Staff photo / Ed Runyan Kate Jack of Boardman is seen at a recent Mahoning County commissioners meeting, talking about her experiences with the loss of a child in 2021 who was stillborn. She said she hoped that by âsharing my story, it creates a safe environment for other people to come forward and start sharing their story and shedding light on pregnancy and infant loss awareness.ã

YOUNGSTOWN — Pregnancy and infant loss are harsh realities faced by many women across the country.

One in four women and their families are affected by pregnancy and infant loss every year and Kate Jack, of Boardman, is among them.

Jack and her husband, Tommy, lost their daughter Rori Michelle in June 2021, 33 weeks and three days into her pregnancy.

Now, state Rep. Lauren McNally, D-Youngstown, Jack and Ryan Tekac, health commissioner for Mahoning County, are trying to increase pregnancy and infant loss awareness.

All three spoke recently at the Mahoning County Commissioners meeting to mark Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day in Mahoning County. It also coincided with National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, which is observed annually on Oct. 15.

Jack said, on that day, everyone is invited to light a candle at 7 p.m. in hopes of “creating a wave of light in their honor.”

“Because this has always been a taboo subject, many women feel they cannot share their experiences and their story,” Jack said. “I am here to say that needs to change.”

McNally says the type of loss Jack and her family experienced, called stillborn, “is one of the most common adverse pregnancy outcomes, complicating 1 in every 160 deliveries in America.”

She added Ohio ranks fifth in the country in infant mortality, and that rate “has barely moved on this issue over the last decade. It disproportionately affects African Americans and it disproportionally affects Mahoning County.”

The fetal mortality rate in Ohio is about 6.3%, which according to McNally has also “unsignificantly changed” over the last decade. She said Mahoning County has some of the highest numbers in the state.

“The lack of change in these statistics tells me we are not putting forth an actual concerted effort to change the course,” McNally said. “Too many Ohio mothers and fathers and families have the loss of a child woven into the story of their lives.”

McNally is a co-sponsor of House Bill 7, called the Strong Foundations Act, which is “waiting on a floor vote,” she said. It is an effort to “invest in programs that invest in mothers from a variety of different angles.”

THE JACK FAMILY STORY

Two days before medical personnel told Jack that Rori no longer had a heartbeat, Rori was “bouncing around on the ultrasound screen, giving us a run for our money, as she did many times before,” Jack said. “She was always putting on a show.”

They then had to tell Rori’s older sister, Madison, the news.

“She was so looking forward to being a big sister,” Jack said during the commissioner’s meeting. “I will never forget her face when we had to tell her the heartbreaking news, and her saying ‘This isn’t what I wanted to happen.’

“I held onto her for what felt like hours in the driveway in the rain before we left to go to the hospital to deliver Rori. In the hours that followed, I did something I never thought I could do. With the most incredible team, I delivered Rori into a calm and loving environment.”

Jack went on to describe how beautifully the nurses worked together in such a “dark and sad” situation.

“Her birth was truly beautiful,” Jack said. “Then the clock started. We knew we only had a short time to talk to her, sing to her, study all of her features and soak her in.”

Jack said they went on to make decisions in the “best interests of Rori.” She said as they prepared her to go to the funeral home, the nurses cried with her and hugged her to offer her support.

“One even asked me how she could help her sister, who was at that time carrying a child who was incompatible with life and soon would be delivering her daughter stillborn, just as I had delivered Rori.”

Jack said, “I left the hospital with a box of keepsakes and a pamphlet about grief in my lap instead of my baby.”

They went on to plan a funeral for Rori, picked out a “beautiful” white gown and a tiny urn to bring her home in.

“We were shown so much love and compassion in our time of need, and we think of that often. Now we find any way to honor her until we are reunited with her again,” she said.

During her speech, Jack cited the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in saying “24,000 babies a year are born sleeping.”

“While preparing my thoughts to be here today, I thought of 10 people I know personally who have been affected by pregnancy and infant loss, and some of them have suffered multiple losses,” she said. “Ten to 15 percent of known pregnancies end in miscarriage.”

After sharing her story with the commissioners, Jack is hoping that it will inspire others to share theirs and create a safe enviornment for other people to come forward and shed light on pregnancy and infant loss awareness.

“It’s not easy, but in sharing their story, it validates that their child was real, not just a memory to be tucked away,” she said.

She added, “Although they are not with us, their life remains. These children, these babies, they had purpose. They were wanted and are so loved. There are so many worthy causes that could deserve recognition today, so I thank you for your time and allowing me to be here.”

HEALTH COMMISSIONER

According to Tekac, Mahoning County, on average, has experienced the “sad loss of 21 infants each year since 2007.”

He said it is important that the community supports “mothers, fathers and family members for those who have experienced a loss every day for those who need support.”

His family experienced its own loss. Tekac is father of two boys, but his wife lost one child.

” I can’t stress enough the importance and factor that we play as fathers, as a partner for the wives and children,” he said.

His agency, Mahoning County Public Heath, has a Fetal and Infant Mortality Review committee.

“What FIMR does is a multi-agency community based program that identifies local infant mortality issues through the review of cases of infant deaths. We develop recommendations and initiatives to reduce infant mortality,” he said. “It is (important) to note that every child deserves to be healthy and reach their first birthday.

“Some of the leading causes of infant mortality include birth defects, preterm and low-birth rates, sudden infant death syndrome, injuries such as suffocation and maternal pregnancy complications, many of which can be prevented through managing health conditions and adopting healthy behaviors before becoming pregnant, when you are pregnant and after pregnancy.”

He encouraged Mahoning County families to talk with their healthcare providers and receive pregnancy care early on. “Please take advantage of the local programs, such as WIC, where eligible parents will receive supplemental food and nutritional education for children up to age 5.”

He said the county also has programs called Pathways Hub and OEI, “which will help families identify needs for resources such as transportation to and from doctor’s appointments or options to receive a Pack and Play so a child has a safe place to sleep.”

COMMISSIONERS

Commissioner David Ditzler thanked Jack for her words and promoting a cause “that we all should be sharing in, especially in government to make sure that we do what we can to prevent this from happening further.”

Commissioner Carol Rimedio Righetti said state officials have been trying to “hide” problems Ohioans face, “whether it is infant mortality, birth, mental illness, all of this.” She thanked McNally for her work on these issues at the Statehouse.

Commissioner Anthony Trafoicanti called Jack’s “courage and compassion amazing.” He said “we’re better than this. There is all kinds of need for improvement on this issue, and there are many programs that could be funded and could be expanded to support families that help, particularly to support families that experience this. The statistics are terrible. They really are.”

erunyan@vindy.com