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Honors infants who pass away
(GREENSBURG, Ind.) – A dedication ceremony was held for a new Remembrance Garden at Decatur County Memorial Hospital on Tuesday.
The garden is dedicated to all the babies lost through miscarriage, stillbirth and infant loss.
The Hospital Foundation of Decatur County partnered with the Luke O’Mara Foundation to create the space.
The Remembrance Garden serves as an important addition to the existing DCMH Walking Trail, open to the community year-round from sunrise to sunset.
Eight years ago, Amy O’Mara, founder of the Luke O’Mara Foundation, received overwhelming information at 28 weeks pregnant. The O’Mara’s learned their son, Luke, had Trisomy 18 and would likely not survive birth. With odds against them getting to spend a lifetime with their son, they focused on the life Luke was already living inside.
Amy. O’Mara said, “Sometimes the overwhelmingness of it all would overtake me. I needed a quiet space, a place to go where I didn’t have to be the strong mom to my two daughters, a place where I didn’t have to be okay.”
In the time following his death, O’Mara found herself seeking comfort, both alone and with friends & family, in quiet places surrounded by nature. With an estimated 1 in 4 families being affected by the loss of a child, O’Mara recognized her community needed a physical space, the Remembrance Garden, intended to provide mental health support and healing for grieving families.
“This garden will impact many lives and stands as a testament to our community’s solidarity and commitment to supporting one another during life’s most challenging moments,” said Foundation Director Mandy Lohrum.
If you would like to donate to support the Remembrance Garden, contact the Hospital Foundation of Decatur County.
