SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – “I’m not a bodyguard, I’m a doula,” SeQuoia Kemp proclaimed. “Patients call and ask for help, and they’re told to just put their feet up. Meanwhile their placenta is detaching from their uterus,” she continued.
This is the reality of many women in Onondaga county, many of them have near deadly experiences giving birth to their own children. Onondaga’s maternal mortality rate per 100,000 live births is 20% higher than New York State average, a concerning number for mothers in the area. People like SeQuoia Kemp are trying to do their part to help those in need, both directly and indirectly. Sequoia founded Doula4aQueen, which gives women who are pregnant support both mentally and physically through doula’s.
Right now she says the attention revolving around the issue has improved, but still not where it needs to be. Black Maternal Health week is in April, a perfect time to talk and discuss this issue with the public.
In fact, SeQuoia held a press conference at Syracuse’s South Side Communication center. The conference had many women, black women, in attendance to voice their stories and concerns. But the one group that was missing was lawmakers in Onondaga County.
“It’s disappointing, it’s very disappointing to see,” said Mia Wade, another Syracuse mother who says she feels as if this issue isn’t at the top of the Syracuse government’s priorities and it never will. She’s not the only mother that feels like this, Julyanne Rosario-Vasquez, another Syracuse mom of three says “ I don’t think that they see themselves trying to fix it anytime.” She says things might be different for her and many other black mothers if they looked like the white politicians in the Syracuse government.
Julyanne personally had a near death experience in a hospital when delivering her child, but not in the ER. She nearly died in the waiting room as doctors and nurses passed her by, bleeding through her dress as her water broke. “They are really going to let me die out here.” she thought at the moment, she only got her help when SeQuoia came in and demanded for the staff to help her. “I call it getting buck,” she said about the night, “I try not to get there but sometimes you have to be assertive,” she continued.
As this issue is one that is growing as years go on, SeQuoia wants women to know that they are not alone and that this is a community. “Know that you’re not alone, and I think that’s the biggest thing,” she said.