Families in Louisiana will soon receive expanded bereavement care following infant loss under a new law recently passed by the state Legislature thanks to the advocacy of a St. Tammany Health System nurse navigator.
Drawing on both personal and professional experience, Kristi Lamarque-Bordelon, bereavement nurse at St. Tammany Parish Hospital, approached Sen. Patrick McMath with a vision to better support grieving families in Louisiana hospitals. Her proposal called for every hospital in Louisiana with a maternity unit or neonatal intensive care unit to have the resources needed to provide comprehensive perinatal bereavement care.
That vision included access to perinatal cooling devices, such as Caring Cradles; specialized training for hospital personnel on supporting parents and family members following intrauterine fetal demise, neonatal death, or stillbirth; and assistance connecting families with bereavement services, including grief counseling and support groups. The legislation passed the Senate unanimously. Ultimately, 118 lawmakers signed on as co-authors.
On June 1, the final day of the 2026 Louisiana Legislative session, Gov. Jeff Landry signed the Perinatal Bereavement Care Initiative — Act No. 346, also known as Angel’s Law.
“One of the most meaningful things we can give families who have suffered the loss of an infant at birth is time,” Lamarque-Bordelon said. “Angel’s Law ensures that no family in Louisiana is forced to rush through goodbyes. It ensures hospitals are equipped with the tools they need and staff are trained to respond with compassion.
She added that devices such as Caring Cradles and CuddleCots allow families time to hold their infants, memorize their features and say goodbye without feeling rushed.
“The pain of losing a child does not go away,” she said. “How we care for patients facing such a loss stays with them forever.”