Dear Community,

My name is Stephanie Montes. I'm a family friend of Jenny Silva, and I was also her client — she was my doula through both of my pregnancies and both of my births. I have watched her show up for families at all hours of the night, with endless patience, warmth, and an incredible depth of knowledge. She has nurtured so many of us. That's why I'm starting this GoFundMe on her behalf — because I know she is far too modest to ever ask for herself, even though she needs our help right now.

Jenny is a healer, a birthworker, and a "traveling partera" who has spent 15 years serving mothers and families across Los Angeles. Through the years, she has done countless pro bono services for families who couldn't afford care — never turning away a mother in need. She's also a single mom and the caretaker of her own mother, carrying enormous responsibility every single day.

In May of this year, Jenny was involved in a car accident that changed her life in ways she never expected. She suffered neck injuries that left her unable to work for an entire month. Even after she returned to work, she lived with significant pain and discomfort for the following four months — making it impossible to work at the pace she once did. Because of her injuries, she's had to take on fewer clients, which has significantly reduced her income at the exact moment her expenses and responsibilities kept growing. And on top of everything, the accident left her without a vehicle — her most essential tool as a traveling partera. She's doing everything she can to recover and rebuild, but this unexpected hardship is more than she can carry alone.

Here's how your support will help Jenny get back to doing what she loves:

Reliable vehicle — $10,000. Jenny currently has no car at all, and as a traveling partera, her vehicle is her office. She needs dependable transportation to reach birthing families across LA, day or night — as soon as possible.

Laptop — $1,500. To connect with new clients and manage her growing practice. My partner and I are building Jenny her first-ever website after 15 years in this work — a long overdue step that will help her serve even more families.

Recovery buffer — $1,500. To help cover bills while her client load rebuilds and she continues healing.

And Jenny isn't slowing down — she's just getting started. She has big ambitions: she's creating new services, bringing back her wonderful nutritional foods and drinks, and has been given a beautiful community garden spot in East LA where she can hold space and gather with the families she serves.

Jenny has given to this community for 15 years — often for free, always with her whole heart. Now it's our turn to nurture the woman who has nurtured so many of us. Any amount, no matter how small, will help Jenny cover her expenses while she continues healing and rebuilding her life.

Anything raised beyond our goal will go directly toward Jenny's ongoing recovery expenses and care for her family.

From the bottom of our hearts — thank you for reading, sharing, and giving.

With gratitude,

Stephanie Montes

(on behalf of Jenny Silva)