BSCTC HUMAN SERVICES AND RESPIRATORY THERAPY PROGRAMS TO HOST WINGS OF LOVE

The Human Services and Respiratory Therapy programs at Big Sandy Community and Technical College and the CARE (Community Awareness Reaching Everyone) club will host Wings of Love at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, October 15, at the gazebo on the Prestonsburg campus of the college.

The event is in coordination with Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, an event which provides support, education and awareness to those who are suffering or may know someone who has suffered a miscarriage, an ectopic pregnancy, a still birth, loss of an infant or loss of a young child. Parents, grandparents, families and concerned citizens are invited to participate in a short program that will conclude with the lighting of candles and a balloon release.

We want those who are grieving to know that we are there with them, and we are here to offer support and help, said Missy Skeens, coordinator of the Respiratory Therapy program at BSCTC. I know, firsthand, that this is something you never get over, but you find comfort in knowing that others care.

In October 1988, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed October as National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 3,952,841 births in 2012 and 23,985 infant deaths.

This will be a night of remembrance but also a night of courage and comfort for those who are still grieving the loss of a child, said Tammy Ball, LCSW, coordinator of the Human Services at BSCTC. Our hope is that we can collectively, as a community, bring hope to those who are hurting.

For more information, contact Tammy Ball at (606) 889-4787 or email tammy.ball@kctcs.edu or Missy Skeens at (606) 788-2822 or email melissa.skeens@kctcs.edu.