It doesn’t matter when it happened; days after the test said “pregnant”, a breath never taken, a morning where bright eyes didn’t open.

It can cut you so deeply, it feels like your heart will never be whole again.

Pregnancy and infant loss affects 1 in 4 women in Ontario, possibly more. It can happen to anyone. Your friend, your cousin, your sister.

You.

It can happen to any of us. And for many, the most devastating part is not knowing why. We question if it’s our fault. We blame that glass of wine we had before we knew. We blame picking up something heavy. We blame ourselves without really knowing why we are doing it.

Why.

For too long, there have been too few resources for families who had to say goodbye to their babies. Today, the Ontario government signed Bill 141, the Pregnancy and Infant Loss Reaearch, Support, and Care Act, 2015. This act will establish research initiatives, analyze contributing factors, investigate how loss is being treated in other places, develop new programs, and increase access to support services.

This Bill also, officially, designates October 15 as ‘Pregnancy and Infant Loss Day’ in Ontario.

While the hard word is just beginning, families in Ontario will have more information and more support than ever before. This Bill is an exciting step forward. It positions Ontario as a leader, the first province in Canada to pass such a bill.

And it is a beautiful legacy for all the babies who left too soon.