My name is Kathleen McCoy, and I am proud to be an ambassador for Count the Kicks in honor of my son James, born still at 39 weeks in December 2022. Ever since I heard the words, “I’m sorry, there is no heartbeat,” I have vowed to make his life matter and have his legacy live on.
After we lost James, I wasn’t sure how to channel my grief. I knew I wanted to do something that would give me hope, but that is hard to find when you are in the depths of such a great loss. When I found Healthy Birth Day, Inc. and learned about their focus on preventing preventable stillbirth through Count the Kicks, I finally felt hopeful.
Healthy Birth Day opened my eyes to advocacy efforts focused on preventing stillbirths. I felt inspired as I walked through the halls of Congress and advocated for legislation related to stillbirth prevention. I finally felt seen and heard. I felt like I could use my experience to do something for others and have my son’s legacy live on.
In 2023 I ran the Marine Corps Marathon in honor of my son to not only raise awareness, but also to raise funds to support Healthy Birth Day’s mission. The following year, I ran the Chicago Marathon, again in honor of my son. The miles were symbolic of my own journey post the loss of James – one foot in front of the other – and just keep going – but with hope. I am honored to be a part of this team to help raise awareness about monitoring fetal movements in hopes of saving the many babies that can be saved.
When I’m not running or doing advocacy work, I am a proud mom of two boys, and a clinical psychologist who does research and evaluation on public health programs.
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