Millie Lawton, shown here wearing her trademark white hat, is the 91-year-old grandmother of Camille Rayana Olsen, born “still” August 17, 2001. Camille’s mother Sharon is to Millie’s left in the green shirt. Joanne Cacciatore, the mother of Cheyenne who was born “still” July 27, 1994, is at the far right in a white blouse. Joanne is the founder of The MISS Foundation, a bereavement support group with chapters across the nation. Joanne was the force behind the legislation here in Arizona. Richard Olsen, Camille’s father, founded The National Stillbirth Society, which has teamed up with The MISS Foundation to enact similar legislation in all 50 states. Richard who took the picture is not shown here.
GOVERNOR SIGNS “MISSING ANGELS” BILL
With the simple words “This is a Bill whose passage is long overdue” Arizona Governor Jane D. Hull picked up her pen and signed “The Missing Angels” Bill into law. It took effect August 9, 2001.
“Missing Angles” refers to the stillborn babies who died in their mother’s wombs before they had a chance to taste the sweet breath of life in this world.” explained Joanne Cacciatore, founder and director of the MISS Foundation, which proposed the Bill.
Prior to this Bill it has been the practice of the Arizona Department of Health not to issue a Certificate of Birth for stillborn babies, despite the fact that the mother did “give birth” to the infant, usually at or near full term.
Instead, parents received only a “Certificate of Fetal Death.” Feeling that this practice failed to recognize the reality that a baby had indeed been born, MISS volunteers worked with legislators to draft and then enact the legislation known as House Bill 2416, dubbed “The Missing Angels” Bill. The Bill provides for the issuance by the State of a “Certificate of Birth Resulting in Still Birth”.
“We are indebted to Arizona Representative Marilyn Jarrett for both sponsoring the Bill and for guiding it through the legislative process”, said Cacciatore. “Evidence of the importance the Legislature placed on this Bill is the fact the Senate passed it on a unanimous 30 – 0 vote. State Senator Andy Nichols, who was a staunch supporter of the Bill, died unexpectedly in May and didn’t live to see it become law. MISS will forever remember him and his generous and compassionate love for babies.
By enacting HB2416 Arizona became the first state in the nation to enact specific legislation to issue Certificates of Still Birth.
Last Updated
07/20/2006
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