Quote of the Day

[Content Note: Pregnancy and birth complications; death. NB: Not only women give birth. Video may autoplay at link.]

"I almost died after giving birth to my daughter, Olympia. Yet I consider myself fortunate. ...I am so grateful I had access to such an incredible medical team of doctors and nurses at a hospital with state-of-the-art equipment. They knew exactly how to handle this complicated turn of events. If it weren't for their professional care, I wouldn't be here today. ...Mary's baby died because there weren't enough doctors or nurses to save him. This is a chronic problem plaguing the most impoverished countries. But what if we lived in a world where there were enough birth attendants? Where there was no shortage of access to health facilities nearby? Where lifesaving drugs and clean water were easily available to all? Where midwives could help and advise mothers after birth? What if we lived in a world where every mother and newborn could receive affordable health care and thrive in life? That world is possible. And we must dare to dream it for every black woman, for every woman in Malawi, and for every mother out there." — Serena Williams, in a vulnerable and important piece at CNN: "What My Life-Threatening Experience Taught Me About Giving Birth."

She urges us all to take action, so that "one day, who you are or where you are from does not decide whether your baby gets to live or to die."