Written By Olena Riznyk
ILDERTON - A recent program at the Ilderton branch of the Middlesex County Library system was all heart, or hearts to be more precise.
A group of sewers gathered to make small fabric hearts for the Loss Heart Initiative.
The project was founded by prenatal educator Leslie Switzer. “The Loss Heart Initiative came to be through my many years of birth work. In my childbirth education class, I heard stories of loss and women looking for a way to acknowledge and honour their losses. Over the years the initiative has expanded beyond birth loss, to loss in all stages of life,” says Switzer.
Ilderton resident Mary Wimbush arranged to have a sewing group come together at the Ilderton Library after learning about the initiative. “Miscarriages were always brushed under the carpet. And it’s interesting the number of people who have come out of the woodwork and said ‘I had a miscarriage’ and nobody mentioned it,” says Wimbush.
Since Loss Hearts began in 2018, thousands of hearts have been distributed. “The Loss Hearts have been deeply meaningful to both those who receive them and those who create them. I have heard from recipients that the heart is a perfect size to carry with them wherever they go, are a lovely addition to a memory “altar” they have set up, or a comfort during the night. People are deeply touched to receive them at times of loss and trauma, knowing someone created the gift for them. It is remarkable that a simple handmade heart can communicate so much at a time when there are no adequate words,” says Switzer.
The act of creating the hearts is also rewarding. “We support women. And it’s nice to have a sewing bee,” says Wimbush.
“The makers of the Loss Hearts find comfort in the quiet act of creating, the knowledge that their gift will make a difference at a time of great sadness. And those who gather for a sewing bee enjoy the sense of community coming together for good. There is never any pressure placed on the making process. It is important that it comes from a place of ease and kindness,” says Switzer.
Requests for the hearts come from “far and wide” says Switzer, including grief counsellors and public health departments. “The simple heart is an expression of kindness and compassion to acknowledge a love bond beyond life. It gives people something to hold, to look at, a place to put their continued love,” says Switzer.
Information on the Loss Heart Initiative can be found online at https://joyfuljourneys.ca/the-loss-heart-initiative/
