28. Surviving Still Birth and Black Maternal Health with Tomeka James Isaac, Founder of Jace’s Journey

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In this episode, host Lina Forrestal sits down with Tomeka James
Issac, Founder of Jace's Journey. Tomeka shares her story: in May
of 2018, her husband Brandon Isaac sat in a hospital room with
their son, Jace Alexander, due in a month with no fetal heartbeat
and Tomeka, unconscious, diagnosed with the life-threatening
H.E.L.L.P (Hemolysis Elevated Liver Enzymes Low Platelet)
Syndrome and fighting for her life. 

Forty-five hospital days and 7 surgeries later, thanks to prayers
and an amazing surgical team, Tomeka and Brandon Isaac left the
hospital together. The couple learned Tomeka’s sickness and
Jace’s death could have been prevented. 

“50,000 women each year almost die as a result of childbirth.
That’s one mother every 10 minutes in the US. The causes of most
near death emergencies are preventable. However, the risk of
having complications is much greater for black women. If you are
black and highly-educated, you still have a higher probability of
pregnancy-related death than the least educated white
woman.” 

In honor of their son, the Isaacs created Jace’s Journey to raise
awareness and contribute to improving maternal/fetal healthcare
disparities through education, advocacy and community
engagement.

Jace’s Journey Inc, a non-profit organization, was founded in
2019 to address racial disparities in maternal health
outcomes. 

The US is the only industrialized nation with rising maternal
mortality rates and the increase disproportionately affects women
of color. African-American mothers are dying at 3-4 times the
rate of non- Hispanic whites. Infants born to African-American
mothers are dying at twice the rate as infants born to non-
Hispanic white mothers.


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Tomeka James Isaac



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The New Mamas Podcast donated $100 to Jace's Journey in Jace's
memory. 


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