MISS Foundation Update

The MISS Foundation is featured in a prominent New York Times article on Tuesday, May 22, 2007.

A Move for Birth Certificates for Stillborn Babies

Last summer, three weeks before her due date, Sari Edber delivered a stillborn son, Jacob. “He was 5 pounds and 19 inches, absolutely beautiful, with my olive complexion, my husband’s curly hair, long fingers and toes, chubby cheeks and a perfect button nose,” she said.

The sudden shift from what she called “a perfectly wonderful healthy pregnancy” to delivering a dead infant was unfathomably painful, said Ms. Edber, 27, who lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Daniel. (continue)

We are grateful to the reporter, Tamar Lewin, for writing this very special story.

Unfortunately, we are also deeply disturbed by comments made by Ms. Perry Lynn Moffit which are clearly incongruent with the desires of many families experiencing stillbirth across the nation. Our position is that bereaved families of stillborn babies demand what is rightfully due them, and cannot be assuaged merely by an "informal memory certificate" offered by a hospital. This false assertion serves to undermine all of our efforts. Therefore, we reject this notion on behalf of thousands of stillbirth families around the country.

Further, we reject Ms Moffitt's characterization of the MISSing Angels Bill as suggesting that stillborn babies "become cherubs in heaven." The bill was named, instead, in honor of the many MISS Foundation children who died before their time, and embodies the more secular definitions of 'angel' including goodness, purity, and virtuousness (American Heritage Dictionary, 2007).

Ms Moffitt's unfortunate and misinformed comments aside, the article was well written, and accurately portrayed some of the complex struggles facing women, men, and families affected by the tragedy of stillbirth. We thank the courageous families interviewed in the article, and applaud the efforts of the volunteer lobbyists of the MISS Foundation working diligently in many states to pass this important legislation.

~MISS Foundation Email