Adaline Leir says taking her daughter off of life support was the hardest decision she has ever made.

Thirty two years ago, Leir and her husband were forced to deal with trauma no parent ever wants to: the loss of a child. Their daughter Kimberley was only six years old at the time.

Leir said Kimberley had special needs and a vocabulary of only eight words. Despite having major surgeries throughout her short life, she was very happy and only cried about four times, total.

Kimberley suffered from seizures often, but one day she had to be rushed to the hospital.

When her parents went to visit her the next day, she was turning blue and was moved to the ICU. She never recovered and eventually the couple decided to have her supports turned off.

"Both of us knew that we needed extra help, more help than our friends, neighbours and family could do," Leir said. "The silence in our house was deafening."

Within a month of her death, Leir and her husband reached out the Regina Chapter of Compassionate Friends.

At first, Leir said they parked outside the meeting and were unsure, but ultimately went in. Over 30 years later, Leir said she has never regretted that decision.

"It was the best thing we ever did," she said. "It will always be."

Support group celebrates 35 years

Leir is now the leader of the local chapter, which is holding its annual Candle Lighting Memorial Program Monday night as part of its 35th anniversary. It's an opportunity for bereaved parents to remember their children in a special way.

The event is open to any parent who has lost a child at any age, of any cause. Leir said often people overlook grief when someone is older, but it never gets easier for parents.

"It doesn't matter if you have two minutes, two days, two months, two years or 62 years with your child, it's still very painful," she said.

Siblings, grandparents, other family members and friends are also welcome at the program. There will be a memory table set up where attendees can set a picture or possession for the evening to help them honour their loved ones.

Leir said the event has always been important to her.

"It's in a group setting with people who have walked the steps that I walked ahead of them," Leir said. "I need give back help to the community because I know how important it was to us."

Having lost her husband recently to cancer, Leir is once again dealing with grief herself. She encourages those dealing with loss to come to regular meetings, when their ready, so they can start on a path of healing.

The program will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.