Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Broward Highlights An Ongoing Need After Forget Me Not Memorial Event
LAUDERHILL, Fla. – October was filled with awareness campaigns and cause-driven community moments, but as we turn the calendar to November, one truth remains: the journey of families experiencing pregnancy or infant loss does not end when the month does.
While October is nationally recognized as Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Broward County (HMHB) reminds the community that support, and healing continue all year long.
In October, HMHB held its 29th Annual “Forget Me Not” Memorial Event, a deeply moving gathering where families honored babies lost to miscarriage, stillbirth, SIDS, and infant loss. The ceremony, hosted at the Ken Thurston Inverrary Community Center, brought together 10 families for reflection, remembrance, and a powerful butterfly release in celebration of lives gone too soon.
“October is behind us, but grief isn’t tied to the calendar,” said Dawn Liberta, Executive Director of HMHB Broward. “Families experiencing loss need compassion, guidance, and community every day of the year. That is what our Forget Me Not Program provides.”
A Ceremony of Comfort, Dignity & Hope
The event offered families a space for solace and connection through:
– A memorial candle ceremony, as loved ones spoke their babies’ name
– Personal reflections, including a heartfelt story shared by Lauderhill Commissioner Melissa P. Dunn
– Grief counseling education highlighting group support service
– Wellness and balance tools shared by therapists from Memorial Health Systems
– A symbolic butterfly release, marking love, transformation, and remembrance
For many, the ceremony represented not closure, but a step toward continued healing and a reminder that grief can be met with grace, and that tiny lives, no matter how short, hold infinite meaning.
Since 1996, the Forget Me Not Program has assisted thousands of families by providing:
– Emotional support & grief counseling
– Compassionate remembrance programs
– Burial and memorial assistance
– Community connection & resource access
Holidays are especially difficult for grieving families, HMHB urges the community to stand with parents who are navigating loss in silence.
“Even after the ribbons and awareness pins are put away, families still wake up each day with empty arms and full hearts,” Liberta added. “The Forget Me Not Program exists so no parent walks this road alone and every baby is remembered with dignity.”
To support the Forget Me Not Program – HMHB encourages:
– Donations to support burial and counseling assistance
– Hospital partnerships to help families in crisis access support
– Community sponsorships and volunteers for year-round programming
Help support grieving families all year through.
Contact HMHB: (954) 765-0550 | info@hmhbbroward.org
Donate: https://hmhbbroward.org
