Singer-songwriter Christina Perri, known for the mega hit “A Thousand Years,” suffered two late-term miscarriages, one in her eighth month.
Doctors only discovered after the second loss that the cause was Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS), a treatable autoimmune condition that produces blood clots that often cause miscarriages and stillbirths. APS accounts for 15% of pregnancy losses.
Although easily detectable, a blood test for APS is not part of prenatal screening protocols. Women only get the blood test after a miscarriage, not before.
Perri spoke about the devastating loss of baby Rosie at the Tuesday, Sept. 15 Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting. She joined Supervisor Janice Hahn whose motion passed unanimously by the full Board directing the Department of Health Services (DHS) and Department of Public Health to spread information on their websites about APS and how to get county patients tested and to make sure the test is available at county hospitals and clinics.
Hahn mentioned her support of federal, bipartisan legislation led by Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-L.A., which would incorporate APS testing into federal guidelines during pregnancy as a standard part of maternal care.
The motion also set Nov. 24, 2026 as APS Awareness Day in L.A. County, the date that would have been baby Rosie’s birthday.
“APS is treatable, but you have to know you have it,” said Hahn, who represents the Fourth District. “I want to raise awareness of this condition, especially among pregnant women, so that more people can get the testing they need and avoid the heartbreak Christina and so many families have already suffered.”
Perri, in an emotional moment, spoke in the meeting of how she had to endure the loss of her nearly full-term baby, not knowing why this was happening. She only found out the cause after the two miscarriages.
“My girl Rosie’s heart had stopped beating just weeks before my due date,” she said to the Board. “I birthed her. I held her. I said goodbye. It was the absolute worst experience I could have ever imagined, physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually — I was broken.”
She said she was not given the test prior to her two miscarriages. After those losses, her doctor gave her the test and quickly determined APS was the reason for both losses, she said.
“My moment of relief was overshadowed by my realization that this was preventable,” she continued. “If I had known I had APS, I would have taken blood thinners and Rosie would be here.”
One and a half years later, she got pregnant again. This time, she went on the APS protocol, which includes blood thinner drugs that prevent blood clots in utero. “And Pixie Rose — my double rainbow baby was born,” she said.
She said women should ask for the blood test to be included in the first trimester blood panel. The test alone costs $1,000, but miscarriage costs in a hospital reach $15,000 or more, research shows, so testing is a healthcare cost saving. She believes the test would be covered by private insurance and government-backed healthcare.
Laura Ashton, a member of the public who called into the meeting, said she had two failed pregnancies due to APS. She’s 28 weeks into a healthy pregnancy and on the doctor-prescribed APS protocol. “If we make it available as part of prenatal care, that would change maternal health so much,” she said.
APS is an autoimmune condition. The body produces antibodies against normal blood cells or cell membranes, causing blood clots. Besides clots that can kill an unborn baby, these can cause heart attacks and strokes in women under 50, according to county and medical sources.
First District Supervisor Hilda Solis said the test can help women of color who are disproportionately impacted by higher rates of maternal health problems, including maternal and infant mortality.
“According to the APS Foundation of America, 1 out of every 5 individuals that experience recurrent miscarriages have APS,” Solis noted. “Education and early detection are critically needed.”
Women who go through multiple miscarriages are usually only given a vague explanation, such as the woman’s body rejected the fetus. But APS research found that these women may have had APS and not know it, because symptoms are often not noticeable.
Perri, who described herself as a singer and a songwriter, “but most importantly I am a mom,” has testified to Congress about passing H. Res. 685. She’s also supported causes for women and children.
“Let’s not get angry. Let’s get inspired,” she said. “It is about saving babies and helping women, families and kids avoid the anguish that I experienced.
“We can turn something heartbreaking into something beautiful,” she concluded.
Perri’s multi-platinum hit song was featured in “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1” and appeared on the film’s soundtrack in 2011. It quickly became a wedding song favorite. In June, the song had sold 13 million units in the United States. The video of Perri performing the song has received 6.2 million views on YouTube.
She also wrote a children’s picture book with illustrator Joy Hwang Ruiz entitled: “A Thousand Years” based on the song lyrics and about motherhood. It is available through Penguin Random House.