Tulsa Hospital First In State To Offer Perinatal Palliative Care

A new program is helping mothers who learn that their unborn child will only live hours or days.

A Tulsa family who went through that is starting The SILAS Program, named after their son, who died shortly after his birth.

It's the first hospital-based perinatal care program in the state. It offers families special support as they go through a kind of loss few parents can imagine.

Neonatologist Joel Stenzel said patients are leaving Oklahoma to go to states, like Arkansas, Kansas and Texas that have offered this kind of comfort care for years.

There are some diagnoses that today's technology just can't overcome.

"One of the most difficult things for any parent is to have the life of their child, or baby, at risk,” Stenzel said.

Some babies won't live longer than a few hours or days, and there isn't a hospital in Oklahoma that provides their parents with perinatal care, until now.

The SILAS Program at Hillcrest Medical Center offers those parents private childbirth classes, a photographer for baby pictures, a dedicated room and support before and after the baby's birth.

Learn More About The SILAS Program

“It's about building memories for the family. That baby's going to be part of the family for the rest of their lives,” said Stenzel.

The program's namesake, Silas, was a baby boy whose parents are still suffering his loss, but are turning their hurt into a service of love and comfort, with the help of caseworker Jamie Dipiazza-Rodriguez.

"Well, I mean, they don't, they don't know pain. Like, when we look back at Silas, all he knew was love. And I think that sums it up,” she said.

The Oklahoma House passed legislation in February, requiring abortion providers to tell women whose unborn children have fatal conditions, that there are services, like The SILAS Program, which allow you to carry the baby full term.

This is the first hospital-based service of its kind in Oklahoma.

"If we can come alongside them, and be able to support them through that, and make meaningful memories and honor the life of their child, that is one of the most gratifying things we can do,” Stenzel said.