Guilford County invites the public to join the "Every Baby Remembered" walk, a community event to honor babies lost during pregnancy and infancy. The walk will take place from 1 to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13, at Center City Park in Greensboro.

Held in conjunction with National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, which is observed annually on October 15, this event will offer grieving families a platform to connect, heal, and find support. The "Every Baby Remembered" walk symbolizes the county’s commitment to recognizing each life lost through miscarriage, stillbirth, or during infancy, and to supporting families during their time of loss.

“We must honor every life that has been lost and acknowledge the grief of families in our community. Events like ‘Every Baby Remembered’ are vital, not only to provide support for these families but also to remind us of the urgent work we still need to do, said Board of County Commissioners Chair Melvin “Skip” Alston. “Every Baby Guilford’s efforts to eliminate racial disparities and reduce infant deaths are absolutely crucial to ensuring that every baby in our community has the opportunity to thrive.”

“Every infant death—whether to miscarriage, stillbirth, or during infancy—matters to us at Every Baby Guilford,” says Jean Workman-Elms, Guilford County Public Health program manager. “Honoring Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day provides space for our community to stand together with anyone who has experienced this loss.”

The event will begin at 1 p.m. with opportunities to commemorate personal losses. Participants will include Guilford County Board of Commissioners Vice Chair Carlvena Foster and Mrs. Silva-Hernandez, who will share her personal story of infant loss. The one-mile remembrance walk will allow participants to walk in solidarity.

Every Baby Guilford, a collective action movement founded in 2021, has been at the forefront of initiatives to address infant mortality in the region. The public/private partnership with the Guilford County Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health has set an ambitious goal to reduce infant mortality disparities by 50% by 2026. Statistics reveal that Guilford County's infant mortality rate stands at 8.8 deaths per 1,000 live births, consistently exceeding state and national averages. In addition, the fetal infant death rate is 8.9 per 1,000 deliveries. Both of these distressing trends are particularly pronounced within the Black community, where infant mortality and fetal death rates each are almost three times higher than that of white infants.

Additionally, on Tuesday, Oct. 15, join Every Baby Guilford on social media to recognize the Global Wave of Light at 7 p.m., where candles will be lit in remembrance of the precious lives lost too soon.

All community members are invited to participate in the Every Baby Remembered walk. Registration is not required, but attendees are encouraged to sign up online for updates.

ABOUT EVERY BABY GUILFORD

Every Baby Guilford launched a collective action movement in 2021 to ignite and mobilize Guilford County through partnerships and unified strategies to eliminate disparities and prevent infant deaths.  Through a community-driven process, Every Baby Guilford’s vision is every baby and family will have equitable opportunities and access to achieve the healthiest start in life.  For more information about Every Baby Guilford visit www.everybabyguilford.org.