Stillborn but never forgotten

Governor Jeb Bush yesterday signed into law a bill that would give parents of stillborn children a birth certificate. A child who is 20 weeks or longer gestation and dies is considered stillborn. Before 20 weeks it is considered a miscarriage.

I'm father to Daniel. My son wasn't stillborn, but Daniel's time on earth was short. Only 14.5 hours. I know the pain a parent suffers if their child is stillborn, it's as terrible an experience as any loss of a child. Florida is now the 14th state to give parents the opportunity to get a birth certificate. It's overdue in my opinion. This will help keep the child's memory alive, but a good parent will never forget their children. We'll carry these memories till we die.

Open Post- Adam's Blog, Jo's Blog,

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.--Parents of stillborn children will be able to get a certificate of the child's birth under a bill Gov. Jeb Bush signed Friday.

Florida is now the 14th state to offer certificates of stillbirths to mothers who carry their children at least 20 weeks and deliver them.

The bill was pushed in the Legislature by Daryl and Beth Logullo of Vero Beach, whose child Katherine was stillborn last year. The measure is named ``Katherine's Law.''

The Logullos and other backers of the bill said it's not fair for the parents of stillborn children to only get a death certificate with no official acknowledgment to memorialize that the baby was born.

``We're just very excited that the state is recognizing our children by issuing birth certificates to them that were born still. It's a wonderful day,'' Daryl Logullo said. ``Any woman in the state of Florida going back to the 1930s that has ever had a still born child can get what they deserve and that's their child's birth certificate.''