Advocates Urge NY Legislature, Gov. Hochul to Add Stillbirth NY Paid Family Leave | Press Conference

Описание: #PUSHforPaidLeave after #Stillbirth - New York State law currently does not include parents who have experienced a stillbirth; Bereaved parents call on Gov. Hochul and the Legislature to fix the dangerous gap in existing law, and provide all birthing parents with the time needed to heal; New Legislation (S.9424) would provide parents with 12 weeks of paid leave after birth

NEW YORK - On December 20, 2022, PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy (PUSH), a coalition of bereaved parents, medical providers, and allies on a mission to end preventable stillbirth in the United States, held a virtual press conference to urge the NY State Legislature and Governor Kathy Hochul to support legislation that would provide parents of stillborn babies with 12 weeks of paid time off from work following birth. Currently, all parents qualify for 12 weeks of Paid Family Leave until they receive the devastating news that their child has died in the womb or during labor. This is happening to 5 New York families a day.

Bill Sponsors Senator Tim Kennedy and Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar joined ABC's The Bachelor Television Personality Ashley Spivey and other parents and advocates to explain this gap in the law and support legislation to bring change.

SPEAKERS:

32:56 Ashley Spivey, Mother of CJ, Television Personality, Influencer, Activist, NYer
Ashley shares a photo of her beautiful stillborn son, CJ, publicly for the first time, as well as raw images of her harrowing postpartum experience. "I wanted to share those pictures because I think that people's minds don't go there... They don't want to think about how awful that process is [but] it's important when we're talking about what people mentally and physically go through for people to see those things."

47:13 Assemblywoman Rajkumar
Jenifer Rajkumar is a lawyer, professor, and government leader who made history as the first South Asian-American woman ever to be elected to a state office in New York.

39:34 Senator Kennedy
Tim Kennedy is a lifelong New York resident. For 11 years, Tim worked with geriatric and pediatric populations to help them recover from injuries and fully participate in all life situations. Throughout his time in office, Tim has kept a strong focus on protecting the most vulnerable in our community.

01:16 Marjorie Vail, Mother of Aleksei, PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy Co-Director of Awareness, NYer
“It has been 18 years since our loss and it seems as if we are stuck in a time warp. Nothing has changed in New York’s standard of care. It’s as if they are saying, “some people are just unlucky.”

05:54 Cassidy Perrone, Mother of Olivia, PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy Changemaker Volunteer, NYer
“It is essential that Governor Hochul and lawmakers assist in changing the current law that not only discriminates but endangers the lives of women already facing enormous tragedy by forcing us to choose between paying our bills or following the medical advice of our doctors postpartum.”

18:45 Cristian Ortiz, Father of Valentina, PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy Changemaker Volunteer, NYer
"NYS revoking PFL from a birthing mother is irresponsible. Whether the baby is born dead or alive DOES NOT matter. The physical trauma and clinically required aftercare is the same. Asking mothers to return to work in 3 days puts a woman's health at risk. Period."

53:45 Nora Nicholson, Mother of Bryce, Count the Kicks Ambassador, PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy Changemaker Volunteer, NYer (w/ Yuvelca Magdalena Reyes 57:22)
"As a loss parent and a Count the Kicks Ambassador I know firsthand the pain that a parent feels when their baby is stillborn. The body and mind need time to heal and that is why it is essential to support paid family leave for stillbirth parents."

27:48 Samantha Palermo, Mother of Archer, PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy Changemaker Volunteer, NYer
"The best time of my life became the worst time of my life. It's like NY is saying Archer never existed and I never had a baby. Too bad, so sad, carry on. "

1:02:35 Q&A

About PUSH -
We're on a mission to end preventable stillbirth, and we're not taking no for an answer.

65 babies are dying in the second half of pregnancy every single day in the US - that’s 23,000 each year, most of them otherwise healthy, and all of them deeply loved. Many of these babies were our babies, and many of them could have been saved.

PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy exists for one reason, and one reason alone: to kickstart the pace of change in the US using big, bold, innovative action to save as many babies' lives as possible, as quickly as possible. We are a diverse coalition of bereaved parents from around the country, and we are working closely with trailblazing medical researchers, courageous doctors, and other hardworking allies to drive down the incidence of stillbirth in the United States over the next decade by any means necessary.

#UnitedWePush For Families, For Babies, For Change.

Learn more: https://pushpregnancy.org