The "average" age of a National Stillbirth Society National Director is a smidgen under 50. But as we all know, "averages" can be deceiving. We say that because the 14 Directors that make up this "average" include Kristy Schragel, 26, our youngest Director, and Millie Lawton, 95, our "most senior" Director. Imagine, if one can, the knowledge and life's experience our Directors contribute to the Society, not to mention the diversity of gender, vocations, and locations. Not all Directors are stillbirth parents, though they all have been touched by stillbirth in their lives in some way and share a common zeal to eradicate stillbirth in their lifetimes.
Visit our state directory.
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Richard
K. Olsen a resident of Phoenix, Arizona, is the founder, Executive
Director and Board Chairman of both the
National Stillbirth Society and the Missing Angel Foundation. His only child,
Camille,
was born still at full term in August 2000. A real estate broker and
residential developer, Olsen formed the two organizations when he was unable to
locate any advocacy group actively working to force medical and government
agencies to apply their resources to eliminating stillbirth worldwide. mailto: nss@cox.net |
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Dr. Jason Collins is a practicing OB/GYN in New Orleans where he heads up the Pregnancy Institute. Jason’s entire family, father, wife, brother and uncle, are all doctors. He is passionate about preventing stillbirth and has written on the topic for medical journals. A specialist in umbilical cord development and diseases he is investigating simple cord compression as a possible cause of late term stillbirth losses. mailto: haydel1@bellsouth.net |
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Pat Flynn,
It has been over 25 years since Pat's son Christopher was stillborn, an event that
remains as vivid today as when it happened. Seeking a birth certificate for
Christopher she was told it "just wasn't necessary." Pat is now the
State Director Coordinator working with
parents and legislators in several mid-west states to make the acknowledgement
of SADS babies not only necessary, but required. Pat is an Oklahoma native now
living in Kansas City, Missouri. |
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Kimberly
Rose Lewis, Board Secretary
- Kimberly is a Native American living and
working in Phoenix, Arizona. Though not a mother she is keenly
interested in the fight against stillbirth as it struck close to her heart
several years ago when a friend lost her baby in late term. A graduate of the University of Phoenix
Kimberly earned her Masters
Degree in Administration in 2001 and works with her tribe members on the Gila
Indian Reservation. mailto: klewis@wildhorsepass.com |
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Clair
Baca,
mother
of Riley Simone born still at 43 weeks, is a UCLA graduate who majored in
English and plans to be a college professor. She is an outspoken advocate on
behalf of the rights of stillbirth mothers. Articulate and passionate, Clair
resides in California with her husband Kevin who, no less than his wife,
sorely misses his chance to be a full time parent to his daughter. Clair
also serves as California coordinator for NSS.
mailto: cbaca415@yahoo.com |
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Eugene Russell Hardwick, Chino, CA We made Russ show us his birth certificate to prove he was truly an octogenarian. (It must be a forgery.) After a full life in the hallowed halls of academia as a Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at UCLA, Russ and his wife Pat settled easily into their "second childhood". They hike, climb, barge, and canoe, all over the world. Back home Russ and Pat fly a Piper Arrow single engine plane all over the west visiting friends and family. Talk about not acting one’s age! mailto: nss@cox.net |
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Margarete Heber, a Virginia
resident and an aquatic toxologist with the Environmental Protection Agency in
Washington DC, lost her daughter Elisabetha in 1998 at full term. If a scientist
can lose her baby it proves that stillbirth is every bit an Equal Opportunity
Destroyer of Dreams as we claim. It strikes women as randomly and fatally as
lightening strikes spectators on a golf course. Get pregnant and you're at risk.
Margarete has recently adopted a little girl and is happily working at being a
loving mom at last.
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Norman
L. Cousins, New York City, NY A native New Yorker
and attorney specializing in medical malpractice cases on behalf of Plaintiffs,
Norman found himself barred from entering both his home and office for 10 days
following the WTC attacks. It was 3 months more until his office had phone
service restored. A friend and former flying buddy of NSS founder Richard
Olsen, his legal insight has proven to be invaluable when the Board has
difficult issues to decide. |
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Susan E. Bigler,
an Arizona resident and the daughter of a "country doctor" spent most of her
working life in and around doctors, helping out in her father’s practice at
first and later as a sales rep for pharmaceutical companies. Though never a
mother herself Susan has assisted in home deliveries of babies many times. She
is the aunt of 55 nieces and nephews, 4 of whom were stillborn. Susan is a
volunteer administrator for NSS and a works as a bookkeeper for real estate
sales and development companies. |
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Cheryl J. Carter, a Virginia resident, served as
State Director for NSS before moving up to National Director. She successfully
introduced The Missing Angel Act in Virginia and was on hand when the Governor
signed it into law. A homemaker and mother Cheryl lost a twin to stillbirth from
undiagnosed twin-to-twin transfusion. When not working on NSS business - which
is not often now that she is also the Chairman of the Legislative Committee -
Cheryl is a budding thespian in her community. |
Last Updated
10/10/2007
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