Elizabeth Severson is once again inviting families affected by miscarriage or stillbirth to gather together to honor their lost loved ones and, hopefully, find solace with people who understand what they’re going through.

Sienna’s Sunset, a family-friendly event to honor and remember babies lost to miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss, will be held from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 4 at Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church, 2602 S. Walnut Rd. in Turlock. The evening will include a memorial service where doves are released and baby names are read off, a picnic with food trucks, lawn games, lantern decorating and lighting, visits from comfort dogs and a local chaplain.

“I think (this event) is important because when I lost my daughter, there was really nothing like this available that I knew of and I felt very isolated and alone because I didn’t know anyone who had gone through it. So, I think it’s important to continue to offer this evening for families so that they can come and celebrate their babies, grieve their babies, talk about their babies with other families who know what it feels like…You don’t get to celebrate a birthday with them, but at least, on this evening, you get to celebrate them,” she said.

Severson suffered the loss of her daughter Sienna as a stillborn infant in 2017. Looking for others experiencing the same type of loss, she started a Facebook page. The Facebook page led to a blog, which also prompted her to create a photo campaign to illustrate the statistic that one in four women suffer infant loss.

She also realized to further raise awareness of stillborn death, she needed an event where people could come together. And in 2018 Sienna’s Walk was founded. In 2024, Severson decided instead of a walk to host a community event named Sienna’s Sunset.

Severson is also a supporter of rights for families of stillborn death. In 2023, she shared her story with California legislators in an effort to garner support for AB 1697, a bill that would have given tax credits for a resident who paid for unreimbursed medical and burial or cremation costs for a still born child. It was authored by Assemblyman Jim Patterson (R-Fresno) and co-sponsored by Assemblyman James Gallagher (R-Chico). However, the bill died in committee.

Severson’s newest effort is a ministry that helps local families plan a funeral for stillborn death in the catholic church.

“We have created miscarriage boxes so that if a mom suffers a miscarriage at home, she has all the supplies and materials needed, and also the resources to plan a burial,” she said.

Severson also creates care bags for families of stillborn death to take home from the hospital and sponsors scholarships for local high school seniors.

For more information on Sienna’s Sunset or the new stillborn funeral ministry, email Severson at: siennaswalk@yahoo.com.