Gov. Phil Murphy signed two measures last week that support breast cancer research, mammograms for uninsured women and families experiencing pregnancy and infant loss.
Sponsored by Assemblyman Jay Webber, R-26th District, Assembly Bill 921 requires the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to design a breast cancer awareness license plate that raises funds for breast cancer research and mammograms for uninsured women in New Jersey.
“I am proud to sponsor a bill that gives people an option at the MVC to support the health of uninsured women,” said Webber.
According to the American Cancer Society, the five-year relative survival rate for breast cancer detected in the early-localized stage is 99 percent. Mammograms are one of the best tools doctors have to help detect breast cancer early.
Webber also sponsored Assembly Joint Resolution 84, designating October as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.
“Whether you lose a child in the first trimester, through preterm birth or to sudden infant death syndrome, a baby’s death turns what parents expect to be a life-affirming, joyful experience into a painful tragedy. My wife Johanna and I know the bitter sting of that pain firsthand, and we are honored and humbled to help remember New Jersey’s lost babies and the parents who grieve for them,” said Webber.
Webber said that although improved access to health care, advances in neonatal medicine, and public health education campaigns have helped improve mortality rates in the country, one in four women will still lose a baby during pregnancy, delivery or infancy.
