Wave of Light Ceremony Returns Thursday to Honour Babies Lost Too Soon

• Wave of Light returns to Stouffville Thursday evening, offering a space for families and community members to remember babies lost through miscarriage, stillbirth, infant loss, and other circumstances.
• Organizer Marissa Simopoulos launched the local event after the loss of her son, Anastasio, in June 2025, turning her family’s experience into an opportunity to support others facing similar grief.
• The gathering runs from 6:45 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 19 on the Park.
• It will include candle lighting, sharing memories, reading a poem, and speaking the names of children being remembered.
• The event is open to everyone, with the goal of raising awareness about pregnancy and infant loss and reducing feelings of isolation.
• The Stouffville Clock Tower will be illuminated in pink and blue to honour babies who have died, and to mark the international Wave of Light observance held each year on October 15.

A Stouffville mother who transformed personal loss into community support is once again inviting residents to gather for the annual Wave of Light ceremony.

The event will take place Thursday evening from 6:45 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 19 on the Park as part of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. Families, friends, and community members will come together to remember babies lost through miscarriage, stillbirth, infant loss, and other circumstances.

Organizer Marissa Simopoulos says the international Wave of Light observance is held each year on October 15, with participants around the world lighting candles in remembrance of children who died too soon.

For Simopoulos, the event is deeply personal.

“The Wave of Light is actually an international event that takes place every October 15th, and in the evening time, we will be lighting a candle to honour the baby angels that have left us too soon,” she said. “My son was one of them who did depart last year on June 13, 2025. So he was actually the forefront of me being able to host this event, and I’m more than honoured to host it every year now for the community of Stouffville.”

Her son, Anastasio, was born with Trisomy 18, a genetic disorder caused by the presence of three copies of chromosome 18 instead of two. The diagnosis came early in the pregnancy, and while she knew her time with him would be limited, Simopoulos said her family focused on making memories together.

She said the experience was especially difficult for her family, including her three daughters, but the support of family, friends, faith, healthcare workers, and other parents facing similar circumstances helped them navigate the loss.

The gathering will provide a space for families to connect with one another, share memories, and honour children whose lives ended far too soon. Participants will light candles, share stories, and hear a poem during the evening.

Simopoulos said one of the most meaningful aspects of the event is giving families the opportunity to speak their children’s names aloud.

“So it’s just a sombre day to remember the little souls that have left far too soon, and just to celebrate their lives in a different way and being able to speak their name,” she said. “I think that’s very important. We don’t get to say their name as often as we’d like, so this is really a day where we honour them.”

The event is open not only to parents and families who have experienced pregnancy or infant loss, but also to relatives, friends, and community members who want to show support and learn more about the impact of such losses.

Last year marked the first time a Wave of Light ceremony was held in Stouffville. The observance included a flag-raising ceremony and the illumination of the community clock tower in purple, a colour associated with remembrance. While a flag raising will not take place this year, the clock tower will once again be illuminated, this time in pink and blue, to honour babies who have died.

Simopoulos said events like Wave of Light help break the isolation many families experience after a loss and create opportunities for healing through shared experiences. She hopes Thursday’s ceremony will reassure grieving families that support is available and that their children’s memories continue to be honoured.

“It’s really just a place to hold the space, to honour our little ones,” she said.