Saying Thank You Could Never be Enough
Pictured here with her husband, George, and Doula, Zel! Your gift ensures other mothers like Christina have the resources they desperately need. Photo credit: @chrissyhutch_
Because of you, Christina and her baby are healthy
Because she had a Doula of Color beside her, she wakes up to her healthy and whole baby girl every day.
Christina was aware that Women of Color are three times more likely to die in childbirth, which is why she reached out to HumanKind’s maternal health supports program, The Motherhood Collective. She had heard about the Birth in Color, LYH Doula Project on social media – which pairs Doulas of Color with pregnant Women of Color to help them achieve the healthiest births possible. A Doula is a coach, educator, and counselor all wrapped into one. They assist women during childbirth and are one of the most effective tools to reducing maternal mortality.
As someone who battled depression and anxiety even before pregnancy, Christina knew she was going to have to work twenty times harder to advocate for herself as a Woman of Color in the maternity care system. “I think hospitals and doctors’ offices should be safe spaces.” She shared, “It shouldn’t be a battlefield.” With all that she knew and heard from other women of color, she was scared.
She knew she needed help. Christina applied for the opportunity to have free Doula Care. And she was amazed by the empowering and nurturing education and support she received! “[My Doula] didn’t just fill up space! She came to prenatal appointments, she supported me – she was like having a mom right there with me.”
Because of your generosity and support, Christina had a support system that walked this journey with her and gave her a safe, nurturing experience.
Her voice trembled as she shared her feelings because she had a Doula of Color in the delivery room with her – she felt safe, she felt whole, and she felt heard. Now when she looks at her healthy baby girl, she wonders how can she pay-it-forward and help other women in her community have this same experience. What a blessing you are in her life.
Because of you, Christina is home with her baby and she’s experienced the love and care of a Doula – not only a Doula, but a Doula who looks like her. As she says, “that’s monumental, that’s big, that’s huge!”
You are the reason Christina was not alone during this vulnerable time. Today Christina is not only hopeful for the world she brought her daughter into, but she’s inspired to help other moms like her.
“The fact that a program like this exists, and good people are out in this world and their hearts are beating and they’re donating to make a change…it’s just a beautiful thing. Thank you just doesn’t suffice.”
The Birth in Color, LYH Doula Project is a partnership between HumanKind and Birth in Color, RVA. For more information please visit: https://www.birthincolorlyh.org/
Thanks to you, Christina had support to get the best care into motherhood. Your gift ensures she had the support she needed to stay safe for her family and that she is not alone at this vulnerable time. Right now there are so many women who need to find this same kind of life-changing support. Because of you, a lifeline of support and resources is ready to help a mom in need.
Learn more about The Motherhood Collective program at HumanKind by visiting here.
