DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN) — Parents and families who have lost a child say it’s the most painful loss of all and never goes away.

This is why the Wiregrass Angel of Hope’s seventh annual candlelight vigil would not be canceled on Monday– regardless of the rain.

This event featured guest speakers detailing their stories of how they lost a loved one.

Candles and flowers were placed around the Angel of Hope statue in honor of lives lost too early.

Events like this allow for those grieving souls to come together to know they aren’t by themselves in this fight.

“A chance for us to come together to help each other realize you are not alone in mourning your child and there is a community here that loves you and is here to help you through this time,” Angel Of Hope President, Hayley Northey said.

These events allow for grieving families to learn from others that have dealt with this problem for a longer time, and show them there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

“You can accept advice from others but there is no truer advice than someone that has been through that exact situation because there is no way to compare or explain it,” said Northey.

While their child may be gone physically, their memory will last forever.

“I can still feel her in the breeze that goes across my burnt shoulders in the summer,” Grieving mother, Megan Cosby said. “Or the chill in the air when you know autumn is upon you. The random chirp of a bird in the middle of winter that shouldn’t be there, but is. The smell of fresh-cut grass that reminds you survived another winter.”

While the grief doesn’t go away, it does get easier with the help of others.

“It’s a type of grief that can’t be fixed. It’s just something you have to learn to walk with and walk-in,” said Northey.