Northwest Community Healthcare (NCH) butterfly release to honor families of lost babies

To help parents and families coping with the loss of a baby, Northwest Community Healthcare (NCH) will host its annual Butterfly Release at 10 a.m. on June 9 at the hospital, 800 W. Central Road. The event is hosted by the Renew Through Sharing Program (RTS) and has been held for well over a decade, according to Jill Kottmeier, RTS Coordinator and Perinatal Palliative Care Coordinator for Women’s and Children’s Services at NCH.

“We have about 50 families attending this year,” Kottmeier says. “They’re very open and love talking about their babies.”

The event begins in Jazzman’s Cafe with opening remarks, refreshments and sharing from parents who have experienced the loss of a baby through miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy or stillbirth. Families who registered ahead of time for the event will receive a butterfly to release, honoring the babies who are still remembered in their hearts. Butterflies will be released in the Renew Through Sharing Garden in the North Pavilion of the hospital campus.

“We do this event between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day to give the parents space to be present and grieve,” Kottmeier says. “These are typically hard days for families whose babies have died, so our goal is to host an event where we can all come together and remember.”

The Renew Through Sharing Program provides assistance to those who are grieving the loss of their baby.