Empty Arms Bangor prepares for gardening & butterfly release event Saturday

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) - One local organization is giving lost loved ones their wings.

Empty Arms of Greater Bangor provides support and resources for parents and families who have endured the loss of a baby through pregnancy loss, stillbirth, or infant death.

The memorial garden, located at Mount Hope Cemetery, is decorated with bronze butterflies. Each butterfly is adorned with special engravings to honor and commemorate a young life lost.

One in four women experience the loss of a pregnancy or infant, and at Empty Arms, the goal is to ensure no one feels alone or unsupported.

“All of the Empty Arms leaders have gone through training so that we can help facilitate those conversations, but it’s a conversation led by people who have been there and walked through the shoes,” explains Jenna Biehn, Empty Arms Bangor vice president and board of directors member. “We have felt like we couldn’t wake up in the morning, but, you know, for me, eight years later, I do laugh more than I cry, and I am so happy to meet other families. And, there’s a big difference when it is run by other parents.”

This Saturday morning, Empty Arms invites all to help beautify the memorial garden by weeding and planting annuals, courtesy of Rideout Gardens. There will also be a release of butterflies, in memory of all the infants and babies lost.

For more information, visit Empty Arms’ website.

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