At least six of Chicago’s iconic skyscrapers will illuminate purple in honor of Stillbirth Prevention and Awareness Day on Saturday.
Those buildings are the Willis Tower, 875 North Michigan Avenue, the Blue Cross Blue Shield building, the Prudential building, 300 S. Riverside and 540 W. Madison.
The couple behind the charge hopes everyone will take a moment to remember their son, James, and all of the babies born still.
“It was a healthy, normal pregnancy,” said Kathleen McCoy. “We went in for a scheduled C-section, expecting to bring home a healthy child. When we went into the hospital, that’s when we found out there was no heartbeat.”
James McCoy Wilson was stillborn at 39 weeks, with little explanation other than a knot in the umbilical cord. An appointment the week prior indicated no concern, according to the couple.
The loss was devastating. Telling their two young sons their brother wasn’t coming home was heartbreaking.
“They had their shirts, big brother shirts that they had already put on, and all the excitement around a new baby, a nursery that was all ready to go,” said Adam Wilson, the father of James. “It’s something nobody can prepare for.”
Since they lost James in December 2022, his parents have been advocating for more awareness and education around stillbirth, including traveling to Washington, D.C. to share their story. That testimony led to the passage of the Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act of 2024.
“And because of that, Title V now has the word stillbirth in it, with the idea that states can now use funds towards stillbirth prevention. And that’s one of the first powerful steps we can take towards getting more work to prevent this tragedy from happening,” McCoy said.
Every year, more than 20,000 babies are born still, according to the CDC. A stillbirth is the loss of a pregnancy at or after the 20th week.
Data shows stillbirth rates are disproportionately higher among Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Black, and American Indian families. Expectant parents in rural areas also face an increased risk of stillbirth.
Research from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists shows a predisposition to gestational diabetes and preeclampsia, a lack of access to healthcare and socioeconomic barriers are all contributing factors to health disparities in stillbirth.
Although stillbirth can be linked to several health, genetic and placental factors, many cases remain unexplained.
McCoy and Wilson are spreading the word about the importance of monitoring fetal movement.
McCoy is an ambassador for Healthy Birth Day, Inc., the organization behind Count the Kicks, an evidence-based stillbirth prevention program that teaches expectant parents how to monitor their baby’s movement and recognize changes.
The app encourages expectant parents to begin counting movement daily at the start of the third trimester, and to seek medical help if there’s a change in the baby’s movement patterns.
“Because one of the first warning signs that something could be wrong is a change in baby’s movement,” McCoy said. “And 25% of stillbirths are thought to be preventable, and in our case, had I known about Count the Kicks, I’m hopeful maybe it could have been different.”
Educational materials are now free in Illinois, paid for through funds raised at the couple’s inaugural Jogging for James event in May.
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