My daughter Addison was born full-term and healthy. She passed all of her newborn screenings and showed no signs of distress. But just hours after birth, while sleeping in her bassinet, she stopped breathing. By chance, a nurse entered the room at the exact right moment, noticed something was wrong, and called for help. Addison was limp and blue — but she was revived in time.

If the nurse had been even minutes later, our daughter might not have survived.

That night changed everything for us — and it made me realize how easily tragedies can happen, even with “healthy” babies. Pulse oximetry is a simple, painless, and affordable way to monitor a newborn’s oxygen levels and alert medical staff to problems before it’s too late.

I’m asking hospitals and lawmakers to make pulse oximetry monitoring mandatory for the first 24 hours of life for all newborns — not just those labeled high-risk. No parent should have to rely on luck to keep their baby alive.

Our current laws require a one-time pulse oximetry screening—but they don’t go far enough. Addison experienced multiple life-threatening events in the hospital before we were ever transferred to a NICU. The hospital had no NICU and did not provide continuous oxygen monitoring. If a nurse hadn’t walked in at the right moment, our story would be very different.

I’m asking Pennsylvania lawmakers, hospital administrators, and public health leaders to take the next step:

Mandate continuous pulse oximetry monitoring for all newborns during their first 24 hours of life—regardless of risk status.
Establish clear alarm response protocols, especially during overnight shifts when parents are exhausted and babies may be alone in bassinets.
Lower the threshold for NICU transfer or observation when babies show signs of instability—even if only brief or subtle.

These are simple, low-cost safety measures that can prevent tragedy and save lives. If a parent buys a monitor for peace of mind at home, why wouldn’t a hospital provide that protection during the most vulnerable first hours of life?

Please sign and share this petition to help protect newborns and give parents peace of mind in those first critical hours.