A local family is grieving after the loss of both a newborn child and a mother. 40-year-old Krystal Anderson was 21 weeks pregnant when doctors couldn’t find a heartbeat. After her daughter was born, Krystal ended up with sepsis, which led to organ failure. But despite three surgeries, she passed away.
The issue of Black maternal health is one we must keep at the forefront. According previous reports from the CDC, Black women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. A report from 2021 on stats in the state of Kansas found Black women held a maternal mortality rate that is almost three times higher than white women, at nearly 70 deaths per 100,000 live births. In the meantime, Missouri has one of the worst maternal mortality rates in the country. For Black women in the Show-Me State the death rate its 87.6 per 100,000 live births, which is more than four times greater than white women.
We must keep these startling numbers as a focal point and find ways to support birthing justice for women of color. One advocate on the issue is City of Lawrence Commissioner, Amber Sellers. Listen in as she shares more.