Flint event addresses Black maternal death rate in mid-Michigan

FLINT, Mich. (WNEM) – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a proclamation declaring April 11 through April 17 as Black Maternal Health Week in Michigan to honor the prenatal through postpartum experiences of Black mothers. A mid-Michigan healthcare facility held an event to highlight disparities in the system. The maternal healthcare disparity is a nationwide crisis heavily impacting Black mothers, and for many, it’s a matter of life or death. “We don’t always get the proper care that we deserve,” said Denae Horton, the mother of an 8-week-old baby girl. She knows firsthand the disparities mothers face throughout pregnancy, which is why she is grateful for places like Revive Community Health Center and the Revive Village that rallied around her during her pregnancy. “Just helps you to, you know, get the support and the services that you need and deserve while you’re carrying. And then, just having the doulas available for you to talk about your pregnancy or walk alongside you during the labor room is amazing,” Horton said. There were 443 maternal deaths in Michigan from 2015 to 2019 according to a report by the Michigan Maternal Mortality Surveillance Program. The report showed that Black women were nearly three times more...