My sister and the baby she was carrying died in the United States of America. They died in the country that spends more money on pregnancy and birth technology than any other country in this world.

I became a fierce advocate for gentle birth as a solution for the most pressing problems of our times - a solution that begins at the source.

I love to receive babies into this world, so crawling around on my knees in the birth room is my best place, and most often you can still find me there.

My passion for maternal and child health led me to continue my studies and pursue the path of midwifery. And here I am now... still catching babies.

The amazing heroic women in labor, they are the truest inspiration, and when they push their babies into the light... I am astonished every time.

The number of maternal deaths is significantly understated because of a lack of effective data collection both in the US and around the world.

Like my sister, 981 women die every day on Earth from pregnancy and birth-related complications.