Recognize Life in Tennessee
On June 1, 2009 my son, Wyatt Nathaniel Finchum was born at 10:03 a.m. He had a faint heartbeat and was breathing, which was a miracle, as doctors advised us we would probably never see him alive. He died two minutes later. However, due to Tennessee%u2019s definition of %u201Clive birth%u201D, my doctor was not able to medically acknowledge his life. He was listed as stillborn.
I won%u2019t deny the fact that my son was dying as soon as he was born, but he lived... he fought to breathe for those two minutes and his life deserves to be acknowledged. I would like to get Tennessee%u2019s definition of live birth amended to a more acceptable definition that recognizes life no matter how short it may be.
It currently states:
"...the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of human conception, irrespective of the duration of the pregnancy, that, after such expulsion or extraction, breathes or shows any other evidence of life, such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles, whether or not the umbilical cord has been cut or the placenta is attached. Heartbeats shall be distinguished from transient cardiac contraction, and respirations shall be distinguished from fleeting respiratory efforts or gasps..."
I propose the definition to be changed to the State of Maine%u2019s definition which states:
"...the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of human conception, irrespective of the duration of the pregnancy, that, after such expulsion or extraction, breathes or shows any other evidence of life, such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles, whether or not the umbilical cord has been cut or the placenta is attached. Each product of such a birth is considered live born and fully recognized as a human person under Maine (change to Tennessee) Law.%u201D
If you are a Tennessee resident, and support life to be recognized, please sign this petition. Also, listed below is a link to our elected officials contact information. E-mails, letters of support, and phone calls are greatly appreciated. I appreciate your help in getting my son%u2019s life recognized, and preventing other families from being told their child%u2019s life was %u201Cnot worth recognizing%u201D.
If you are NOT a Tennessee resident, but have family or friends in Tennessee, please direct them to my petition or have them contact their local representative, congressmen, senator, and governor. All local contact information for Tennessee can be found at:
http://www.tennesseeanytime.org/government/elected.html
My personal points of contact are as follows.
Representative Richard Montgomery
301 6th Avenue North
Suite 201 War Memorial Building
Nashville, TN 37243
Phone (615) 741-5981
Fax (615) 253-0303
rep.richard.montgomery@capitol.tn.gov
Senator Doug Overbey
301 6th Avenue North
Suite 4 Legislative Plaza
Nashville, TN 37243
Phone: (615) 741-0981
sen.doug.overbey@capitol.tn.gov
Governor Phil Bredesen
Governor's Office
Tennessee State Capitol
Nashville, TN 37243-0001
Phone: 615.741.2001
Fax: 615.532.9711
Phil.Bredesen@tn.gov
Thank your your support.
On June 1, 2009 my son, Wyatt Nathaniel Finchum was born at 10:03 a.m. He had a faint heartbeat and was breathing, which was a miracle, as doctors advised us we would probably never see him alive. He died two minutes later. However, due to Tennessee%u2019s definition of %u201Clive birth%u201D, my doctor was not able to medically acknowledge his life. He was listed as stillborn.
I won%u2019t deny the fact that my son was dying as soon as he was born, but he lived... he fought to breathe for those two minutes and his life deserves to be acknowledged. I would like to get Tennessee%u2019s definition of live birth amended to a more acceptable definition that recognizes life no matter how short it may be.
It currently states:
"...the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of human conception, irrespective of the duration of the pregnancy, that, after such expulsion or extraction, breathes or shows any other evidence of life, such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles, whether or not the umbilical cord has been cut or the placenta is attached. Heartbeats shall be distinguished from transient cardiac contraction, and respirations shall be distinguished from fleeting respiratory efforts or gasps..."
I propose the definition to be changed to the State of Maine%u2019s definition which states:
"...the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of human conception, irrespective of the duration of the pregnancy, that, after such expulsion or extraction, breathes or shows any other evidence of life, such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles, whether or not the umbilical cord has been cut or the placenta is attached. Each product of such a birth is considered live born and fully recognized as a human person under Maine (change to Tennessee) Law.%u201D
If you are a Tennessee resident, and support life to be recognized, please sign this petition. Also, listed below is a link to our elected officials contact information. E-mails, letters of support, and phone calls are greatly appreciated. I appreciate your help in getting my son%u2019s life recognized, and preventing other families from being told their child%u2019s life was %u201Cnot worth recognizing%u201D.
If you are NOT a Tennessee resident, but have family or friends in Tennessee, please direct them to my petition or have them contact their local representative, congressmen, senator, and governor. All local contact information for Tennessee can be found at:
http://www.tennesseeanytime.org/government/elected.html
My personal points of contact are as follows.
Representative Richard Montgomery
301 6th Avenue North
Suite 201 War Memorial Building
Nashville, TN 37243
Phone (615) 741-5981
Fax (615) 253-0303
rep.richard.montgomery@capitol.tn.gov
Senator Doug Overbey
301 6th Avenue North
Suite 4 Legislative Plaza
Nashville, TN 37243
Phone: (615) 741-0981
sen.doug.overbey@capitol.tn.gov
Governor Phil Bredesen
Governor's Office
Tennessee State Capitol
Nashville, TN 37243-0001
Phone: 615.741.2001
Fax: 615.532.9711
Phil.Bredesen@tn.gov
Thank your your support.
One magical breathe...you are very alive...it's what every parent waits anxiously to hear. The GIFT OF LIFE!
When you are born BREATHING, You are born ALIVE!
One breath means that a child lived.
One single breath is a lifetime in my opinion... this was a living, breathing human being... no longer a fetus or part of his mother's body. He WAS alive.
A fetus is no longer a fetus, but a living person, when it is separate from the mother, and draws breath, even just one single breath. This is recognized in the law of many states, as a basis for charges when the life is taken unjustly. It should apply to instances when there are natural causes as well.
The way I see it he was alive as much as we are.
If A life doesn't end until a doctor no longer hears a heartbeat or breath sounds, then a life that only has a few should be counted the same. Wyatt had breathing and heartsounds. He was very much alive and his life should be counted.
Wyatt was a living child regardless of how very short his life was. If this was your child you would fight to have his precious life recognized. The definition of live birth in Tennessee must be amended!
I cannot imagine giving birth to a live human being only to have the state in which I live only recognize my child as a stillbirth because he/she didn't make it long enough to be classified as a real live human being. This is disgusting and I can say that I am proud to live in Maine!
Please realize the importance of acknowledging every life, no matter how short. As a mother, there's nothing more important.
Please allow this life to count! Please ask yourself what would it hurt to add Wyatt as a life and give him his birth certificate!
I had a son 6 months ago. He only lived 26 hours. No matter how many minutes a child lives. There life should be counted. I think we should go as far to say they are considered alive while in the womb, weather they take a breath once entering into this world or not they are a life. They have a funeral just like an adult who lived 80 years. Please do not do this to mothers and their families. Count the short life of a child.
As I prepare to welcome my firstborn son into the world, I want to know that my state will recognize his life when he takes his first breath in this world, even if that breath ceases within a matter of seconds or minutes. I can feel him moving within me as I type. And if his little lungs are still moving when he makes his entrance into this world then I would hope that his life will be acknowledged by the State of Tennessee.
Little Wyatt was even very much alive, even when he was in his mommy's womb and his heart was beating. No matter how many minutes you breathe, whether 1 minute, a million, or a long lifetime, you are alive! Please recognize this little angels life just as God has.
I think this is something that needs to be changed. If you breath, you are alive. Every life is precious. Why should it be any different?
This precious baby boy was born, breathed air and lived for 2 minutes. His life should and needs to be counted. If any of those legislators had a precious baby born, he/she would want his life to count. This is so very important to all of us parents. The babies are alive to us and are born no matter what. Their lives should count adn shame on you that say they do not count.
Each life has value, and should thus be recognized.
My neice, Sydney Caroline, lived for 61 minutes and I agree that EVERYONE born deserves to be recognized ~ no matter what!
THIS MUST BE A PRIORITY........A LIFE IS AN IMPORTANT GIFT....PLEASE, CALL IT WHAT IT IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The bible tells us that GOD knows us while we are in our mothers womb. Therefore when a baby is born it is a person regardless if it is still born or alive for one second.
I feel that when a child is concieved that GOD knwos it by name and we as GOD"S children should at least acknowledge the child as a person upon birth if it is breathing or not.
This is life, having a heartbeat and a breath is life and this should be change.
My son lived for 51mins, I strongly support you in the fight for Wyatt. Every minute of his life counted, like my sons! He was born alive, and Wyatt's life should be recongnized!
Please take the the time to admend this law... I couldn't imagine that if you had a child die within the first two minutes of their lives that you wouldn't want them to be acknowledged.. One breath is enough... Please consider this!
Life starts with a heartbeat.
