NYS legislative request: Certificate of Stillbirth Bill letters to Gov. Cuomo

To all NY families,

We have one last request to ask of you. We need letters mailed to Governor Cuomo. Lots of letters.

Below is the letter to use.



Those close to the Governor have strongly urged us to use this form letter, rather than write letters of support using personal stories. Our bill has unfairly been drawn into the pro-choice/life debate and we have made some concessions this year that has enabled it to pass both houses.



We can't take any chances. We have one opportunity to let the Governor know how important this bill is. If he vetos the bill, we will need to start all over in January.



Once the Governor signs the bill into law, we will encourage you to write your own thank you note and share your stories, then. But for now, please only use the form letter below.



If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask me.



Thank you...



ON THE ENVELOPE:



Address and mail to: Kristin Ross, Legislative Secretary, Capitol Room 239, Albany NY 12224



On lower left corner of envelope write: "A.8178a / S.3111b In Support of Certificate of Still Birth"



IN THE LETTER:



[DATE]



Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo

Governor, State of New York

The Capitol

Albany, NY 12224



Dear Governor Cuomo,

On June 16th the New York legislature overwhelmingly passed a bill to provide a Certificate of Still Birth. Bills A.8178a & S.3111b help provide much-needed comfort, dignity, and documentation to women and their families who have experienced the tragedy of stillbirth. This public health crisis devastates more than 1,700 New York families each year, and nearly 30,000 nationwide.



In [YEAR], I [my sister, my aunt, my brother, my friend, etc] suffered the stillbirth of my [son/daughter/grandchild/niece/nephew, etc] and saw family, friends and colleagues struggle to find words of comfort. With this bill the state recognizes stillbirth as a significant event that others can recognize.



All states, including New York, require the family to pay for funeral and burial or cremation expenses, and a death certificate is issued. Although a fetal demise is considered as both a birth and a death as per NYS Public Health law, until now New York did not consider the option of a Certificate of Still Birth.



This bill will increase awareness of stillbirth, and in doing so may stimulate the allotment of research funds to uncover the etiologies of stillbirth, most of which are unknown at this time. With more information, women and families will be better prepared to maintain healthy pregnancies.



I strongly urge your support of Assembly bill A.8178a and Senate bill S.3111b. Thank you in advance for helping countless New York families who have experienced stillbirth and are eagerly awaiting your support as the bill is signed into law.



Sincerely,

Name - Address - Phone

Finally the CSB bill (NYS A.8178) passed!

what can i say but thanks to the many other parents and friends that helps us get this bill through the Assembly, way & means, Rules, and senate in the last week after years of struggle and fight our children's silent entries in the world will no longer be disregarded.

my daughter and for the many others i thanks the co-sponsors and the leadership of our lobbying group Still Parents NY.

please take a moment to watch this video of Senator Kennedy's remarks about this bill.




and


** minor note the bill was changed right in the last few days of our lobbying efforts and the actual name is Certificate of Still Birth Bill.

Wave of Light 2010

I have a lot to share tonight on the eve of OCT 15th.

First a reminder that tomorrow is the Wave of Light


please take that hour to remember my daughter or another child you know that a family has lost.

"Approximately 25,000 stillbirths are reported every year and represents 60% of all perinatal mortality in the US." (http://www.acog.org/from_home/publications/press_releases/nr02-20-09-2.cfm) If these babies were dying after birth it would be an epidemic. Help us raise awareness light a candle for one hour and remember these precious children.

Also My favortire parenting website published a new article

Honoring a baby who dies in pregnancy or infancy
by Julie Beer
Last updated: October 2010

Julie did a great job sharing how our family and others honor their babies.

3 years and still missing you.

This year snuck up on me, well not really, since i knew the date was on the horizon but as our daily life gets more hectic and summer came to an end getting motivated to plan something was not what we wanted. this year we got Lucy some balloons, and a green and pink bear that "sings your are my sunshine" and sways. the bear has pink wings and cheeks that glow. we spent some quite time reflecting on our three years with out this little girl in our home.

the things i miss out number the stars in the sky, but i know that she is always near me when i need to know she is safe.

I love you little girl.

Can you spare a few minutes for stillbirth?

Dear friends,

I‘m asking for some help with this issue that it is very important to me and my family.

On Aug 27, 2008 our daughter Olive Lucy Kawecki was stillborn. What a sad sentence I have written a 100s of times since that day.

I am writing to all women today because I feel that you more than anyone can understand my plea, this is a maternal child health issue and worth your time. I love my daughter very much I miss her more than words could ever convey and I am determined to make a difference in her memory. Stillbirth is as profound a loss as that of any other known to man. Some might argue the most profound.

if you can find time today or sometime in the next few days to click the links in this post and show your support for bereaved families like ours I would greatly appreciate it.


State Legislation Action Info

I’m asking you to support S.765a (Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth bill) by reaching out to your representatives today.

The Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth Bill (S.765a / A.4375) was drafted by Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, a dedicated supporter of women's rights and adopted by bill sponsor Senator William Larkin. It would give bereaved parents the option of requesting a Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth to acknowledge the birth process they have endured when a stillbirth, an unintended fetal demise occurs after 20 weeks' gestation.

From the NY Still Parents Action alert:

Just a few minutes of your time can help the passage of the NY Certificate of Birth resulting in Stillbirth bill.

Join us in telling the NY Senate Health committee to place S.765a [CBRS] on the health committee's agenda and vote on it.

The CBRS would give bereaved parents the option of requesting a Certificate of Birth resulting in Stillbirth to acknowledge the birth process when a stillbirth, an unintended fetal demise occurs after 20 weeks gestation.

Each year there are nearly 1,700 stillbirths in New York State. 25,000 in the United States.

By clicking on all (3) of the following links, your support of the NY CBRS will be sent to the Senate Health committee members.


Petition - Senate Health Chair, Thomas Duane: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/support---ny-certificate-of-birth-resulting-in-stillbirth-bill

Email - Senate Health Chair: http://citizenspeak.org/node/1957

Email - Senate Health Committee members: http://citizenspeak.org/node/1968

Federal Legislation action info
If you have a few more minutes there is also federal legislation that need support to Fund Research for Stillbirth, SIDS, and SUID (sudden unexplained death in children)

From the first candle action alert:

Just a few minutes of your time can help propel a movement that has the potential to save thousands of babies’ lives for future generations to come.

Please contact your Congressional leaders in the House and Senate today!

By clicking on the following link provided by the C.J. Foundation for SIDS, it will be easy to type in your zip code and automatically direct your letter to the appropriate congressional offices. You may personalize the letter or send the template as is.

http://www.votervoice.net/groups/sids


First Candle & C. J. Foundation for SIDS are joining to seek co-sponsors for S.1445 and H.R. 3212 - The Stillbirth and SUID Prevention, Education and Awareness Act.This act is sponsored by D-NJ Senator Frank Lautenberg and Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr., and is quite simply the single most promising piece of legislation crafted in the past decade to promote infant survival and address the sudden unexpected deaths of babies and young children to SIDS, SUID, SUDC and Stillbirth.

the goal is to have a minimum of 83 co-sponsors by Mothers’ Day - equivalent to the number of babies who are stillborn plus the number of babies who die of sudden unexpected infant or child death everyday here in the United States.

Please do it in honor of the babies and children whom you love in your life.

On behalf of my beautiful daughter, Olive Lucy-- who will never have a child of her own. I ask you to spread the word and ask others to help.

Thank you for the very bottom of my heart.

A wave of light, love and rememberance

Today i cried many tears not only for you my precious and perfect daughter but also for the many babies and families i have met since you slipped away from us.

Some old friends, some new and some i had long forgotten all with a bond over babies loved and lost.

grief is a tragic and sorrowful companion. The sting of child loss is like nothing i have ever known before, but along this painful road we share our stories, we hold out a hand to those beside on us along the way. As we do this we create this beautiful blanket of compassion, love and light that eases our heartache and helps us heal.

Tonight we joined millions of families across the globe when we lit our candle in memory of not just our beautiful and precious daughter, but all the babies that are missed each and every day.

If you lit a candle tonight thank you for remembering my child, my brother's lost children, my friends lost children, and all the children that left us too soon.

Where you used to be, there is a hole in the world, which I find myself constantly walking around in the daytime, and falling in at night. I miss you like hell. ~Edna St Vincent Millay

Olive Lucy - we miss you more that words can convey and love you more than air.

mom, dad and OS.

for Lucy on her 2nd Birthday

When you came into our lives we had no idea just how you would change things. we had short a short time with you. Every day was a new adventure, every momentous milestone celebrated from the mundane to the extraordinary.

we miss you each day and hope that where ever it is you are today we hope that your are having a spectacular time filled with joy and surrounded by love.

Olive Lucy Happy Birthday!

our tiny baby gone too soon.

Love,

Mommy, Daddy and little brother