Angels Law gives grieving families more time with babies lost to stillbirth

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) - October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, a time to remember babies lost and support families left grieving. In Louisiana, a new law is aimed at giving families more time with their baby.

Angels Law requires hospitals with maternity wards and neonatal intensive care units to have cooling devices that can help preserve a baby’s body, giving families more time together.

Advocate shares personal experience

Lisa Rowell now advocates for families experiencing stillbirth. She said Angels Law gives parents the option to spend more time with their babies without being rushed into decisions while they’re in shock.

“I lost my Juliana 13 years ago. I didn’t get time to spend with her,” Rowell said.

“They are meeting that person for the very first time. And unfortunately, they are not going to have all of this time. So, what happens with these cooling devices? It gives a gift of time,” Rowell said.

What the extra time means for families

That time can mean a chance to hold their baby, take photographs, make handprints and footprints, or give loved ones a chance to say goodbye. For Rowell, she said that opportunity is personal.

“We want to hold our babies. We want to kiss our babies. We want to do fingerprints and hair locks and maybe pictures,” Rowell said.

Advocates say Angels Law is also about changing how healthcare workers support families through one of the most difficult moments of their lives. During this month of remembrance, their message is simple: families experiencing loss deserve compassion, support and the chance to make their own choices.