Tragedy to Clemson family behind new test law

A Clemson couple is gratified by the passage of a state law that requires testing newborns for congenital heart defects. The bill, set to become law in September, was requested by Susan and Jason Smith after the couple lost their first child, Emerson Rose Smith, in 2011 at the age of just two and a half months. The law, named for Emerson Rose, passed the South Carolina Legislature unanimously. It requires all of the state’s birthing hospitals to test newborns within 48 hours of their birth. The Smiths, through a foundation, are committed to providing funds to ensure all of the hospitals have the test equipment.