GIVE PARENTS CHOICE! STOP THE TURMOIL! STOP WASTING RESOURCES!

 It all started the morning of April 26th, 2018. I had gone to bed the night before not knowing that the next day would be the worst day of my life. On March 24th, 2018 I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Ebony Velma Dube. I loved her. I am autistic and so I needed lots of help and support caring for her which I got from my wonderful husband and amazing family. The morning of April 26th, 2018, my beautiful baby passed away.  We rushed her to the hospital, and the paramedics worked on her tirelessly as they tried to save her life. But it was too late. she was gone. I ran and went into a severe meltdown. I couldn't see or think. not long after I went to see my baby with the hopes of having some time alone to say goodbye. the police were there. the coroner was there. they made me rehash that morning which is the most painful thing I ever had to do. I pleaded with the coroner to please respect her dignity and let us take her home to make proper arrangements so I could grieve. I asked the investigating detective whether or not the coroner HAD to do an autopsy. He said NO she doesn't but it's up to her discretion and No one can question her. she took my baby away and did the autopsy even though I made it clear I didn't want one. THEN she told me that they often don't find an answer in these cases.WHAT?! so I looked further into this. The coroner has almost no clinical oversight. they have the final say and no one can question it. this is a problem for a whole host of reasons. where is the accountability? whats to stop them from covering up a crime OR EVEN WORSE making something out to be a crime when it isn't? whats to stop them running unnecessary tests and wasting valuable time, energy and resources to just satisfy their own curiosity?  The fact that I am Autistic and require a great deal of control over my environment was ignored. I was taken in a room and made to rehash every detail of my daughter's death and then the detective's response what "ok I think I've got what I need". EXCUSE ME? my wants and feelings were ignored so much so that it pushed me over the edge and I became suicidal. I had to spend a week on the acute mental health floor of our local hospital because I was suicidal because I had no say over what was happening to my baby I couldn't deal with that and deal with her death as well. it was WAY TOO MUCH!. spending time on that floor was also very scary and traumatic in itself not to mention I had a lot of birth trauma that I was still processing.
 As things Stand here in Canada:
1. The board that takes complaints about coroners doesn't take complaints about any decisions they make or actions they take. there is little to no clinical oversight and the coroner has the final say on a cause of death.
2. The coroner is called in in ALL sudden or unexpected deaths. Even if that means a baby is taken from a grieving parent. The family (like mine) must wait for however long the coroner decides to take to give a final report, which delays the grieving process and  is especially traumatic when you get an answer of SIDS (aka we don't know.) an answer that could just as easily be given right there at the death scene without putting families through the pain of waiting.
3. The Parents have no choice regarding whether or not they want an autopsy done, dependent upon whether they feel an autopsy would help or harm their grieving process.
4. The focus is still on the child, but the child is gone. not matter how many tests or autopsies or coroners reports they do it will not bring back that child. grieving parents are provided with little to no support
5. Grieving Parents are not allowed to touch their baby without supervision until the investigation is complete.
6. Forensics, police, and coroners are involved in all sudden deaths whether or not those deaths that are Criminal. This Petition is to change these laws and these facts.
I would like to get 6 new laws instated instead.
1. Police and Coroners do not automatically investigate a death UNLESS it is deemed that there was criminal activity AND this is, therefore, a Criminal Investigation. Police must decide upon initial viewing of the incident whether or not the investigation will, in fact, be a criminal one. If it is a criminal one, the parent's/family must be immediately made aware of this fact and given the opportunity to contact legal counsel if they so desire.
2. EVERY Canadian Citizen MUST have a family physician. If they do not they will be given one automatically. The cost of this will be covered by provincial health care (e.g. OHIP). GP's/Family Doctors MUST discuss with their patients as soon as it is discovered that they are pregnant and wish to keep the baby, worst case scenarios, which must include if the baby dies before the age of 16, do the parents want an autopsy performed.  The parent's decision must be put in writing and signed and this decision is legal and binding UNLESS there is a criminal offence which directly causes the death and therefore there is a criminal death investigation (see law #1). ANY child under the age of 16 who dies is automatically taken to the local hospital and the Family's GP is called.
3. IF an autopsy (at the request of the parents) is performed, the coroner shall have 72 hours to come back with a final decision on the cause of death. this 72-hour rule does not apply in a criminal death investigation.
4. Grieving parents shall have as much unsupervised time with their child as they would like at the hospital. (this does not apply in a criminal investigation)  they will be asked if they have a counselor or pastor they would like to call. If not a grief counselor will be on site provided to them if they so desire.
5.  The hospital will make arrangements at the request of the family to have their child transferred to whatever arrangements provider they desire.
6.  If the family has ANY concerns, questions, or complaints about a coroner, their decisions or their actions, there is a board they may call, email or write to who has the authority to investigate and to make a  final decision regarding the expressed concerns. They also have the authority to issue penalties including but not limited to, disciplinary action with regard to a coroner's position, compensation/apologies for families, etc. if a complaint is deemed legitimate. Long autopsy wait times, prolonging a family's pain, wasting resources when a cause of death may not ever be found and taking away parent's say over what happens to their baby CAN BE STOPPED. Loving parents SHOULD NOT be made to emotionally suffer for the criminal indiscretions of a few people. LOSING A CHILD IS HARD ENOUGH! FAIRNESS and COMPASSION CAN BE RESTORED!
Please sign below to help make sure no other family has to go through what we have.