Melissa McMahon

Dear family and friends,

Each year that March for babies comes around, I ask myself the gut check: is this still a key charity that is meaningful to me? And each year since the birth of my child, the answer has been a resounding yes. Here's why.

My sweet kiddo, the one in the dozen pictures on this page, he was a miracle baby for multiple reasons, but he's also the only baby I can safely have. It took seven years and a miscarriage for us to conceive him, and then, for some added excitement, he was born a trimester early. High quality medical research, technology, care, and knowledge (and love) made it possible for him to exist at all, and also possible for him to survive and thrive.

I know there is a lot going on right now that occupies our minds. I don't agree with the war our country is waging today in Iran. I don't agree with the war our country is waging today here at home, against immigrants. There are so many things our country is doing today that I don't agree with, but I can't be everything, everywhere, all at once (brilliant movie, btw) so I have to pick my focus, and this month, every spring, my focus is here, with reproductive health and equity.  

I'm a lucky one: lucky to be white, straight, employed, and relatively well-off, living in a region with high quality care systems and supported by family. Here in the U.S., you may be surprised to know that maternal mortality (meaning, death of a parent during or after childbirth as a result of childbirth) is much higher here than in other peer countries, 50% higher than the next closest. And black women are twice as likely to die than this already pathetic US average. These statistics appear to be a result of not only poorer care during pregnancy and childbirth, but also after - we live in a country with paltry supports for working families to spend time with their newborns and pay attention to the changes in their bodies, a labyrinthine and stingy health insurance system, and a surprising dearth of midwives and similar services to help new parents through the childbirth and postpartum periods.

I participate in the March for Babies to help all moms and families experience the joy of a healthy childbirth. The funds I raise enable March of Dimes to support research, lead programs, and provide education and advocacy that truly makes a difference to families across the country. If you believe, like I do, that every baby deserves the best possible start, and every birth parent regardless of race, ethnicity, education, income, or disability deserves to be in control of their safe birthing and postpartum experience, please march with me or make a donation to support this community effort. Together, we fight for the health of all moms and babies.

In love,

Melissa