A MESSAGE FROM Lauren
Just about a year ago, our son, Remy, made his surprise entrance into the world about a month before his due date. This would have been a purely terrifying experience if not for our beloved midwives and a labor & delivery team that communicated with us every step of the way and made us laugh. (Shout out to the obstetrician who took my hand and asked: "Did you ever think an old queen would be delivering your baby?")
Liz and I were lucky. A lot of moms aren't -- especially in the U.S., which is the only developed country where maternal mortality is going up instead of down. Here in NYC, Black women are 12 times more likely than white women to die in childbirth. In the meantime, many of the states where abortion is now illegal are the same states where it's hardest to access prenatal care. We have no nationally mandated paid family leave, childcare costs more than college tuition or rent, and on top of everything else, we're in the middle of a formula shortage.
Every Mother Counts is an organization with the ambitious goal of making pregnancy and childbirth safer for every mother, everywhere. So I've decided to set an ambitious goal of my own: to run my fifth marathon, which will also be my first since becoming a mom.
Between recovering from pregnancy and a C-section, the hilariously ineffective invention of nursing sports bras, and some truly disgusting daycare illnesses, training has been a little more difficult this time around. But Remy is doing his part by making encouraging noises from inside the jogging stroller, and I would be so grateful to have your support as well. While the personal goal may be slightly insane, the organization is definitely worthwhile.
Thanks, and see you on race day!
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