MY HEART FLIES OPEN ACUPUNCTURE FOR BIPOC MOMS

ACUPUNCTURE FOR BIPOC MOMS AND KIDS

JOIN THE JOURNEY

In 2020, As a mom of two, I was a financially struggling, stressed, tired, and exhausted acupuncture student and intern. COVID and the racial climate of the country had taken their toll on me and my family. Acupuncture was a life-saver during this period, and three consecutive treatments were more than enough to pull me back from the edge of the cliff. Ironically, even though I was an acupuncture student, I could not afford to get acupuncture treatments frequently.

I noticed that other moms and children, who looked like me were also suffering from chronic stress. Yet, I rarely saw them walk through the acupuncture student clinic door. I knew the cost of treatments, lack of felt sense of safety, and awareness of benefits of acupuncture were blocks to accessing treatment.

My passion to see this change led me to start a fundraiser. My expectations were exceeded, and generous donors helped me to raise just over $2000, along with an extra $600 for a client who needed more extensive treatment.

BENEFITS TO THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN

The pilot program went so well, with 100 percent of participants reporting feeling 80% emotionally, and 70 % physically better.

Now the pilot program has become a 501c Pilot Program, thanks to the nonprofit organization Unleash the Brilliance. Now 2023 is here, the needs for women and children, who look like me, have not decreased but only increased. So Phase 2 of the pilot program now begins. For the next five weeks, I would like to treat BIPOC moms with their kids. So when a mom is receiving her treatment, her child is too. I want to do this because I have noticed that acupuncture seems to increase the wellness of mom and kid when they are treated together. It has been such a beautiful experience to witness this. So for Phase 2 of the pilot program, I would like to document the treatment outcomes of treating both mom and kid together, to enhance their emotional and mental health outcomes.

JOIN THE JOURNEY: PHASE 2

I WILL:

I am supermotivated to start Phase 1 of this pilot program, as one of the participants from the first phase of the pilot program became gravely ill, and I would like to support her recovery with acupuncture treatments. As she is not in a local hospital, I want to her contribute to her recovery by finding a therapist who will partner with this program, so that I can gift her free acupuncture or massage treatments.

YOUR CONTRIBUTION will go towards Phase 2 of the pilot

.......AND THANKS TO

You for making this possible!

Jodie Appel of Salt Cave for partnering with us and gifting free wellness treatments to the participants in the first phase of the program

Justina Pretnatt for yoga to participants in Phase 1 of the program.

Thanks

Joanne Zerdy and Will Daddario for donating to Gaia Herbs to Phase 2 of the program

OH AND THIS PROGRAM IS NAMED AFTER MY KID'S YOGA BOOK MY HEART FLIES OPEN, PUBLISHED BY NORTH ATLANTIC BOOKS

A LITTLE ABOUT ME

I am a mother of two, a licensed Trauma-Focused Clinical Mental Health Counselor, licensed Dr. of Classical Chinese Daoist Medicine, acupuncture, and herbs. Ayurvedic practitioner. Author and illustrator of the children's Yoga book My Heart Flies Open, published by North Atlantic Books, and distributed by Penguin Random House. This Kirkus-starred book, empowers all young black girls and children to know they are loved.

Discover more about me, my healing work and this program at www.dromileyehealingarts.com