New law in Louisiana gives grieving families more time with infant
Angel's Law requires hospitals to provide bedside cooling devices and grief support, a change driven by a nurse who lost her daughter nearly three decades ago.
By Alexei Brooks ·
Kristi Lamarque-Bordelon waited nearly 28 years to get the right answer for the families she serves. She lost her daughter Angelle in 1998, a time when holding a deceased infant often meant managing bulky ice packs that made the experience uncomfortable and rushed. Lamarque-Bordelon, a bereavement nurse navigator at St. Tammany Health System, told Louisiana lawmakers in September 2025 that the state needed better care. The legislature agreed, passing Angel's Law in 2026 to standardize how hospitals handle perinatal bereavement.
The new law applies to hospitals that operate maternity wards or neonatal intensive care units. It mandates that staff receive training in bereavement care and that facilities provide access to specialized cooling devices. These small bedside units slow the natural changes in a body after death, giving families more time to hold their babies, take photographs, and collect keepsakes like footprints or hair. The law also requires hospitals to connect families with grief counseling and support services.
Jordan Losavio, the assistant secretary for the Louisiana Department of Health’s Office on Women’s Health and Community Health, confirmed that the initiative has reached a key milestone. According to Losavio, every covered facility in the state now has at least one cooling device available for use. The state department is also authorized to seek grants and donations to help fund the program's ongoing operations.
For families, the added time changes the nature of the goodbye. Sarah Montreuil lost her daughter Faith at 22 and a half weeks when her heart stopped. Montreuil said the cooling device allowed her family to study Faith's features and hold her without the pressure of time. "That gave us that time… to study her features, to just hold her, to love her, for our parents to meet her," Montreuil said. She noted that the experience gave her peace knowing the family was able to spend that time on their own terms.
Megan Fussell, a nurse at St. Tammany Health System, shared her own experience with the old method. Her son Taylor was born at 37 weeks without kidney development and lived for just over an hour. Fussell recalled that under the previous practice, she had to hold her child while also managing the cold, bulky ice packs used to keep the body cool. The new technology removes that physical barrier, allowing for a more intimate final hour.
Joan M. Coffman, the CEO of St. Tammany Health System, credited Lamarque-Bordelon with pushing the system to expand its existing program. Coffman said Lamarque-Bordelon reached out to Senator Patrick McMath, who took the initiative statewide. Coffman emphasized that the system's perinatal bereavement team relies on a combination of nurses, physicians, and chaplains to support families during these difficult moments.
Lamarque-Bordelon said her goal is for Angel's Law to become a foundation for perinatal bereavement care across the country. She frequently receives messages from families who thank her for the time the new protocols have given them to make memories with their babies. The law is named in honor of her daughter, Angelle.
The Louisiana Department of Health continues to support the implementation of these standards across the state. Families can find additional information on national bereavement care efforts through the Wings National Action Team website.
