Grand Prize Winner for Their “Forget Me Not Flowers” Publicity Campaign during Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
SAN DIEGO (November 15, 2022) – The Institute of Reproductive Grief Care, the global leader in reproductive grief care research and education, today announced that it won the 2022 Nonprofit Communications Campaign of the Year Award.
The Institute won the Grand Prize for its “Forget Me Not Flower” publicity campaign, which was launched during October’s Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.
Winners are chosen annually by PR Daily, the leading news source for the public relations industry. This win is posted on the site of PR Daily as well as on Ragan, their sister publication.
Competition for this Award was fierce, with Honorable Mentions awarded to American Humane with “Betty White, The Gift That Keeps on Giving” and Children’s Hospital Colorado with their “Youth Mental Health State of Emergency” campaign. Award winners are those who best “build awareness of, or raise funds for, important causes, initiatives, organizations and programs.”
“This award is an affirmation of the importance and validity of our work to help those who struggle emotionally after pregnancy and reproductive loss,” said an elated Fredenburg. “It confirms that this type of loss and grief is real and that it needs to be acknowledged and memorialized.”
About the “Forget Me Not Flower” Campaign
In the U.S. alone, 1 in 4 pregnancies ends in miscarriage. In fact, 2.4 million fetal and neonatal deaths occur in the perinatal period – 4 times more than the annual number of deaths from cancer! The emotional pain can be acute, prolonged and almost universally underestimated.
“We all understand how heartbreaking the death of a child is,” explained Michaelene Fredenburg, President and CEO of the Institute. “But our culture underestimates and invalidates grief of pregnancy and reproductive loss. This can cause additional pain on top of the grief – pain that can last for decades.”
Those who experience reproductive loss struggle with feelings of grief, as well as the fear that their children, and their pregnancies, will be forgotten.
“Loved ones do not know what to say, or fear saying the wrong thing, so they say nothing at all,” added Fredenburg. “This increases the fear that these children will be forgotten.”
The “Forget Me Not Flower:”
- Honors those impacted by pregnancy and reproductive loss.
- Raises awareness for the millions of people touched by this kind of loss each year.
- Gives those grieving a way to share their story and process their loss.
- Helps parents understand that they are not alone and that their children will not be forgotten.
Similar to the poppy flower worn in Canada in honor of veterans, the “Forget Me Not Flower” is worn to honor those impacted by pregnancy and reproductive loss, especial during October’s Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month and October 15th, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day.
The Institute’s “Forget Me Not Flower” campaign was featured on television, radio, podcasts and printed media, reaching an estimated 10 million people. It doubled traffic to the Institute’s websites and created unprecedented social media interest for the nonprofit.
Participating can be as easy as printing the attached “Forget Me Not Flower” logo. For those who want to do more, the Institute offers the “Forget Me Not Flower” Signature Collection of memorial and remembrance items, all featuring the “Forget Me Not Flower.” The Collection features jewelry, sympathy cards, and comfort gift boxes, all featuring the “Forget Me Not” flower. The “Forget Me Not” pins are available as traditional pins and magnetic pins that can be placed on clothes, purses, and, for medical professionals, on ID badges or lab coats. All proceeds support those impacted by reproductive loss.
To see the “Forget Me Not Flower” Signature Collection, visit the Shop on the Institute’s site at ReproductiveGrief.org.
“With this campaign, millions of people have learned of our organization,” added Fredenburg. “They now know that they are not alone, and that their children will not be forgotten.”
OUR VISION
We bring to light the widespread need for help that is faced by the millions impacted by miscarriage and other pregnancy and reproductive losses. We change the way that people think and talk about reproductive loss, and creates traditions that focus on healing, remembrance and hope. We offer a safe place, for those impacted, to receive the support that they need in kindness and without judgement.
ABOUT THE INSTITUTE OF REPRODUCTIVE GRIEF CARE AND LIFE PERSPECTIVES
The Institute of Reproductive Grief Care is the global expert in reproductive grief care. We offer education, research, expertise and support after pregnancy and reproductive loss. Our goal is to accelerate the widespread adoption of a reproductive grief standard of care, bringing comfort and hope to millions who are suffering, often alone and in silence.
We provide education and resources to healthcare professionals including hospitals, medical professionals, therapists, social workers and pregnancy centers, as well as community leaders. We are accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and by the State of California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) as a Continuing Education Provider. We are also approved by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and LEPs.
We are at the forefront of creating impartial and impactful research to understand the way individuals process reproductive losses, and to establish global standards for offering compassionate care. We also promote the research of others to better understand grief after reproductive loss and to close practice gaps in medicine.
Additionally, we offer healing resources directly to those who are impacted, including our “Forget Me Not Signature Collection” of sympathy cards, jewelry and comfort boxes, all featuring the “Forget Me Not” flower as a symbol of remembrance and respect. These are available for sale at the shop on LifePerspectives.com. All proceeds go directly to helping those impacted.
Located in San Diego, the Institute of Reproductive Grief Care is also an active campus where organizations and individuals come together for education, research, and healing of grief after reproductive loss. Our new facility features a counseling center, research library, teaching rooms, recording studio, a 400-seat auditorium with remote capabilities and office space for visiting scholars and the team of this growing organization. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. For more information visit ReproductiveGrief.org.