Advocacy in Action

In this episide Chris Duffy visits with Terrell Hatzillas, PhD of Washington state. Dr. Hatzilias is a medical writer and stillbirth advocate. She obtained her BS from Duke University in 2006, and her PhD in neuroscience in 2012 from Emory University. She gave birth to her first born, a beautiful baby girl named Keira in 2016. In 2018, she was joyfully anticipating her second child, a baby boy named Kegan Christopher, when he was unexpectedly stillborn just over a week before his due date. Since that time, Terrell has dedicated herself to advocating for families of stillborn babies and raising awareness about stillbirth. She is currently working on legislation in Washington State that would provide families of stillborn children the option to obtain a Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth. Terrell hopes to raise awareness of stillbirth, and the subsequent grief and trauma that accompanies it. Terrell is a member of the Washington Chapter of Star Legacy Foundation.

The Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth legislation that Terrell and a team of moms have been working on passed the Washington House on February 26, 2021 and is scheduled for consideration in the Senate on March 10, 2021. Should this legislation be enacted and signed by the Governor it will allow all Washington families who have delivered a stillborn baby in the past as well as all future loss families, to obtain recognition in the form of a Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth.

Star Legacy Foundation actively advocates for several pieces of legislation across the US. In addition to the Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth which is currently available in 45 states (soon to be 46 when approved in Washington), Star Legacy Foundation also works on stillbirth tax relief legislation. Currently the states of Minnesota, Arizona, North Dakota and Michigan have passed this legislation. Families wishing to work on advocacy in their state should contact [email protected]. -