Greenbrier County mother passes law after losing infant son - Beckley, Bluefield & Lewisburg News, Weather, Sports

Greenbrier County mother passes law after losing infant son

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By Kelsey Borza, Reporter - email

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CRAWLEY -

Congenital Heart Defects week is Feb. 7-14 nationwide and we have a woman right here in Southern West Virginia that set out to save babies born with heart defects.

The Greenbrier County woman lost her infant son two years ago to a heart defect and since then she's been working to change the lives of every expectant parent in the state of West Virginia.

Ruth Caruthers son Corbin passed away just days before he would turn three months old.

That was in May of 2011 and three months later in August she decided that she couldn't go on without doing something to help others.

She and a few other West Virginia moms set out to pass a Pulse Ox law which requires every birthing hospital to screen infants for heart defects.

She said people ask all the time how was that not already a law?

She said, "That's the attitude of most people I come across is I thought they would already do this? And they don't. I don't think it's because of a lack of caring it's just a lack of awareness."

Just three months after they wrote and introduced the bill, it became a law this past March.

And because of her hard work, West Virginia was the third state in the nation to have a Pulse Ox law.

Caruthers said, "I love the feeling of knowing that parents can rest a little easier knowing that one more test is being done that is literally saving lives."

It was at Greenbrier Valley Medial Center, the place where Corbin was born that got the ball rolling on the bill. They were one of the first hospitals in the state of West Virginia to put the law into action.

Now, Ruth is putting all her energy into awareness.

She sad, "It wouldn't have changed his outcome but it is saving other babies which makes all of the work worth it."

As of January 2013 every hospital that births babies in the state must perform the Pulse Ox test.

If you would like more information on CHD or to contribute to Ruth's non-profit just click the link to her facebook page called The Corbin Story Fund.