Early Pregnancy Loss Association will host its first community lecture titled “Hope Blooms: A Miscarriage education event” featuring Nancy Kingma, a licensed nurse and therapist at 7 p.m. March 7 at the Hillsdale Orthodox Presbyterian Church.
“Nancy Kingma will be talking about miscarriage, grief, and the effects it has on parents — both experiencing loss and grieving,” said Emily Carrington, president of EPLA.
As a nurse and counselor, Kingma will bring her knowledge and experience to best guide families going through loss, but also provide resources for those who walk with those who might be directly affected.
“The event is for everyone, if they’ve experienced loss or not,” Carrington said.
Carrington said that early pregnancy loss is common among women, and that in recent years, the conversation has opened up for fixing the social conversation surrounding loss.
“It’s very likely that a woman has had a loss or will have a loss,” she said. “It is important that everyone has an understanding of what this loss might entail. Many feel unequipped.”
After starting with educational resource folders to bring awareness about early pregnancy loss in 2016, EPLA has been working to expand their outreach programs — from care kits and now with community lectures.
“We see this meeting a lot of needs in the community,” Carrington said. “It provides education and resources following loss, and also raises awareness by talking about this in a serious way.”
Carrington said the event is open to the public and she encourages all to attend.
