filed on: 04.23
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All About My Birthday Fundraiser!

This year, my birthday was obviously a little different to say the least. As much as I wish I was able to celebrate with my friends and family, I know that I’m doing my part by staying home to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In lieu of gifts, I asked my closest friends and loved ones to support me on a new initiative with Every Mother Counts—an organization I proudly started working with last year. We’ve set a goal to reach $50,000 in donations for Every Mother Counts by Mother’s Day, May 10th.

As the world works together to flatten the curve against this global health crisis, mothers across the world are left without the proper resources they need to have a safe childbirth experience. These women cannot be left on the back burner, and neither can the frontline workers who assist them across the board. The maternal health crisis is a lot worse than we think, and it’s an issue that so many people are unaware of and aren’t talking about. There are too many women around the world who go into labor without the proper resources. Every Mother Counts is taking the steps to support mothers, along with doulas, healthcare workers, and midwives to name a few. I want to share some facts about maternal health across the world and encourage you to get involved in fundraiser in any way that you can!

What are the global causes of maternal health?

Hemorrhage, indirect causes, hypertensive disorders, sepsis and infection, unsafe abortion, HIV, and embolism.

Why is this happening?

Disrespectful treatment, discrimination, harmful practices, and shortages of trained healthcare providers.

How can this be prevented?

Almost all global maternal health deaths can be prevented by ensuring that women have access to quality, respectful, and equitable maternity care.

What are the statistics?

Sadly, over 300,000 maternal health deaths occur each year. This means that over 800 women die every single day—this is not okay. This crisis is ongoing and 99% of these deaths happen in developing nations.

What do the donations go towards?

All donations go towards EMC’s mission of providing mothers, nurses, doulas, and midwives worldwide with the resources they need to have a safe childbirth experience.

Now I know that times are tough for most right now, but even just one dollar would help make a difference. We often associate giving back with making large donations, but that truly isn’t the case. The funds we collect will help with prenatal kits, diapers and groceries, telehealth support, it can help a midwife or doula and even the maternal staff who are helping pregnant women. For anyone who doesn’t have the means to donate right now, you can still help us achieve our goal—it costs zero dollars to raise awareness!

Right now, maternal health is unfamiliar territory for a lot of people. Simply taking the time to learn more about the maternal health crisis is a big help to us because you’re now more aware and educated on the topic—reading this blog post is a great first step! As we practice social distancing, Every Mother Counts is hosting a variety of online events between now and Mother’s Day. This includes virtual panels, expert discussions, expert takeovers, and special performances all dedicated towards celebrating and elevating moms across the world. In fact, this Friday they’ll be celebrating their 10th anniversary with a live screening of the film that launched EMC at the Tribeca Film Festival, No Woman, No Cry. EMC’s founder, Christy Turlington Burns, will then follow with a live discussion featuring mental health experts on how the state of maternal health has changed in the last 10 years. This is another great opportunity for you to learn more about the cause and how to get involved!

You can also share what you’ve learned with your loved ones and share it online as well. The more we get people talking and learning, the closer we get to making a change.

So, what do you say? Join me in helping moms everywhere. Tap the donation link here. 

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