Annual Vermont Empty Arms 5k Run and Walk commemorates lost little ones

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Mothers, fathers and kids running. Saturday morning, rain or shine – to remember their little angels up in the sky.

“I have found that families who are experiencing misscarriage have a lot to connect about, and a lot to share,” said Burlington mom Margaret Talbot.

Margret Talbot is one of the many women running in the Second Annual Empty Arms Vermont 5k Run and Walk at Veterans Memorial Park.

She says she has experienced several miscarriages and she started participating in support groups with the non-profit in 2021.

She now has a son and says she doesn’t know where she would be without the empty arms community.

“I am so grateful for my son, and the journey that brought us to him. I don’t think that I could have gotten to this point without a community and family that has supported my partner and I,” Talbot explained.

Empty Arms Vermont is a fairly new organization aimed to support families whose babies have died through miscarriage, stillbirth, early infant death, or termination for medical reasons.

The event attracted close to 500 people this year. Labor and delivery nurses at the event say this is an important cause. As they see about three miscarriages, stillbirths, or other related cases each month.

“It’s often an invisible loss. So I think sometimes a lot of people who aren’t face to face with it every day don’t know. We are just here to raise awareness and have some fun,” said UVM Labor and Delivery Nurse Anna Garbolski.

Despite some sadness, people say they are having a good time.

“It was really good, a lot of uphill, but that’s okay, we pushed through. All three of us, this is our second year actually, and I have another on the way, so I guess yeah. We have a lot of participation in our family,” said mother Sara Mckenzie.

“It went well, my goal was to run the whole thing. I did, I pretty much jogged, ran the whole way. So I am pretty happy about that, this is only my third 5K,” said mom, Olivia Heroy.

People wrapped up the run with a little ice cream at the end.

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