Jaden’s desire to become a mother lived in her heart for a long time. She discovered she was expecting and immediately shared her news with her little sister followed by her mother. She was so excited that she named her son that day. She knew she wanted to be a mother when she was 16 years old.

She began planning for a homebirth but struggled with the beginnings of becoming a single mother as she watched her partner become less engaged and not provide for her and their unborn child in the way she thought he would.

Eight months into the pregnancy Jaden was moving and under tremendous stress. Overnight, Jaden’s health took a turn. She became swollen and her skin was glossy. Her midwife assured her that she was okay and it was normal swelling, which proved to be inaccurate. As time went on, headaches started up; she assumed it was dehydration. Jaden attempted to take Tylenol but she threw up and her partner contacted her mother. Her partner at the time, took her to the hospital, during the middle of the pandemic. Her mother joined them at the hospital but wasn't permitted to join them inside due to guest limits in triage. The hospital staff wanted to start an induction but Jessica knew that Jaden's blood pressure needed to stabilize first. The issue is the Catholic-based hospital insisted that the baby’s life was prioritized over the mother through their actions and words. Jessica called the hospital multiple times and the staff threatened to ban her from the hospital; if she didn’t stop calling.

Jaden’s memories in this timeframe are still blurry, she has relied heavily on her mother’s memory to connect the dots. She recalls feeling helpless and scared by not really knowing her options and having sound support in the room.  Jessica connected with the hospital administration, discovering that the nursing staff had reported her. The administrator supported Jessica’s presence in the room and cleared her to go in the room.

The medical team started a series of treatments to bring down her blood pressure. The hospital staff continued to push the induction because the baby looked fine. Her mother had to make them see the mother, her child, as being equally important. Eventually Jaden requested a cesarean section because the baby was stable. Jaden knew she needed the baby to come out as she felt in between life and death. She could feel her own life slipping. Her care didn’t match what she needed. After continued advocacy from her mother, Jaden would eventually have the surgical birth she desired to move forward with ending the pregnancy as the baby was healthy and well. A new care provider stepped in and listened and assured Jaden and Jessica she would take care of her.

Postpartum would be a continuous struggle as giving birth was only one step in Jaden's recovery. Her heart was racing and she requested continued monitoring for herself. She was diagnosed with two pulmonary embolisms. Her journey didn’t end with the birth. Over the next year, she  continues to have mental and physical health issues. We are grateful for Jaden's  presence. The medical staff was deeply insensitive to Jaden and her mother in their personhood in the prenatal and postpartum stages. The threat of police and separation came when Jessica called out the staff for their incompetence. The birth experience they had hoped for turned into the most traumatic experience of their lives.

Watching Jaden recall her story was like watching a veil lifting as she reconnected with herself. The glimmer in her eyes and smile on her face when she had a firm memory come up that belonged to her.

Listening to Jaden’s story through Jessica is the epitome of a mother’s love as a verb. This story brings so many women to mind; Dr. Shalon Irving and her mother, Wanda Irving, Tatia Oden and her mother, Maddy Oden, and the countless Black mothers who have suffered through losing their daughters during or shortly after childbirth. Jessica is at the helm of the fight for reproductive justice for Black families as the CEO of Restoring Our Own Through Transformation (ROOTT).  Jessica found herself head-on with the very thing she fights for her own clients within ROOTT. Each one of those women deserved adequate care.  Jaden’s story lives in a different dark space. This experience shifted self-trust, the opportunity to bond with her dream child, and ongoing challenges with PTSD that can be paralyzing. Jaden shared her story for her healing, and a call for accountability for medical professionals.