COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH) — Rho sims founded the Black Maternal Health Collective after losing two of her friends to childbirth complications.
She recognized a gap in health care for moms of color and wanted to be part of the solution.
“When I began to think about becoming a mom and having children, I always feared that I would die, so I suffered a lot through depression and anxiety.” Said Rho Sims.
“Just talking about the dyer statistics of black and brown women dying either during pregnancy or post pregnancy, and the fact that the city of Columbia which is such a diverse city had not done anything officially. I wanted to make sure that we used our platform for good and what you see today is all our community groups coming together to do just that.” Said Aditi Bussells who is the At large Council Woman City in Columbia.
According to the latest data, in South Carolina, the maternal mortality rate increased by nearly 10% from 2018 to 2019.
The data also shows pregnancy-related deaths for black mothers were 67% higher than for white mothers.
So, Saturday’s event offered a safe place for moms here in the midlands – from access to health experts to even some pampering.
“That’s amazing because when I walked in and saw the kids over there, I’m like that’s great, that’s awesome. That a lot of them want it and can’t afford to go have it done.” Said Jeannin Britton, Attendee.
“We just wanted to make sure that we are filling the gap where they need it and we let them know that they have access to those resources.” Said Sims.