Vancouver Island Local Resources for Pregnancy Loss
A huge inspiration behind my new poetry book, Someday Somewhere Beautiful by Kelsay Books, is pregnancy loss. My husband and I experienced a miscarriage 1 trimester into our first pregnancy. It was a devastating loss for us, and as I poured my grief into poetry, I also became aware of how few local resources there are for parents experiencing a pregnancy loss.
To help with that, I've started compiling a list of resources on Vancouver Island in the hopes that it may help someone else! It's not a long list, but I hope to add to it as I get connected to more people and groups offering relevant services.
Crossroads Pregnancy Center, Nanaimo
My husband and I actually attended their free peer counseling sessions to help us process our loss. The team there was so amazing and thoughtful; I can highly recommend them.
Royal Oak Burial Park, Victoria
Royal Oak launched Canada's first memorial park for parents grieving a miscarriage. Reach out to the team there to see how you can commemorate your little one in their Little Spirit Garden.
The Compassionate Friends, Qualicum Beach
While they facilitate grief support groups all over Canada, there is at least one on the island, connected to Oceanside Hospice Society in Qualicum Beach. Carrie Hohnstein is the facilitator there and can be reached at 250.618.3920 or at hohnstein@shaw.ca.
That's all I have for now, but I hope to share more resources as I discover them. If you know of any more on the island, please reach out and let me know!