Change U.S. policy through legislation
How to get a Law passed – even if you're not thin and famous!
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Trying for a law is a thrilling adventure – full of ups and downs!
It can unite politicians, citizens and organizations over a worthy cause.
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BEGIN YOUR LEGISLATIVE JOURNEY:
Google how to get a law passed on your issue – you can get an answer on state and federal level. Read the tips on both. I googled, “How to get a cytomegalovirus bill passed” and AI provided a good answer (I was shocked to see my name mentioned in NY and CT results).
Link to my Google search on congenital CMV, “How to get a cytomegalovirus bill passed” and AI answer on one date, then more info on another date:
Federal Level State Level
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Who I am, what I did, what I’m still trying to do
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My Congenital CMV Story
IN 1989, I WAS PREGNANT WITH ELIZABETH
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ELIZABETH ANN SAUNDERS WAS BORN ON DEC.18, 1989
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(I’m seen here holding Elizabeth for the first time. I felt sick about her small head. Her big sister said, “She’s going to have a big head–just like me!” She never did.)
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Elizabeth died at 16
ELIZABETH HAD HER LAST SEIZURE ON FEB. 9, 2006. SHE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT NYACK HOSPITAL, NY.
Her teachers from Maryland drove through a snowstorm to attend her memorial service and funeral in Suffern, NY.
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Terrible dream after Elizabeth’s death
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My books help shout CMV from the rooftops. But they didn’t provide lasting change.
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WARNING: Pursuing legislation is extremely time-consuming – and may take years!
Still want to try for legislation? In the following slides, I will cover:
NOTE: I HAVE YET TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN HELPING GET A LAW PASSED THAT REQUIRES FUNDING.
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(Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope in “Parks and Recreation”.)
Slide from “Advocating for Change: PARENT EXPERIENCES IN POLICY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT” (Devereaux, Amanda, IA; Hall, Rebekah, ID; Sweet, Laura, ME; Greenlee, Janelle, CA. at the Congenital Cytomegalovirus Public Health and Policy Conference, Burlington, VT, 2018).
Be encouraged: Persistence – and pestering legislators – does eventually pay off!
“The parable of the unrighteous judge”
This Scripture helps me stay the course – despite years of defeat
“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: ‘In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
“‘For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’
“And the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unjust judge says.And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?’” (Luke 18: 1-7).
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Before I discovered legislative work, I thought if I got thin and famous the world would listen to my cause. I had hope for fame when I got shanghaied by a blind sailor to make an ocean voyage in the winter. But when I abandoned ship, that kind of fame alluded me (but I still wrote about)!
Summary of my book, “Mystic Seafarer’s Trail”:
While searching for the Seven Wonders of Mystic, Connecticut, with her beagle-basset hound, author Lisa Saunders uncovers the secrets behind the Titanic's shoes, Amelia Earhart's Noank wedding and Captain Sisson's hunt for gold. But will she ever find an adventure of her own – one that will make her thin and famous? Then it happens: when walking the Mystic Seafarer's Trail, she meets a blind sailor who invites her on a long winter voyage. Can this landlubber defy squalls, scurvy, and her fear of scraping barnacles to survive this epic journey?
To ensure our survival on our sea voyage, I packed everything from a knife (to ward off pirates) to limes (to ward off scurvy). The one thing I forgot to pack? Bravery! I abandoned ship after only one day of sailing. The events leading to why I abandoned ship are detailed in my book, which playwright Marcus Fisk adapted into a screenplay. So, who knows, maybe someday you’ll read: "Now a major motion picture coming to a theater near you" – and then it just might become the vehicle that raises CMV awareness.
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Next, I almost got famous as a beer stein hoister in a competition sponsored by the Sam Adams Brewing Company. To get attention, I sent newspapers a photo of myself and told how patriot Sam Adams wanted my ancestor to hang for treason.
https://patch.com/connecticut/stonington/mystic-woman-wins-beerhoisting-competition-stonington
U.S. Senator Chris Murphy. I thought perhaps that attention could help the CMV cayuse. (Senator Murphy became a sponsor of 2024
Stop CMV Act because someone truly thin and famous
got his attention – CT New 8’s Ann Nyberg!)
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Unexpectedly, I got a Google alert on congenital CMV in 2013 that showed me a better way than winter sailing or stein hoisting – one that didn’t require getting thin and famous – or hanging for treason!
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LEGISLATIVE PROCESS - Learn how it all works
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Search for a bill you’d like to see in your state (or some version of it). Search your state and topic to see if a similar bill was or is being considered. If so, contact your representatives and ask them to sponsor it, pass it, or get advice on how you can help gain support for the bill. If no similar bill, search if any state in the U.S. has filed a similar bill so you can copy the wording and bring it to your representatives for drafting.
Sample New York bills:
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If nothing in the U.S., search the world for a similar law.
If nothing in the U.S., search the world for a similar law.
YOU MAY HAVE TO LOOK TO OTHER COUNTRIES TO FIND A DESIRED POLICY.
EXAMPLE - HOW OTHER COUNTRIES HANDLE CMV IN DAYCARE CENTERS
In Germany: "Based on the German Maternity Protection Law (Mutterschutzgesetz)… to protect DCWs [day care workers] from primary infection, their CMV serostatus must be checked at the beginning of their pregnancy. When the DCW is seronegative, she is excluded from professional activities with children under the age of three years..."
In Queensland, Australia, they suggest relocating “workers who are pregnant, or who expect to become pregnant, to care for children aged over two to reduce contact with urine and saliva.”
Visit your representative or Town Clerk to get started.
Find your federal and state representatives by filling in your address here:
https://www.commoncause.org/find-your-representative.
My journey began when the first CMV bill passed in Utah (bill image on right).
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Was I following in the footsteps of Amelia Earhart?
Since I lived in the Town of Groton, the same town that Amelia Earhart got married in (copy of her marriage license at Groton Town Hall on right), I thought it was a sign that I could be following her path in making a difference. She used her fame to contribute to the women's rights movement. I thought CMV awareness was a woman’s rights issue.
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MOTIVATE LEGISLATORS TO FILE AND SPONSOR BILLS BY GAINING MEDIA ATTENTION FOR YOUR CAUSE
In hopes of motivating my representative and other Connecticut legislators to work on CMV, I asked an editor of The Day, a newspaper out of New London, if she would feature my story about my daughter Elizabeth. When the article, "Loss and love: Author raises awareness about preventable birth defect”was published (Barry, A., 2013), my representative said it was a great reminder to present Utah’s bill to Connecticut’s health committee. And that is what she did.
I contacted other newspapers and TV stations to tell them about the bill and my desire to see it pass. They were happy to cover my story.
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2. Purservering after a defeat.
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Back to the drawing board – and success!
The Connecticut CMV bill was filed again in 2015. But I was wiser, had more allies (like CT doctors, government relations personnel and lobbyists from interested organizations), and was willing to learn why the first bill failed.
In my first bill attempt, no one wanted to tell me – the mother of disabled/deceased child – that they didn’t like the prevention education part because it would cost CT $40,000 annually – despite my data showing how they would save money in the long run in special education and medical costs.
(Trying to find out why some oppose a bill can be hard – legislators may not want to irritated a group that supports them, a group that will be affected.)
It killed me, but I agreed with Rep. Kevin Ryan (seen between me and the CT governor) that legislators could take out the educational campaign part of the bill in 2014. Getting something passed (testing newborns for CMV if they failed their hearing screen) was definitely better than nothing. Plus, any bill would set the stage for more education and more testing. Years later, after I had left CT for NY, someone truly thin and famous urged forward a more comprehensive bill, Ann Nyberg of News 8 (seen next to me), whose granddaughter was born with congenital CMV.)
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3. How to get media attention about your cause and your the bill.
Google how to write a press release.
Prnewswire.com advises how to write one. Excerpt:
Structure and Outline of a Press Release
We’ll start with the press release basics: A well-structured release makes your message easy to understand and therefore easy to promote. Here’s a breakdown of the basic components of a press release:
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SAMPLE PRESS RELEASE – In 2025, I EMAILED THE FOLLOWING TO MY MEDIA CONTACTS
Mom Hopes NY Residents Will Ask Legislators to Cosponsor Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Bills to Help Newborns
Congenital CMV is the leading viral cause of birth defects, including autism and hearing loss
Baldwinsville, N.Y., September 23, 2025 (Lisa Saunders)--A Baldwinsville mother is asking residents to contact their assembly members and senators (visit this link to find them) and ask them to consponsor two CMV bills A3956 and A3074. These bills are still in the health committee (committees meet again in Jan. 2026).
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states: “CMV can be passed from a pregnant person to their fetus. About one in 200 infants are born with a congenital CMV infection; of those, about one in five will have birth defects or other long-term health problems” (ACOG, 2024). Congenital CMV can cause autism (AAP News), is the #1 viral cause of birth defects, and is the leading non-heredity cause of hearing loss (CDC). CMV transmission between children is common in childcare centers. Individuals who work in childcare have an occupational risk for CMV (OSHA).
I was the mother of Elizabeth (1989-2006) born with brain damage from congenital CMV. When pregnant, I was unaware of CMV and how to prevent it – namely by carefully handling the saliva and urine of toddlers who, though otherwise healthy, may be excreting the virus in their bodily fluids.
In 2018, New York passed S2816, which requires testing newborns who fail their hearing screen for CMV, but it’s important to diagnose all cases at birth because cases are missed. "Babies with CMV who are caught early can access early treatment – which includes anything from anti-viral medication, to early intervention services, to long term hearing and vision monitoring. Since 90% of symptomatic babies are missed at birth, universal screening would help identify both symptomatic babies who may benefit from medication, and also asymptomatic babies who are at higher risk of hearing loss in childhood"--Dr. Megan Pesch, National CMV Foundation (2021). MN and CT have universal screening laws.
In 2025, New York Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal filed two CMV bills:
In April 2025, upon completing my five-year walk between Buffalo to Albany with my husband Jim on the Erie Canalway Trail leaving behind "Stop CMV" rocks, I met with some Health Committee members in Albany to educate them on the importance of diagnosing congenital CMV at birth because a newborn may pass their hearing test, but then experience a progressive hearing loss. "Hearing loss can affect a child’s ability to develop speech, language, and social skills. The earlier that children with hearing loss start getting services, the more likely they are to reach their full potential" (CDC). In 2022, NYS passed “Elizabeth’s Law” (A7560), named in memory of my daughter. It “Requires the provision of informational materials to child care providers and certain physicians and midwives regarding...congenital cytomegalovirus infection." The NYS Dept. of Health created the following informational materials and sends the out annually (from pop@ocfs.ny.go)v:
To learn more about the 2025 CMV bills, A3956 and A3074, contact Nick Guile, Legislative Director, Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal, 518.455.5802, guilen@nyassembly.gov.
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Write a “Letter to the Editor”
Boston Globe published my “Letter to the Editor”: “Pregnancy-affecting virus cries out for awareness, prevention” (April 23, 2023).
Direct link to my letter: ”Caregivers and teachers are also at risk”
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My singer/songwriter friend, Debra Lynn Alt, wrote a song about congenital CMV – further helping me raise awareness.
Had I Known (about CMV)
(A Song for Elizabeth)
Written by Debra Lynn Alt © 2018 DebraSong Publishing
"Had I Known (about CMV)": Loco Dare Productions: Debra Lynn Alt, lead vocalist; Connie Howard, keyboard and harmony vocals; Jim Carpenter, mandolin and guitar; Stacy Phillips, violin; Ann West, cello; and Jeff Fuller, bass.
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4. How to pester legislators
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This 2015 CT News 8 piece, “Mystic mom raising awareness about potential deadly virus,” shows me walking around the capitol trying to get legislators interested in the bill (Rep. Kevin Ryan, who greatly advocated for the bill, is among those interviewed.)
I told legislators the rocks were painted by Kaia’s mom, Tabitha Rodenhaus of Buffalo. Kaia likes to watch her mom paint. Clearly, my daughter wasn’t the only New Yorker to suffer from congenital CMV.
The rocks give reporters a visual to include in their stories. Silver is the color of CMV awareness.
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We met a legislator at a June CMV Awareness Month event in 2021. He then agreed to become a co-sponsor of �“Elizabeth’s Law,” named in memory of our daughter to require CMV education. Parents asked that their child’s name be written on a silver rock. Over 200 rocks were placed that day - representing the number of New York babies born disabled by CMV each year.
(Trail of Hope, Lyons, 2021: Moms included Lisa Saunders, Jessica Keukelaar of Macedon and Kristin Schuster of Canandaigua. Watch video of Event: “Had I Known, Lyrics and Music by Debra Lynn Alt.”)
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If a legislator wasn’t available at their office or event, I sent them a photo of myself visiting their image! They could use that photo to get media attention for their work.
The Citizen: "Hochul signs 'Elizabeth's Law,' named for Auburn native's daughter, to raise CMV awareness", Robert Harding, Nov. 29, 2022.
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I was texted these photos of “Elizabeth’s Law,” named in memory of my daughter, being voted on by Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal. New York Governor signed it into law on Mon., Nov 28, 2022,
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PRESS RELEASE I EMAILED TO THE MEDIA AFTER THE BILL PASSED
Need to keep raising awareness! Need to ensure the law will be enforced!
Google how to write a press release. Excerpt from https://www.prnewswire.com/resources/articles/how-to-write-a-press-release-tips-and-best-practices/
Structure and Outline of a Press Release
We’ll start with the press release basics: A well-structured release makes your message easy to understand and therefore easy to promote. Here’s a breakdown of the basic components of a press release:
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All my hardwork was worth it when I saw New York’s CMV education materials as a result of “Elizabeth’s Law” (S6287C/A7560).
From: https://ocfs.ny.gov/programs/childcare/letters.php
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December 27 – Risk of Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
Dear Provider: This letter is to inform you about the risks of Cytomegalovirus (CMV), as well preventative measures to protect against the virus…[info about CMV]...Elizabeth’s Law went into effect in 2023 and was named in honor of Elizabeth Saunders, a 16-year-old girl who died in 2006 after experiencing a seizure. Elizabeth had a severe case of congenital CMV and, as a result, developed hearing and vision loss, seizures, and cerebral palsy. Elizabeth’s Law requires OCFS to share information with every licensed, registered, or enrolled child care provider and their staff related to the occurrence, transmission, birth defects, methods of diagnosis and preventive measures of CMV. The New York State Department of Health developed resources about CMV including a flier specifically for child care providers, which is attached and is posted on the OCFS website. Please review the document carefully, share it with the adults in your program, and consider posting it as a reminder to staff…
(I am unaware if it’s possible yet to order CMV materials from the New York Department of Health on its “Order form” at health.ny.gov/publications/4208/
1) Protect Your Baby from Cytomegalovirus (Publication #20172);
2) Congenital Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Testing and Your Baby (Publication #20185))
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Now, I’m trying for a law to get all newborns tested for CMV in New York so they can receive early intervention. We finished our walk, a 360-Mile Erie Canalway Challenge, on 4/23/25 in Albany. The next day, I visited legislators and asked them to pass the CMV laws filed by Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (seen below).
Left: Jim and I just completed walking the Erie Canalway Trail between Buffalo and Albany leaving Stop CMV rocks along the Trail. I’m pictured above with Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal, the driving force behind CMV legislation in New York. We are in her Albany office – the day after I finished our walk across the state.)
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I DROPPED IN ON MEMBERS OF THE HEALTH COMMITTEE IN ALBANY.
Some legislators, and their staff, were available to speak to me about the bills.
Some legislators has posters outside their doors, showing me the causes they cared about. When possible, I showed them how CMV might relate to those causes (you can also find out their interests on their government web pages). I asked legislators what they wanted to know, other than the stats I presented on a single sheet of paper, about congenital CMV. They wanted to know more about the following:
A) Racial Disparities: Congenital CMV “is 3 times more prevalent in black infants” (Moderna, Inc). See short video, “Racial Disparities in Babies with cCMV” (Massachusetts CCMV Coalition).
B) Savings: "savings of up to $37.97 per newborn screened were estimated" when all newborns are tested for congenital CMV” (Gantt, et al., JAMA Pediatrics, 2016). The report, “AN ACT RELATIVE TO NEWBORN SCREENING FOR CONGENITAL CYTOMEGALOVIRUS” (by BerryDunn for MA’s CMV bill), analyzes costs.
A) Antiviral treatment: “valganciclovir, if implemented by 30 days of age, improved audiologic and neurodevelopmental outcomes for moderately-to-severely symptomatic infants" (Schleiss, M., The Journal of Pediatrics, 2024).
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LEGISLATORS LIKED KNOWING WHAT NY ALREADY HAD AND WHO WAS IN SUPPORT
We already have the following laws in NYS:
2018: Targeted CMV testing law passed. A587C/S2816 “Requires urine polymerase chain reaction testing for cytomegalovirus of newborns with hearing impairments”.
2022: “Elizabeth’s Law” (A7560), named in memory of my daughter. It “Requires the provision of informational materials to child care providers and certain physicians and midwives regarding...congenital cytomegalovirus infection."
Organizations Supporting Universal CMV Screening and their detailed position statements:
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I CONTINUE TO PRAY THAT MY REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRAT LEADERS WILL WORK TOGETHER TO SOLVE CONGENITAL CMV
“Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.”
– Abraham Lincoln (Cooper Union speech, 1860)
(Photo of Lincoln by Mathew Brady taken the day of his speech on Feb 27, 1860.)
Lincoln sought unity because he knew:
“Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed”
(Jesus, Matthew 12:25)
Abraham Lincoln paraphrased Jesus when he said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Lincoln nationalized Thanksgiving during the Civil War in 1963 to promote unity and “fervently implore…the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation.”
The proclamation was written by Secretary of State William Seward, once Lincoln’s political rival who became a trusted advisor – for the good of the country.
My great-great grandfather, Union Private Charles McDowell, met President Lincoln while guarding the Capitol. Charles wrote to his wife, Nancy (seen on right): "We have Seward down here about every other day, and sometimes he fetches Old Abe with him and [he] looks about like any old farmer."
In 2023, the National Governors Association initiated the independent nonprofit, Disagree Better, “Because when people see their leaders treating each other with dignity – even in heated debates – it gives all of us permission to do the same.”
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Abraham Lincoln collaborated with his enemies, turning some of them into friends, for the good of our country. I hope “both sides of the isle” will learn from each other to provide the best route to help moms fight against CMV.
I try to learn the strategies of legislators debating their issues so I can refine my congenital CMV fighting policies. I believe in following in the footsteps of my ancestor Capt. Benjamin Church, considered the “Father of American Rangers.” He knew it was important to learn from his Native American friends and enemies how to become a more effective warrior in the swamps and woods.
“Church’s tactics emphasized the importance of surprise, speed, and adaptability—qualities that would come to define the Ranger ethos.” (The History and Legacy of U.S. Army Rangers)
According to Church in his 1716 memoir, “Entertaining Passages relating to Philip's War,” considered the first American military manual, Native Americans taught him to:
Captain BENJAMIN CHURCH was inducted into Ranger Hall of Fame in 1992 (U.S. Army)
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HAVE TROUBLE CORRESPONDING WITH LEGISLATORS YOU DON’T AGREE WITH?
Scriptures (and rainbow sightings) remind me that collaborating with all leaders for a good cause is a great way to prevent disaster from happening to other familes!
I decline to appear in commercials to endorse a candidate because I want to remain neutral. BUT, I offer to be quoted on how a particular candidate helped protect future babies from CMV.
I try to remember to pray for our leaders (no matter their politics) because they must work together for our good: “I urge…that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This…pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (I Timothy 2:1-4).
I don’t hitch myself (or endorse) any politician – none are infallible: “Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save…Blessed are those whose…hope is in the Lord their God (Psalm 146:3-5). Afterall, God “deposes kings and raises up others (Daniel 2:21).
I try to keep my mind on the good a politician has accomplished (instead of which accusations against them are true and which of their policies I disagree with), and be thankful: ”whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable..think about such things" (Phil. 4:8). “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks” (1 Thess. 5:16-18).
Despite political differences, I am reminded, “You must love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31). “Love is patient, love is kind…it keeps no record of wrongs.” (1 Cor. 13:4-5). We are to “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, quarreling, and slander be put away from you…forgiving one another just as God has forgiven you in the Messiah” (Ephesians 4:31-32). I try to remember that we can all be mistaken: “All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely” (1 Corinthians 13:12).
Love is hard when politicians and biased reporters stir up hatred and “go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13).
But legislation can be a good way to solve problems: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).
(Rainbow photo taken from my hotel at Lake George in 2025.)
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REMEMBER: GETTING SOMETHING PASSED IS BETTER THAN GETTING NOTHING PASSED. I pray for my NY leaders to collaborate on two New York State CMV bills:
Excerpt from: "Local activists push NYS to enact CMV legislation" (Edwards, A., Eagle Newsroom, October 8, 2025).
"Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal, who is a member of the assembly's health committee and the sponsor of these bills, said awareness must be spread surrounding CMV and legislative action needs to be taken. She said she will keep pushing to get the bills on the health committee's agenda and to eventually get them signed into law. Rosenthal has previously been involved in CMV legislation including a law passed in 2018 which requires newborns who fail their hearing screening to be tested for CMV. She was also involved in 'Elizabeth's Law,' which requires childcare providers and physicians to be provided with educational materials regarding congenital cytomegalovirus infection."
"'My goal in this is to make sure all newborns are tested so we can try to intervene to save their hearing and to lessen some of the delays that come along with having CMV. And the first two laws have started that path with education and more testing, and now I'm intent on making sure that everyone gets tested and that the state has a record of where CMV infections have occurred,' Rosenthal said."
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I’m praying for Congress that they will collaborate to pass the federal Stop CMV Act 2025
STOP CMV Act 2025 (H.R.5435) was reintroduced in Congress by New York Congressman Mike Lawler (he attended my Elizabeth's funeral in 2006) and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (CT).
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I PERSEVERE SO FUTURE BABIES ARE SPARED CONGENITAL CMV
Things are looking up – I did not abandon ship on the above canal boat. As a result of walking the entire 360-mile Erie Canalway Trail for congenital CMV, I was asked to be a short-term passenger on a replica of the historic Seneca Chief in celebration of the Erie Canal's bicentennial. (Or maybe I was asked because I descent from Jacob Leach, a Canal engineer and planner for the original Seneca Chief boat parade that launched the Erie Canal in 1825.)
(Photo caption: (l to r): Lisa Wiles, Director, Liz and Dave Beebe Camillus Erie Canal Park; Lisa Saunders, Erie Canalway Challenge Ambassador (holding Sal, the mule); and Jacquie Owens, Communications Librarian, Baldwinsville Public Library, aboard the Seneca Chief on the Seneca River in Baldwinsville on October 4, 2025.)
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To erase my shame of abandoning ship on when sailing with my friends in 2012 to raise awareness of CMV (so I could live up to my Mayflower (seen above) ancestor, Richard Warren, who not only didn't abandoned ship, but it was said of him (after his death in 1628) that he was a "useful instrument; and during his life bore a deep share in the difficulties and troubles of the first settlement of the plantation of New-Plymouth" (American Ancestors).
This presentation is dedicated to the memory of my daughter, Elizabeth Saunders
(the following are the closing words to the song, “Had I Known (about CMV),” inspired by Elizabeth’s life.)
There’s a promise that I made to keep,
As I let you go
My precious one I’ll sing this song so
all the world will know…
(Image of Lisa and Elizabeth Saunders on CD cover, "Had I Known" © 2018 DebraSong Publishing, Debra Lynn Alt, www.debrasong.com, Click on: “Had I Known (about CMV).”)
Debra’s email: debrasong@gmail.com
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Had I known
I could have found another way
I wouldn’t wonder every day
Had I known
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Had I known
My heart would not have hit the ground
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You might have been beside me now
Had I known.
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About Lisa Saunders
“Promote your cause by getting media attention and laws passed. Be prepared to collaborate with ‘both sides’ to benefit all citizens.” –Lisa Saunders
Member of CMV Policy Coalition (National CMV Foundation) and TV interviewer for PAC-B TV. Author of Had I Known about CMV: From Shock to Law; Advisory Board (as Parent Advocate) for PROACTIVE NYS, a long-term follow-up study of young children with congenital CMV; NY DeafBlind Collaborative Expert Advisory Council.
Contact Lisa Saunders, LisaSaunders42@gmail.com
(Photo of Lisa Saunders in the Mystic Diner, circa 2018, by Collette Fournier)
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