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 loss

• How Désirée turned loss into support for families facing perinatal grief

• The power of political collaboration rooted in shared humanity

• Why empathy and storytelling are crucial in transforming grief into social change

If 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 Preview

01:16 Introduction 

01:45 About Désirée McGraw

04:24 Désirée’s backstory

06:28 Désirée’s role in climate change activism & nuclear disarmament

13:48 Role of empathy in public service

18:54 The importance of acknowledging perinatal loss

23:23 Introducing Québec Perinatal Bereavement Awareness Day

29:04 Role of therapy to process grief

37:15 How Quebec’s first Cuddle Cot Initiative is changing perinatal grief care

41:31 The real-life story that shaped Bill 595

45:51 From grief to grace: How forgiveness shaped desirée’s healing journey

52:02 Désirée McGraw’s Purposeful Empathy story

CONNECT WITH ANITA

✩ Email purposefulempathy@gmail.com 

✩ 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.social

CONNECT 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.html

Video edited by Jad Misri, Green Horizon Studio