The BeliEve Foundation’s Still Together Initiative seeks to ensure that grieving parents of stillborn children in every state receive a Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth (CBRS). This initiative is championed and personally funded by our founders Clark and Margo Gassen. They felt the CBRS they received from the MN Department of Health after the loss of their daughter Eve at birth in 2017 did not properly acknowledge her birth. And so, in 2018, they successfully lobbied to revise Minnesota’s Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth to more closely reflect a birth certificate.
The Gassens want to continue their success beyond MN and ensure that every parent of a stillborn child in every state receives this proper acknowledgment of the life of their child.
If you follow The BeliEve Foundation on social media, you may have seen that Washington State established a Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth (CBRS) in 2021. The Still Together Initiative played a pivotal role in the successful passage of this legislation. Before this legislation, families who experienced the stillbirth of their child in Washington State were only provided a fetal death certificate.
On October 4th, 2022, Clark and BeliEve board member Kurt Vickman attended a special celebration alongside the families who had worked tirelessly for years to make this legislation a reality. This event was a momentous occasion where these families were finally presented with Washington State’s first Certificates of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth. The passage of this legislation marks a significant milestone for families who have experienced the loss of a stillborn child. It provides validation and recognition that their babies were born.
Receiving the birth certificates for their stillborn children was an emotional and surreal experience for the parents who attended the celebration. It provided them with a sense of closure, validation, and the knowledge that their children’s lives mattered. Now, other families going through the heartbreaking experience of stillbirth in Washington State have the opportunity to request a Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth, ensuring that their babies are properly recognized from the beginning.
If you would like to request a Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth in Minnesota, visit the Minnesota Department of Health here for more information.
