By Max Davies
Kilmore District Health’s bluestone building was once again lit in the colour purple last week as the hospital’s rose garden played host to a candlelight vigil to remember lives lost to family violence.
Domestic Violence Remembrance Day, on the first Wednesday of May each year, is marked by candlelight vigils and notable public places being lit in purple across Australia to remember those who died as a result of family violence.
Kilmore District Health’s Strengthening Hospital Responses to Family Violence Project lead Regula McKinlay said it was important to be able to host a candlelight vigil for people to share stories and remember those lost.
“What it means for me is to really stop our busy lives and take a moment to remember the victims who were killed in the context of family violence … and pause for a moment not just to remember them every now and then, but instead take a real step in remembering them,” she said.
“It kind of confirms that it’s important to make space.
“People who come have a story and often a very significant and sometimes horrendously sad story, and it’s beautiful that people get that space to remember their loved ones who have lost their lives.”
Kilmore District Health has been a part of the Strengthening Hospital Responses to Family Violence Project for multiple years, through which the hospital has been engaged with the Multi Agency Risk Assessment and Management, MARAM, framework to communicate with other hospitals about patients’ needs.
The hospital will continue to work through the MARAM framework in the coming months to ensure they are working with other agencies towards the same goals of strengthening the response to family violence and empowering victims and survivors.
“It’s a small gathering here, but it’s really nice to think we are part of a larger gathering all over Australia,” Ms McKinlay said.
“A lot of buildings are lit up in purple and we all do it at the same time of the day to remember the victims of family violence.”
