Baby Loss Awareness Week

9 to 15 October



Baby Loss Awareness Week takes place from 9th to 15th October every year, ending with International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Day on October 15th. It provides an opportunity for parents, families and whanau around New Zealand to come together and remember the lives of their babies who have died. We acknowledge the lives and deaths of all babies, no matter what their gestation, length of life or how they died. It is also a chance to highlight the work done by Sands around the country.

 

Baby Loss Awareness Week Events



Please click on this link to find Baby Loss Awareness Week events under the Discussion tab from Sands groups and other baby loss organisations around the motu: BLAW Facebook event page here

 

 

Light up Aotearoa

 

This year for Baby Loss Awareness Week (9th-15th October) we are again lighting up landmarks across Aotearoa mawhero (pink), kikorangi (blue) and poroporo (purple) to remember our precious babies. This is our 4th year doing this.

Below is a list of the confirmed landmarks. Thank you so much to the Councils, organisations, and businesses who are raising awareness of pregnancy and baby loss and acknowledging the whanau in their area who have suffered such a heart-breaking loss.

 

  • Auckland: Holy Trinity Cathedral, Aotea Square, Civic Centre, Mission Bay Fountain, Eden Park
  • Christchurch: Christchurch Art Gallery, Airport and Control Tower, Botanical Gardens, New Brighton Pier, Victoria Square Gardens, Scott Park, The Bridge of Remembrance
  • Cromwell: Welcome Sign
  • Dunedin: St Paul's Cathedral, Otago Museum, Otago University Clock Tower
  • Foxton: Water Tower
  • Gisborne: Clock Tower
  • Gore: Trout
  • Hamilton: Victoria Bridge
  • Hastings: Clock Tower
  • Hawera: Water Tower
  • Invercargill: Queens Park Fountain, Band Rotunda, Fenwick Gates
  • Nelson: Clock Tower, Nelson Cathedral
  • New Plymouth: Clock Tower
  • Oamaru: Opera House
  • Palmerston North: Clock Tower
  • Rotorua: Clock Tower
  • Stratford: Clock Tower
  • Taupo: #love Taupo Sign
  • Tauranga: Wharf St Lights
  • Te Aroha: Clock Tower
  • Wellington: Upper Hutt Fantail Welcome Sculpture, Cable Cars, Michael Fowler Centre
  • Whanganui: Royal Whanganui Opera House, Whanganui War Memorial Museum
  • Whangarei: Victoria Canopy Bridge, Laurie Hill Trees, Putahi Park Trees



    Click on this link to find the details of each landmark


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    Global Wave of Light

     

    This special week culminates with The Global Wave of Light, an international celebration that takes place on the 15th of October, International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. On this day, bereaved parents, whanau and friends around the world light a candle at 7:00pm in memory of their precious baby or babies. We begin the wave of light in Aotearoa, setting off a continuous wave of light and aroha that wraps around the globe.

    Sands NZ is hosting an online service for the Global Wave of Light. If you would like us to light a candle in memory of your baby or babies, please fill in the google form by clicking on this link: https://forms.gle/FZnQBNTcKcYqBHoE9

    Names need to be in by the 13th of October and the link to the service will be posted on the 15th of October on our Sands NZ Facebook page. Many thanks to Sands Canterbury and Canterbury Memorial Garden and Crematorium for putting this together.