San Francisco Families Gather for Wave of Light
Families congregate at Baker Beach to honor babies lost to stillbirth or miscarriage.
Updated on Oct. 24, 2026 in Pregnancy
Families gathered at San Francisco's Baker Beach for the annual Wave of Light, an event dedicated to honoring children lost to stillbirth or miscarriage. The memorial provides a space for parents to share their grief and remember their children.
Why it matters
The event provides a crucial community space for families to process the grief associated with pregnancy loss, which affects thousands of households annually. It helps bring attention to the emotional journey of those navigating miscarriage and stillbirth.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists reports that at least 1 in 10 known pregnancies ends in miscarriage, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes 21,000 U.S. stillbirths occur annually.
The players
La'Zette Smith
She is the founder of the LaSaaun Lives Foundation and an advocate for families who have experienced pregnancy loss.
LaSaaun Lives Foundation
This organization provides resources and support for families navigating the grief of stillbirth and miscarriage.
The details
Participants gathered to place lights in the sand at Baker Beach as a symbolic gesture of remembrance. The event serves as a focal point for families to discuss their experiences and support one another through the trauma of child loss.
Timeline
The Wave of Light event took place at Baker Beach on October 24, 2026.
LaSaaun Smith was stillborn in 2020.
Culture Shift
Public gatherings like the Wave of Light mark a departure from the historical stigma that often forced parents to grieve pregnancy loss in isolation. This movement toward collective mourning reflects a broader societal push to acknowledge the legitimacy of infant loss in the modern era.
Residents attending the memorial can access community support and peer-to-peer resources for coping with bereavement. The event format allows families to participate at their own pace, providing a tangible way to integrate their loss into a public experience.
The takeaway
Memorials like the Wave of Light demonstrate the importance of communal acknowledgement in the healing process following a traumatic loss. Families seeking to connect can look to local foundations for ongoing counseling and support groups.
Further reading
Learn more about support networks in the Pregnancy section.
More information
For additional support, visit the LaSaaun Lives Foundation resources.
Source note: This article includes information reported by CBS News.
