Mother’s Day makes me reflect on why I became an activist for maternal/child health. When I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl 14 years ago, it opened my eyes to a new level of worry about her well-being. I found new levels of empathy for mothers around the world who all share a universal desire for our babies to live healthy lives of opportunity.
Every day, 800 moms die from pregnancy or birth-related causes. Plus, 16,000 moms every day experience the loss of a child under 5. We know how to prevent the vast majority of these deaths.
Currently in Congress, there is a bipartisan bill to help end these unnecessary deaths. The Reach Every Mother and Child Act is already co-sponsored by 146 House members, including Reps. Ann Wagner, William Lacy Clay and Blaine Luetkemeyer. In the Senate, there are 25 co-sponsors. Unfortunately, Sens. Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill have not signed.
After calling our own moms on Sunday, we can write our senators asking them to sign onto the Reach Act (S. 1730) and help make every day Mother’s Day.
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