In the News
Medical researchers and providers consider a woman's postpartum period to be up to 12 months after the delivery of baby, but too often, health insurance doesn't see it the same way.
My assignment for this story was originally to highlight people who have dedicated themselves to combating the black maternal mortality crisis.
Tucked somewhere in the cluttered corner of a stranger's iPhone is evidence of my joy. It's a 30-second video of me Milly Rocking, two-stepping in three-inch heels and a black spandex dress chosen specifically for this moment.
In February 2017, U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood's close friend, Dr. Shalon Irving, died three weeks after giving birth to a baby girl. Irving, a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and an epidemiologist, was just 36 years old.