March for Babies pushes for better healthcare for all mothers

BATON ROUGE, La (BRPROUD) — March for Babies is a mother’s movement in the fight for the health of all moms and babies.

“Specifically black women are going through disparities, health disparities. Just because we’re not getting the same resources, unfortunately,” Joy Smith Durant, Board Chair of Louisiana March for Dimes said.

Durant said she suffered from a miscarriage and shared how she wants to be a voice for other mothers.

“March of Dimes was there through our whole process we got materials; we got resources from them. So, it was important to me to help others who are going through the same process,” Durant said.

While moms are helping moms, friends are also helping moms. Whitley’s Little League is a group of friends supporting each other to help make a difference in the movement.

Whitley’s mom is Haylie Peterson.

Peterson had Whitley prematurely and was impacted by pre-eclampsia during labor which can lead to high blood pressure and signs of organ damage. But with the help of her little league, she pushed through.

“We’re hoping to raise more money and more awareness. We’re fighting for the health of moms and babies,” said Peterson.

Many mothers struggle with finding the right resources to benefit them and their little ones. But with the guidance of Care South Health in the surrounding areas, they are making it possible.

“We offer programs for insured and uninsured. And if you are uninsured we offer slide-in fee programs, so no one is turned away,” Stephanie Harold, Enrollment Specialist at Care South Health said.