Silver Lining
Born Out Of Tragedy, Gabriel’s Law Will Save Lives In Maryland
By Raoul Dennis
There are things in life that are nearly impossible to prepare for. In September 2021, now-Delegate Jamila Woods came face to face with one of them: the untimely death of her son.
Gabriel Woods, Delegate Jamila Wood's late son, passed away on September 7, 2021, after a major communication challenge preventing a reasonable response to a requested welfare check that she initiated.
The day started off for her with a sense of concern. Woods and Gabriel, typically chatted every morning as he prepared for his day from his Richmond, VA-based home. Not having spoken to Gabriel early the morning of the incident, Delegate Woods was confident that Gabriel was having a life-threatening medical emergency.
Woods called the Richmond Police to request a welfare check only to be met with an administrative glitch. She was told that as an out-of-state requester that the police department in the state where she resided had to provide notification to them before they could proceed with a welfare check. After hours (all day) waiting for Prince George's County to call Richmond police, she managed to get a family friend, who lived in Richmond, to call and request the welfare check and go to her son's house.
After hours of attempting to get assistance, her son was found deceased in his bathroom, shower still running, due to a seizure that caused him to fall and hit his head.
The ordeal took a little more than 12 hours before Gabriel was found.
Turning her grief into action, Woods initiated and fought for what became known as Gabriel’s Law (HB404/SB190).
“Thank you so much. It was a great day and having everyone there was a tremendous blessing,” Woods said after the June 15 Celebration Walk recognizing the passage of the law. The walk spanned the Wilson bridge linking Maryland and Virginia to symbolize the interstate nature of its purpose.
“Where you live should not determine if you live,” quoted on the flyer noting the words that have been applied to global health care efforts and Global Citizen concerts.
”As neighbors we don’t always reach out to one another anymore,” said County Executive Angela Alsobrooks who participated at the launch of the walk with a number of other leaders. “We don’t connect with anybody until something happens.’ We are hoping this law will make a difference.”
Gabriel's Law, officially known as the Public Safety - Wellness Checks - Requirements (GABRIEL’S LAW), was introduced by Delegate Jamila Woods in response to the inadequate jurisdictional policy that led to the loss of her son. The law requires law enforcement agencies and medical services, including fire, rescue, or emergency medical services, to conduct or request a wellness check in response to a "qualified request" without unreasonable delay. A "qualified request" includes any oral or written requests that contain credible information regarding a life-threatening concern. If the person in question is outside the jurisdiction of the requesting agency, they are required to request the appropriate agency to conduct the check.
The law was co-sponsored by Senator Anthony Muse and is expected to take effect beginning October 1, 2024. This legislation marks a significant step forward in ensuring the safety and well-being of individuals who request out-of-state welfare checks on family members and co-workers.
