As you may know if you’ve followed this blog for a while or ever heard my story, my family and I have deep ties to Puerto Rico. I gave birth to my first daughter there and we plan to return one day to live.
Well, my friends at Circle of Health are at this very moment gathering supplies and deploying a team headed to Puerto Rico in the wake of the destruction and havoc that Hurricane Maria has blanketed the island with. They will arrive tomorrow and begin working with local midwives delivering prenatal care items, obstetrical supplies in case of emergency deliveries, and medications to treat outbreaks that have started.
Do you know how I know these midwives are legit and actually serving women? They are the very midwives that my own doula worked alongside. The experience of delivering and serving women in Puerto Rico is a large part of what set me out on this journey of supporting mamas and babies. It is the spark that continues to light me up as I work toward my goals as a birth worker.
If you’ve followed my blog for awhile you also know how much Circle of Health means to me! This is a female led organization founded by a midwife and global public health advocate, Sera Bonds.
To date, COHI has served over 3 million women around the, including Sri Lanka, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Jordan, Syria, Philippines, Sudan, and Haiti. They were also recognized by the United Nations’ Every Woman Every Child Initiative last year.
COHI is committed to empowering local women and midwives who are already serving their community, but are in desperate need of support during a crisis situation or natural disaster.
If you would like to be a part of supporting women and babies in Puerto Rico there are TWO ways you can do so.
Here are two ways you can support mothers and babies in Puerto Rico:
- Purchase my Calendula Pregnancy & Postpartum Belly Salve
- Donate directly to the work of Circle of Health International on their site.