Press Release

Colorado Governor Issues Proclamation Recognizing September 19 as National Stillbirth Awareness and Prevention Day

[Denver, CO] — The Due Time Documentary project today announced that Colorado Governor Jared Polis has issued a proclamation recognizing Saturday, September 19, 2026, as National Stillbirth Awareness and Prevention Day in the State of Colorado.

The proclamation honors the tens of thousands of families across the United States—and in Colorado—who have endured the loss of a baby to stillbirth, and it calls attention to prevention efforts that can save lives. Each year, more than 21,000 pregnancies in the United States end in stillbirth. Research indicates that a significant share of these losses may be preventable through improved prenatal education, awareness of fetal movement, better data collection, and evidence-based clinical practices.

“Stillbirth has too often remained a silent crisis,” said Helen Raleigh, producer of The Due Time, “This proclamation from Governor Polis is an important step in breaking that silence in Colorado. We honor the babies who were lost and the families who carry that grief, and we commit to doing more so that fewer families experience this tragedy.”

The observance aligns with growing national recognition of September 19 as National Stillbirth Prevention and Awareness Day. Congress has supported the designation, and the 2024 Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act expanded federal resources for prevention activities and research.

Helen Raleigh also highlighted the independent documentary, The Due Time, which examines America’s overlooked stillbirth crisis. Produced by Helen Raleigh, a Colorado mother who lost her son Lucas to stillbirth in 2018, the film is still in production. Through interviews with families, advocates, and healthcare professionals in the United States and abroad, The Due Time documentary project seeks to turn private tragedy into public action and to spotlight prevention strategies that have reduced stillbirth rates in other countries.

“The Due Time reminds us that awareness is the first step toward prevention,” Raleigh said. “We cannot prevent what we do not talk about. This film, together with official recognition like Governor Polis’s proclamation, helps move stillbirth from the margins of public conversation into the center of maternal and infant health policy.”

More information about the documentary is available at www.theduetime.com. Supporters are encouraged to share the official trailer using #TheDueTime, #EndPreventableStillbirth, and #BreakTheSilence.

The Due Time invites Coloradans to observe September 19 by learning about stillbirth risk factors and prevention tools—such as tracking fetal movements in the third trimester—supporting bereaved families, and advocating for stronger research and clinical protocols.