN, Share Coordinator for St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. “Even though early pregnancy loss is common, the feelings bereaved parents experience after the death of a baby can be overwhelming and intense, as the death of a baby at any stage is very real. Parents not only begin a journey of recovering physically, but also emotionally and spiritually, and our hope is that these memorial services will help in this process.”
“We sincerely thank Lake View Memorial Gardens for their donation to St. Elizabeth’s Share Program to help our grieving families on their healing journey,” noted Reverend Ralph Williams, of the Spiritual Care Department at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital.
St. Elizabeth’s partners with Share, a national pregnancy and infant loss support organization, to best assist families as they navigate losing a child. To learn more about support services through Share, visit www.nationalshare.org or contact St. Elizabeth’s Share Coordinator at 618-234-2120, ext. 31254.
Share Memorial Service: Jessie Mesa, RN and Share Coordinator for HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital stands with Reverend Ralph Williams and Father Linus Umoren during a recent Share Memorial Service for families affected by the loss of a child.
Share Memorial Stone: HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital’s Share Memorial Stone, now located at Lake View Memorial Gardens, serves as a place of remembrance and hope for families navigating the loss of a child.
Original source can be found here.
Source: St. Elizabeth's Hospital
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