Since May 2025, the Neighbourhood Small Grants has provided much needed support for the I Feel It Too – Pregnancy + Infant Loss and Fertility Issues Peer Support Group to provide a safe, compassionate space for individuals and families navigating profound loss. The group meets monthly at the Resker Hall in Kimberley, BC, offering a consistent and welcoming environment for open discussion, mutual support, and healing.
Attendance
Across the seven sessions, a total of 14 individuals attended. Participants represented a diverse range of experiences and roles, underscoring how pregnancy and infant loss affects entire communities. Attendees included:
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Mothers and fathers
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Grandparents
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Friends supporting grieving parents
This range of perspectives helped strengthen the sense of shared understanding and collective care within the group.
Purpose and Activities
Each session focused on connection, validation, and shared resilience. Key activities included:
1. Sharing Personal Stories
Participants were given the opportunity to speak about their losses in an open, judgment-free space. These conversations allowed individuals to honour their children, express grief, and feel seen and heard among others who deeply understand.
2. Discussing Challenges in Grief
Members explored the emotional, physical, and relational challenges that accompany bereavement and fertility struggles. Topics commonly included:
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Coping with isolation
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Navigating anniversaries and milestones
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The long-term nature of grief
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The impact on relationships and mental health
- How loss and fertility issues are handled in the medical system
These discussions often led to meaningful peer-to-peer support and practical strategies for coping.
3. Finding Humour in the Unhelpful Advice We Receive
A recurring theme across sessions was the surprisingly universal experience of receiving well-intentioned but unhelpful advice from others. These moments offered opportunities for shared laughter—an important and healing part of the gatherings—and helped normalize the frustrations participants face in their daily lives.
4. Brainstorming How to Help Others
The group regularly generated ideas for supporting future families who may face similar losses. Brainstorming sessions included:
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Ways to improve local awareness
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Ideas for resource packages or outreach
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Suggestions for more inclusive bereavement support
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Ways to educate the public on compassionate language
This forward-looking aspect of the group fostered a sense of purpose and community action.
Environment
The Marysville Scouts Hall has served as an ideal setting—quiet, accessible, and familiar to many community members. Its welcoming atmosphere helps participants feel safe and comfortable while sharing deeply personal experiences.
Impact
Though still early in its development, the support group has already created a meaningful network of connection and empathy. Individuals report feeling less alone, more understood, and more equipped to navigate their grief. The presence of friends and grandparents also highlights the broader community’s commitment to healing.
The group continues to grow as a space where grief can be acknowledged, stories can be shared, and hope can take root again.
