Elizabeth Severson is continuing her campaign to raise awareness of stillborn deaths and create a community where grieving families can find solace with people who understand what they’re going through.
Severson suffered the loss of her daughter Sienna as a stillborn infant in 2017. Looking for others experiencing the same type of loss, she started a Facebook page. The Facebook page led to a blog, which also prompted her to create a photo campaign to illustrate the statistic that one in four women suffer infant loss.
She also realized to further raise awareness of stillborn death, she needed an event where people could come together. And in 2018 Sienna’s Walk was founded. Last year was the 4th annual Sienna’s Walk, following a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. This year, however, Severson decided to host a community event named Sienna’s Sunset.
The family-friendly event to honor and remember babies lost to miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss will be held from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 5 at Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church, 2602 S. Walnut Rd. in Turlock. The evening will include a memorial service where doves are released and baby names are read off, a picnic with food trucks, lawn games, raffle prizes, lantern decorating and lighting and community booths.
“Last year we had a disappointing turnout. I don’t know if was because of the hiatus or because people felt they couldn’t do the walk,” Severson said. “I just want to be there for families and be a community for families.
“Families who experience this kind of loss feel a sense of silence, feel like they can’t talk about it openly. There’s a taboo that comes with losing a baby. This event will allow families to get together and celebrate, grieve and talk. It’s important we have a community. It’s isolating when you lose a baby and can’t talk about it.”
Last year, Severson shared her story with California legislators in an effort to garner support for AB 1697, a bill that would have given tax credits for a resident who paid for unreimbursed medical and burial or cremation costs for a still born child. It was authored by Assemblyman Jim Patterson (R-Fresno) and co-sponsored by Assemblyman James Gallagher (R-Chico). However, the bill died in committee.
She has also reached out to celebrities who have suffered stillborn or infant loss — or who have played characters who have – to share their stories and encouragement.
Devin McCourty, an NFL veteran who was a safety for 13 seasons with the New England Patriots and a three time Super Bowl winner, created a video cameo for her Facebook page (1in4stillbornstillloved) in which he shared his own experience with the loss of an infant.
“I just want you to know I too know what you're going through. Me and my wife back in 2020 also suffered a loss of our third child our daughter Mia was stillborn. I often think back to the day I found out also the next day of going through the process of delivering our baby girl Mia, and realizing you know just that loss and having to deal with it. I just want to encourage all of the families, all of the fathers and mothers, the brothers or sisters, because my kids often talk about their little sister Mia and talk about seeing her one day and knowing that she's up in heaven looking down on us. And I want to encourage you that life does improve; things do get better. There are happy days ahead. But there's also a very blessed and special memory that will live with you forever. And you know, I'm living proof. As you continue to work, as you continue to walk, lean on each other, lean on someone,” said McCourty in the video.
Severson’s newest effort is creating a ministry that local families could reach out to help plan a funeral for stillborn death in the catholic church. For more information on Sienna’s Sunset or the new stillborn funeral ministry, email Severson at: siennaswalk@yahoo.com.
