August, 2012

The Philippines have recently been experiencing terrible flooding due to seasonal monsoon rains and a nearby tropical storm. So far, 780,000 people have been forced from their homes. Our dear friend, midwife and CNN Hero, Robin Lim who is based in nearby Bali, Indonesia, is asking for our help and support for the midwives, moms, and babies of the Philippines who are affected during this time.

Cutting for Stone made a splash with readers when it came out in 2009. Not only is is a fantastic read, propelling it to bestseller lists all over, but the topic of the novel hits close to home for us. The story all begins with a maternal death in Ethiopia and tracks the impact that that death had on those left behind—the children, the partners, the friends. Ethiopia continues to be a country of focus for the maternal health community because it is one of the highest burden countries for maternal death and also for life-altering maternal morbidities such as fistula. In 2010, there were 9000 maternal deaths in Ethiopia, leaving women with a 1 in 67 lifetime risk of dying in childbirth. This is a vast improvement in fact- in 1990 there were 950 deaths per 100,000 live births but that number has now dropped to just 350 per 100,000. It's still 350 too many.

Join us to raise awareness on the hundreds of thousands of girls and women around the world who die each year from complications in pregnancy and childbirth. We run so others don’t have to. We have spots available, and will provide the t-shirt and training tips in exchange for your commitment to raise awareness and funds. Or if you're already running a race and want to run on behalf of EMC, let us know too!

By Amy, Using Our Words, "But on Saturday afternoon, Christy Turlington, who was speaking on a panel about her charity Every Mother Counts, used a phrase that lit a fire inside of me. “The sisterhood of motherhood” Yes. Yes! That, that is what I believe in."