First Candle Joins an International Stillbirth Research Initiative April 14th, 2011

First Candle is pleased to announce that a leading medical journal, The Lancet, is launching a series of research articles focused on stillbirth as an “invisible public health problem”. The articles call attention to the staggering statistics that indicate more than 2.6 million stillbirth deaths occurs annually across the globe. In the United States alone, stillbirth devastates more than 25,000 families each year. First Candle is joining an esteemed team of international organizations to call attention to this groundbreaking research effort as part of our commitment to bringing stillbirth to the forefront as a leading cause of infant death.

This international effort is dedicated to providing research to stillbirth solutions and interventions. First Candle, The International Stillbirth Alliance, Global Alliance for Prevention of Prematurity and Stillbirth (GAPPS), National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD), the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and Save the Children have all partnered to disseminate information regarding the launch. In addition, there is a long list of researchers diligently working on the final global stillbirth statistics for the Series. The publication represents the efforts of 67 co-authors from 50 organizations in 18 countries. A remarkable series of press conferences around the world has been orchestrated for April 13^th and 14^th in London, South Africa, Geneva, Florence, New York, Seattle, Australia, Canada to name a few.

About The Series: The Lancet’s Stillbirth Series provides the most comprehensive assessment to date of global numbers and causes of stillbirths, perceptions and beliefs around the world, and the solutions to prevent stillbirths—well-known interventions as well as innovations. This Series also includes a global call for action, key findings, and recommendations. Visit their website http://www.TheLancet.com.

About The Lancet: The Lancet publishes a weekly journal and three monthly specialty journals in the fields of oncology, neurology, and infectious diseases. All Lancet specialty journals have existed as both print and online medical journals since first published.

Please join us in spreading the word about the Lancet Series. This is an important step in the right direction and strengthens our ability to advocate for increased awareness and funding for issues related to stillbirth in hopes of a future where all babies survive and thrive.

For more information please contact:

Marian Sokol
President
First Candle
marian@firstcandle.org
210-861-0222

Ashawnda Fleming
Director of Development & Marketing
First Candle
ashawnda@firstcandle.org
800-221-7437

Update on H.R.3212 and S.1445 – The Stillbirth and SUID Prevention, Education and Awareness Act May 4th, 2010

Update on the Stillbirth and SUID Prevention, Education and Awareness Act

Dear Friends,

First Candle, together with the CJ Foundation for SIDS, would like to update you on advocacy efforts related to S.1445 and H.R.3212 – the Stillbirth and SUID Prevention, Education and Awareness Act.

As of today, 27 members have joined Congressman Pallone as co-sponsors in the House and 11 Senators have joined Senator Lautenberg as co-sponsors in the Senate. The next step is for the bills to be reviewed in committee.

• The Health Committee will review S.1445 in the Senate
• The Energy and Commerce Committee will review H.R.3212 in the House

It is crucial for the bill to first gain widespread support of the members of these committees to move forward. With that goal in mind, two events are being planned:

• A Congressional Staff Breakfast on May 18, 2010, to educate staff on the importance of better data collection to understand the reasons for these deaths.
• A concerted effort for families to meet with their Senators and Representatives in their DC offices after the breakfast to encourage their support and co-sponsorship.

Use the list below to see if your Senators or Representatives are members of these two committees. If they are, would you be willing to come to DC on May 18, 2010 and meet with them in their offices? Meeting face to face with families has been the most powerful tool in gaining support for the Stillbirth and SUID Prevention, Education and Awareness Act.

If you are interested, please contact Marian Sokol at marian@firstcandle.org or Laura Crandall at laura@sudc.org. We can provide guidance and support in coordinating with other families, scheduling meetings and preparing you for the meeting. These meetings should be initiated in the next week.

We thank you in advance for your support of this important effort.

Members of the Health Committee (House) and the Energy and Commerce Committee (Senate):

House/Senate	First Name	Last Name	State	Co-Sponsor
House	Parker	Griffith	AL
Senate	Lisa	Murkowski	AK
House	Mike	Ross	AR
Senate	John	McCain	AZ
House	John	Shadegg	AZ
House	Mary	Bono Mack	CA
House	Lois	Capps	CA	Co-Sponsor
House	Anna	Eshoo	CA
House	Jane	Harman	CA
House	Doris	Matsui	CA
House	Jerry	McNerney	CA
House	George	Radanovich	CA
House	Henry	Waxman	CA
Senate	Michael	Bennet	CO
House	Diana	DeGette	CO	Co-Sponsor
Senate	Christopher	Dodd	CT
House	Christopher	Murphy	CT
House	Kathy	Castor	FL
House	Cliff	Stearns	FL
House	John	Barrow	GA
House	Phil	Gingrey	GA
Senate	Johnny	Isakson	GA
House	Bruce	Braley	IA	Co-Sponsor
House	Tom	Harkin	IA
House	Bobby	Rush	IL
House	Jan	Schakowsky	IL	Co-Sponsor
House	John	Shimkus	IL
House	Steve	Buyer	IN
House	Baron	Hill	IN
Senate	Pat	Roberts	KS
House	Ed	Whitfield	KY
House	Charlie	Melancon	LA
House	Steve	Scalise	LA
House	Edward	Markey	MA
House	Barbara	Mikulski	MD
House	John	Sarbanes	MD
House	Mike	Rogers	MI
House	Bart	Stupak	MI
House	Fred	Upton	MI
House	John	Dingell	MI
Senate	Al	Franken	MN
House	Roy	Blunt	MO
Senate	Richard	Burr	NC
House	G.K.	Butterfield	NC
Senate	Kay	Hagan	NC
House	Sue	Wilkins Myrick	NC
House	Lee	Terry	NE
Sentate	Judd	Gregg	NH
House	Frank	Pallone	NJ	Sponsor
Senate	Jeff	Bingaman	NM
House	Eliot	Engel	NY
House	Anthony	Weiner	NY
Senate	Sherrod	Brown	OH
House	Robert	Latta	OH
House	Zachary	Space	OH
House	Betty	Sutton	OH
House	Zachary	Space	OH
House	Betty	Sutton	OH
Senate	Tom	Coburn, MD	OK
House	John	Sullivan	OK
Senate	Jeff	Merkley	OR
Senate	Robert	Casey	PA
House	Mike	Doyle	PA

Advocacy Alert – Your Help is Needed! March 23rd, 2010

Today, First Candle is requesting your help. Just a few minutes of your time can help propel a movement that will save thousands of babies’ lives for future generations to come.

We are joining our friends at the C. J. Foundation for SIDS, to seek co-sponsors for S.1445 and H.R. 3212…the Stillbirth and SUID Prevention, Education and Awareness Act. This act is sponsored by D-NJ Senator Frank Lautenberg and Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr., and quite simply the single most promising piece of legislation crafted in the past decade to promote infant survival and address the sudden unexpected death of young children related to SIDS, SUID, SUDC and Stillbirth. An incredible amount of legislative staff time has been put into understanding the issues and defining ways in which we can reduce the risk for future families.

Nothing you can do today will have more meaning and prevent more tragic losses.

PLEASE CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE TODAY.

By clicking on the following link provided by the C.J. Foundation for SIDS, it will be easy to type in your zip code and automatically direct your letter to the appropriate congressional offices. You may personalize the letter or send the template as is.

http://www.votervoice.net/groups/sids

My personal goal is to have a minimum of 81 co-sponsors by Mothers’ Day…equivalent to the number of babies who are stillborn plus the number of babies who die of Sudden Unexpected Infant or Child Death EVERY DAY here in the United States.

Won’t you please help?????????? Please do it in honor of the babies and children whom you love in your life.

Thanks from the bottom of my heart!!!



Marian Sokol, President of First Candle

Newly Introduced Legislation will Support Education and Prevention Efforts for Stillbirth, SIDS and other Sudden, Unexpected Infant Deaths (SUID) September 12th, 2009

First Candle is pleased to announce that the Stillbirth and SUID Prevention, Education and Awareness Act of 2009 was filed on July 14 by Senator Frank Lautenberg, D-NJ. A companion bill was filed in the House by Frank Pallone, Jr., D-NJ-6. This bill will improve the collection of critical data to determine the causes of stillbirth, SIDS and SUID, increase education and awareness about how to prevent these tragedies in the future and expand support services for families who have experienced a stillbirth, SIDS or SUID loss.

Every year there are more than 25,000 stillbirths in the United States. For more than half these deaths there is no known cause, leaving parents with more questions than answers as to why the baby died. The bill would expand activities to identify the causes of stillbirth, identify ways to prevent it in the future and increase education and awareness about the issue among healthcare providers and parents.

In addition, there are more than 4,600 sudden unexpected infant deaths each year (including SIDS) and 200 sudden unexpected deaths of children between the ages of one and four. This bill encourages states to complete scene investigations to better understand why these children died, establishes a national database to track these deaths and identify risk factors to prevent them in the future, supports more comprehensive reviews and creates a national public awareness campaign to educate parents and caregivers.

We hope you will join us in supporting this legislation by contacting your representative in the House and two Senators, urging them to co-sponsor this important bill. The more co-sponsors the bill gets, the more likely it is to pass quickly through the House and Senate.

Participating in First Candle’s Letter-Writing Campaign is Easy

We encourage you to call your representatives directly, or set up an appointment to meet with them face-to-face. Writing a letter or sending an email can be effective as well. Emails can be sent directly through your representatives’ websites. We have provided a fact sheet about the bill, as well as a sample letter to help guide you.

Whether you are writing a letter or speaking with your representatives directly, be sure to include your personal story. First Candle would love to receive a copy of your letter or an email detailing your conversation with your representatives for our files. Please feel free to contact Laura Reno at 800-221-7437 x223 or laura@firstcandle.org with any questions you may have.

Members of Congress rely on input from their constituents to help them better understand what issues are important to those they serve.

Help give our babies a voice.

Resources

• First Candle’s guide to contacting Congress
• Download Full Text of S1445
• Download Full Text of HR3212
• Download S1445 Fact Sheet

Sample Letter

(Date)

Dear (insert name),

I am writing to ask your consideration in supporting critically-needed legislation that will help save babies’ lives. The Stillbirth and SUID Prevention, Education and Awareness Act of 2009 (S1445) was filed on July 14 by Senator Frank R. Lautenberg, D-NJ. A companion bill (HR3212) was filed in the House by Frank Pallone, Jr., D-NJ-6.

I urge you to sign on as a co-sponsor of this important bill which would help reduce the number of unexpected infant deaths in the United States by calling for new research and education on stillbirths and Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID). Every year, there are more than 25,000 stillbirths and more than 4,600 sudden unexpected infant deaths in the United States. Specifically, this bill would improve the collection of critical data to determine the causes of theses tragic deaths, increase education and awareness about how to prevent these tragedies in the future and expand support services for families who have experienced a stillbirth or SUID loss.

This bill is important to me because (insert personal story here).

Thank you so much for your consideration of my request. By working together, we will be one step closer to a future where all babies survive and thrive. For your convenience, I have included a fact sheet on the bill.

If you have questions, or would like to sign on as a co-sponsor, please contact Veronica Valdivieso at Senator Lautenberg’s office at veronica.valdiviieso@lautenberg.senate.gov or 202-224-3224.

In the belief that every baby should live,

(Your name, address, phone number and email)