Breaking the Silence on Perinatal Loss Ft. Désirée McGraw w/Anita Nowak - Purposeful Empathy

Perinatal loss is devastating for families. In this special series devoted to widening our circle of empathy for people who often feel marginalized or misunderstood, watch this moving conversation featuring Désirée McGraw, Member of Quebec’s National Assembly, who turned personal tragedy into landmark legislation.After losing her daughter Catherine, days before her due date, Désirée led fundraising efforts for cuddle cots so families could have more time with their babies— spearheaded Bill 595, Québec Perinatal Bereavement Awareness Day. Committed to ensuring no family suffers alone and motivated by empathy, she transformed her grief into empathic and meaningful action.Together, we discuss:The role of grief, healing, and therapy in navigating unimaginable lossHow Désirée turned loss into support for families facing perinatal griefThe power of political collaboration rooted in shared humanityWhy empathy and storytelling are crucial in transforming grief into social changeIf you’ve ever wondered how profound loss can be transformed into support for families grieving miscarriage and perinatal loss — this conversation will move and inspire you.00:00 Preview01:16 Introduction 01:45 About Désirée McGraw04:24 Désirée’s backstory06:28 Désirée’s role in climate change activism & nuclear disarmament13:48 Role of empathy in public service18:54 The importance of acknowledging perinatal loss23:23 Introducing Québec Perinatal Bereavement Awareness Day29:04 Role of therapy to process grief37:15 How Quebec’s first Cuddle Cot Initiative is changing perinatal grief care41:31 The real-life story that shaped Bill 59545:51 From grief to grace: How forgiveness shaped desirée’s healing journey52:02 Désirée McGraw’s Purposeful Empathy storyCONNECT WITH ANITA✩ Email [email protected] ✩ Website https://www.anitanowak.com✩ Buy a copy of Purposeful Empathy http://tiny.cc/PurposefulEmpathyCA✩ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/anitanowak/✩ Instagram https://tinyurl.com/anitanowakinstagram✩ Podcast Audio https://tinyurl.com/PurposefulEmpathyPodcast✩ Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/anitanowak.bsky.socialCONNECT WITH DÉSIRÉE✩ Website https://www.desireemcgraw.ca/✩ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/desireemcgraw/✩ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/desiree.mcgraw_deputee/ SHOW NOTES✩ Cuddle Cot https://cuddlecot.com/✩ Assemblée nationale du Québec https://www.assnat.qc.ca/en/travaux-parlementaires/projets-loi/projet-loi-595-43-1.htmlVideo edited by Jad Misri, Green Horizon Studio