Florida's Miscarriage Certificates Long Overdue: Opinion

TALLAHASSEE, FL — With the stroke of his pen on Wednesday, Gov. Rick Scott signed legislation that paves the way for Florida to become the first state in the country to provide certificates for miscarriages. The “certificates of nonviable birth” will be made available under the Grieving Families Act for parents who miscarry after nine weeks but before 20 weeks of gestation, starting on July 1.

For pregnancies that end after that 20-week mark, the state considers them stillbirths and issues death certificates.

While some pro-choice groups were opposed to the new law, questioning whether it was intended as an attempt to define when life begins, it enjoyed smooth sailing in both the state House and Senate. The bill cleared both chambers with only a single nay vote recorded.

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The act enables parents who experience a loss via miscarriage to obtain a certificate within 60 days of requesting one. The certificates will include the date of the “nonviable birth,” the county in which it occurred and other pertinent vital statistic information.

For grieving parents, however, the act also provides a way for them to do something they’ve been denied by the loss: It enables them to name their babies and to receive an official, tangible document that recognizes the child’s name and the loss that’s been suffered. Looking beyond the pro-choice and pro-life debates that continue to wage across the country, the law paves the way for parents who so choose to acknowledge what was and what might have been in an official manner. For those who have felt the sting that often accompanies miscarriage, it’s a small kindness that may ease the grieving process.

This Saturday, June 3, would have been my son’s ninth birthday. Although I cannot speak to the pain of miscarriage, I do understand the unbearable loss faced. Seth Gabriel Lonon was stillborn at 36 weeks.

When we first learned of Seth's impending arrival, I must admit, we were a bit surprised. With two daughters already keeping us on our toes, my husband and I wondered if we would be up to the challenge of a third. It didn’t take long, however, for all fears to be swept aside and dreams of watching a little boy grow up teasing his sisters, fishing with his dad and bringing home all manner of creepy, crawly things like frogs and worms filled our hearts with anticipation.

The loss hit like an out-of-control truck. One day everything was fine with the pregnancy. And then it wasn’t.

As the mother of a stillborn child, I was fortunate enough to be able to hold my baby boy and count his 10 little fingers and toes. I was also able to look into his face and see the strong resemblance between him and his two big sisters, Chelsea and Ashley. I could even tell that Seth probably would have favored my husband growing up; brown eyes and dimples that could make just about any heart melt.

I was also given something tangible and official to hold onto. Although that death certificate is most certainly not a document I ever thought would matter to me, it does. It provides me with something that acknowledges that Seth Gabriel Lonon was real and that he mattered to me, my husband, our daughters…

I applaud the state of Florida for affording the same kindness to families who experience miscarriages. The simple gesture, for those who desire it, can mean the world.

To read the full act, visit the Florida Senate online.

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