Copying with a Tragedy

Beth Cohen
TheReporterOnline.com

Monday, November 24, 2003

HARRISBURG – The state Health Department’s Division of Vital Records will now issue stillborn certificates to parents seeking recognition of children who died upon delivery.

“That is a change from something we had done in the past‚” said Charles Hardester‚ state registrar with the Division of Vital Records.

He said he recently received a number of telephone calls asking for certificates.

Under the Vital Records Law of 1953‚ which last was amended in 1991‚ the state Department of Health will not issue a birth certificate unless the child shows some signs of life‚ according to state Department of Health spokesman Richard McGarvey. If there are no signs of life‚ a fetal death certificate is issued.

Lisa Maloney of Greensburg‚ who lost a child to a stillbirth‚ and other parents across Pennsylvania are trying to change that regulation.

Maloney has lobbied state lawmakers with House Bill 799‚ which would amend the Vital Statistics law to allow birth certificates to be issued even in cases of stillbirths.

Although the state Legislature is considering the bill to change that 50 year-old law‚ Hardester said on Friday the Vital Records bureau would begin issuing the stillborn certificate to any parent who writes a letter specifically requesting it.

The certificate‚ which costs $3‚ will include much of the information listed on a fetal death certificate‚ he said. The stillborn certificate‚ he said‚ also will include a space for the child’s name if the parents choose to list it.

At Central Montgomery Medical Center in Hatfield‚ hospital officials go beyond the state requirements and issue a hospital certificate with the baby’s footprint on it‚ said Peggy Weimar‚ director of the hospital’s Family Birth Center.

“It’s a tough thing and we try to be supportive of these moms‚” she said. “We try to give them all these special things to help them through this difficult time.”

Weimar said the Family Birth Center also gives a kit to parents which includes a remembrance box‚ a disposable camera‚ a blessing card‚ a silver heart‚ a card with a wisp of the child’s hair‚ a footprint card‚ a sympathy card‚ a list of resource and support groups‚ a card to mail out to stop companies from mailing information on baby products‚ plus a handmade quilt.

Debbie J. Spachman of Douglassville said when her son‚ Jason‚ was stillborn on Jan. 28‚ 2002‚ Pottstown Memorial Medical Center staff told her she could not have a state-issued birth certificate.

“We were told we couldn’t get the certificate because he never took a breath and therefore he did not exist‚” she said. “I felt really sad because I held him in my arms and in mind he existed and always will.”

She said the hospital did give her an “I’m a boy” card‚ a sorrow book and photographs taken by the hospital‚ but nothing else to acknowledge his birth.

Spachman said some people didn’t understand her grieving.

“He’s a human being‚ and I don’t care whether he is deceased or not‚” she said. “He deserves respect.”

Spachman said she started worrying about Jason not making it to delivery about a week before his birth. She had a non-stress test and Jason was not moving inside of her for more than an hour.

A week later‚ Jason was stillborn‚ and Spachman said doctors told her that the baby died of an infection.

After three days of labor‚ Loren Cunningham‚ formerly of Harleysville‚ gave birth earlier this year to a stillborn child named Emma Grace Salisbury-Cunningham at Lancaster General Hospital. Emma‚ who had brown hair and weighed 3 pounds‚ 13 ounces‚ was born at 9:52 p.m. on July 4‚ 2003.

Since Emma died‚ her mother has been working with several other parents to pass legislation in Harrisburg to convince lawmakers to approve House Bill 799‚ also known as the MISSing Angel Bill‚ which is being promoted nationwide by the national nonprofit support group‚ The Miss Foundation.

“Currently we’re only allowed to apply for death certificates‚” Cunningham said. “For some reason you can get a death certificate‚ but not a birth certificate because it is not recognized as a life.”

Cunningham is adamant about telling the non-believers in her life that her daughter existed.

“We held her for about four hours‚” she said.

Cunningham said she had a “very by the book pregnancy.”

She started to worry when she didn’t feel the baby kick‚ Cunningham said.

Doctors could not find a heartbeat and Emma was stillborn when Cunningham was almost eight months pregnant.

Emma died after the umbilical cord wrapped around her feet.

Cunningham said the hospital gave her a mock birth certificate‚ which had Emma’s footprints on it and a thumbprint.

The hospital also took pictures of Emma and dressed her in a bonnet and green dress in which she was buried. She also got a teddy bear and a memory box that contained several other items.

Maloney’s lobbying efforts began after her daughter‚ Emily Grace Maloney‚ was stillborn on June 23‚ 2002 at Jeannette Mercy Hospital in Jeannette. Emily died due an umbilical cord accident‚ Lisa Maloney said.

“I was pregnant for 40 weeks‚ and four days and she died hours before I went to deliver her‚” Maloney said. “Apparently the cord came up against her head and when she came in the birth canal‚ it jammed between her head and my pelvic bone. It’s a crazy fluke thing that happened.”

The hospital gave the Maloneys a birth certificate‚ and a box of items‚ including a lock of Emily’s hair‚ two photographs and a certificate acknowledging she was born.

“They were very supportive of me‚ and they encouraged me to hold her‚ which I did for a couple of hours‚” Maloney said. “It was just such a huge shock‚ and now in hindsight I wish I would have spent more time.”
 

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