On Saturday, October 15, which is National Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Day, Heritage Isles resident Kimberley Asante will lead an event called โLetโs Not Be Still!โ
Itโs New Tampaโs first walk to support the Star Legacy Foundation, which provides research, education and support for families who have lost their babies due to miscarriage, stillborn birth or death shortly after birth.
โIn 2016, I was pregnant with my daughter,โ says Kimberley, who lives in Heritage Isles. โMy cousin, who lives in Spain, was pregnant at the same time and was due 10 days after me. We shared a lot of our experiences, because this was the first pregnancy for both of us. On December 31, my baby, Maya, was born happy and healthy. Unfortunately, 2 weeks later my cousinโs baby was stillborn. It was such a horrible loss for the whole family.โ
Kimberley decided to do something in honor of her cousin and many other families who suffer similar losses. She says she tried to find an event to participate in, but couldnโt find anything closer than Atlanta. Thatโs when she decided to organize the event herself.
The โLetโs Not Be Stillโ walk will start at Heritage Isles Country Club (10630 Plantation Bay Dr.) with registration at 8 a.m. and a family walk at 9:30 a.m. Thereโs a โdiaper dashโ for toddlers ages three and under, and a โkids fun runโ for ages four through 12. Also, there will be a remembrance ceremony at 11 a.m.
For information or to register, visit LetsNotBeStill-Tampa.org.