Pregnancy and Infant Loss Rememberance Postal Stamp
- av: Jennifer Hale
I, among others, never realized the impact a miscarriage, still birth, and neonatal death of an infant has on a person, both mothers and father until we experienced it ourselves. By making this stamp, which I have designed in memory of my daughter Angelina Marie, and in memory of every infant who has passed away and those who will, others would be able to send their support for us, and we "the bereaved" would have another way to memorialize our babies, since most of us have nothing but memories from a precious little life that ended in God's time, but too soon for us. By making this stamp, I among other grieving parents and family members, feel this would be a step forward in our grief work. I have enclosed a picture of a sample stamp for you to look at in helping you make your decision as to what actions you are going to take on this issue. Your support and actions are greatly appreciated by many.
Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee,
Stamp Advisory Committee,
As you may or may not be aware, in October 1988, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed October as National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.
Did you know that in 1996, 183,000 babies died due to miscarriage or stillbirth? One out of ever 10 pregnancies end in miscarriage? Nearly 50% of all fertilized eggs will die due to miscarriage (this included undocumented pregnancies)? Each year close to 1 million families face the pain and tragedy of pregnancy and infant loss? At least 15-29% of all documented conceptions end in miscarriage, and even more in still birth. For every 1000 births the infant mortality rate in the United States is 6.82 (this does not include still births and miscarriages)? In the United States for every 14.20 births there are 8.70 infant deaths?
As you can clearly see, pregnancy and infant loss is very common. Many families endure so much pain ever year and their pain and child is never acknowledged. One of the main reasons for this is because people don't understand why parents, grandparents, siblings, and other family members grieve over some "thing" that was not "here". Did you know a baby has a heartbeat within the first two weeks after conception? Doesn't this make this being a living being?
In our nation today we have Earth Day/ Arbor Day, where we plant trees and remember our earth. We have Secretaries Day, where we honor our secretaries. We have National Boss' Day, where we honor our boss'. We have dates to acknowledge Martin Luther King, Jr., President Lincoln, President Washington, St. Patrick, Our Lord- Jesus Christ, Teachers, United States Veterans (Living or deceased), Our independence, all other Presidents, and the first and last day of the year. We even have a day to acknowledge Pear Harbor, Halloween, the settlers, mothers and fathers, our armed forces, our flag, and Christopher Columbus. Over half of the people we recognize on these days are passed away. Therefore, why not recognize lives that were to short to make a difference in this world yet did make a difference in the lives of their families?
Did you know that in the state of Illinois alone there are over 45 prenatal loss bereavement resources and loss support groups? Also in most of these groups or resources, over 90% of their funding comes from internal sources, including individual member donations, chapter fees and donations, sale of resource material, and conference proceeds? Most of these groups do not depend on government funding to help us through our pain that is so little recognized for what it is- grief. Yes, some ask for donations, but I have never found a group that requires individuals to give money to the organization.
My point in writing to you today is to ask your support in continuing with President Regan's proclamation as October as National Infant Loss Awareness Month, and October 15th of each and every year as National Infant Loss Memorial Day. The other reason why I am writing to you is to ask you to make a stamp to circulate around our nation in memory of the millions of infants that die each year, no matter what the cause. A few of the many stamps we have to support causes or memorialize people, or acknowledge holidays and things we consider important are: American Illustrators, Diabetes, Famous heroes of our nation, flowers, flags, Breast cancer, 9-11, Love and even Happy New Year and Christmas stamps. Therefore, why not make a stamp in remembrance of those infants who have died?
Each year 50% of the women who get pregnant in our country lose their babies, then there are also 50% of fathers in our country that are affected by the loss. Not to mention the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and siblings. If you take all of these people into consideration, it is clearly over 75% of our nations populations that is affected by the loss of an infant each and every year.
I, among others, never realized the impact a miscarriage, still birth, and neonatal death of an infant has on a person, both mothers and father until we experienced it ourselves. There is no word in the English language that describes those who have lost a child. We are simply "The Bereaved". With time, the pain does diminish, but it never disappears. The death of our children does not mean we no longer love them or miss them. We grieve for what we no longer have and never will have. We watch other children who are the ages our children should be and wonder what our children would be doing. The pain lingers in dark places waiting till we are vulnerable and then it attacks us, and most of us don't have anyone to turn to who truly understands our pain.
By making this stamp, which I have designed in memory of my daughter Angelina Marie, and in memory of every infant who has passed away and those who will, others would be able to send their support for us, and we "the bereaved" would have another way to memorialize our babies, since most of us have nothing but memories from a precious little life that ended in God's time, but too soon for us. By making this stamp, I among other grieving parents and family members, feel this would be a step forward in our grief work. I have enclosed a picture of a sample stamp for you to look at in helping you make your decision as to what actions you are going to take on this issue. Your support and actions are greatly appreciated by many.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Hale
Signera petitionenSignera petitionenStamp Advisory Committee,
As you may or may not be aware, in October 1988, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed October as National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.
Did you know that in 1996, 183,000 babies died due to miscarriage or stillbirth? One out of ever 10 pregnancies end in miscarriage? Nearly 50% of all fertilized eggs will die due to miscarriage (this included undocumented pregnancies)? Each year close to 1 million families face the pain and tragedy of pregnancy and infant loss? At least 15-29% of all documented conceptions end in miscarriage, and even more in still birth. For every 1000 births the infant mortality rate in the United States is 6.82 (this does not include still births and miscarriages)? In the United States for every 14.20 births there are 8.70 infant deaths?
As you can clearly see, pregnancy and infant loss is very common. Many families endure so much pain ever year and their pain and child is never acknowledged. One of the main reasons for this is because people don't understand why parents, grandparents, siblings, and other family members grieve over some "thing" that was not "here". Did you know a baby has a heartbeat within the first two weeks after conception? Doesn't this make this being a living being?
In our nation today we have Earth Day/ Arbor Day, where we plant trees and remember our earth. We have Secretaries Day, where we honor our secretaries. We have National Boss' Day, where we honor our boss'. We have dates to acknowledge Martin Luther King, Jr., President Lincoln, President Washington, St. Patrick, Our Lord- Jesus Christ, Teachers, United States Veterans (Living or deceased), Our independence, all other Presidents, and the first and last day of the year. We even have a day to acknowledge Pear Harbor, Halloween, the settlers, mothers and fathers, our armed forces, our flag, and Christopher Columbus. Over half of the people we recognize on these days are passed away. Therefore, why not recognize lives that were to short to make a difference in this world yet did make a difference in the lives of their families?
Did you know that in the state of Illinois alone there are over 45 prenatal loss bereavement resources and loss support groups? Also in most of these groups or resources, over 90% of their funding comes from internal sources, including individual member donations, chapter fees and donations, sale of resource material, and conference proceeds? Most of these groups do not depend on government funding to help us through our pain that is so little recognized for what it is- grief. Yes, some ask for donations, but I have never found a group that requires individuals to give money to the organization.
My point in writing to you today is to ask your support in continuing with President Regan's proclamation as October as National Infant Loss Awareness Month, and October 15th of each and every year as National Infant Loss Memorial Day. The other reason why I am writing to you is to ask you to make a stamp to circulate around our nation in memory of the millions of infants that die each year, no matter what the cause. A few of the many stamps we have to support causes or memorialize people, or acknowledge holidays and things we consider important are: American Illustrators, Diabetes, Famous heroes of our nation, flowers, flags, Breast cancer, 9-11, Love and even Happy New Year and Christmas stamps. Therefore, why not make a stamp in remembrance of those infants who have died?
Each year 50% of the women who get pregnant in our country lose their babies, then there are also 50% of fathers in our country that are affected by the loss. Not to mention the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and siblings. If you take all of these people into consideration, it is clearly over 75% of our nations populations that is affected by the loss of an infant each and every year.
I, among others, never realized the impact a miscarriage, still birth, and neonatal death of an infant has on a person, both mothers and father until we experienced it ourselves. There is no word in the English language that describes those who have lost a child. We are simply "The Bereaved". With time, the pain does diminish, but it never disappears. The death of our children does not mean we no longer love them or miss them. We grieve for what we no longer have and never will have. We watch other children who are the ages our children should be and wonder what our children would be doing. The pain lingers in dark places waiting till we are vulnerable and then it attacks us, and most of us don't have anyone to turn to who truly understands our pain.
By making this stamp, which I have designed in memory of my daughter Angelina Marie, and in memory of every infant who has passed away and those who will, others would be able to send their support for us, and we "the bereaved" would have another way to memorialize our babies, since most of us have nothing but memories from a precious little life that ended in God's time, but too soon for us. By making this stamp, I among other grieving parents and family members, feel this would be a step forward in our grief work. I have enclosed a picture of a sample stamp for you to look at in helping you make your decision as to what actions you are going to take on this issue. Your support and actions are greatly appreciated by many.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Hale
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