Hi, I'm Laura.

I'm a birth doula, a professional mermaid, a mom and an ASL and nursing student.

For the last five years, I'm been busting my butt to get into nursing school so that I can make sure expecting families get fully supportive nursing care. As a birth doula, I've received certification from StillBirthday, which has an emphasis in birth during any trimester - including stillbirth and miscarriages. I recently received their Purple Daisy Award, which identifies outstanding StillBirthday doulas worldwide. I started taking ASL courses at Grossmont College, along with my pre-nursing requirements, in order to learn another language so that I could help future patients of mine.

I got accepted to my first choice school, Vermont Tech, on their Brattleboro campus. Why Vermont? I am originally from the Northeast and want to move back. After speaking to OBGYNs and midwives in the northeast, they identified a need for stillbirth and miscarriage support, so, naturally, I was drawn back to where I grew up. The program at VTC is also a program I felt very strongly about - the first year is dedicated to receiving an LPN, then an ADN and then a BSN. It's designed with adult students in mind. My husband will be staying in San Diego as our speech delayed daughter is excelling at her therapy here and we don't want to force a change.

That's where you come in. I need help attaining my ultimate goal - becoming a nurse to help provide a more thorough stillbirth and miscarriage support worldwide. I am limited in my capacity as a doula to do what I want to see happen in this world. I feel that change needs to come from the inside and I am ready to step up and start creating change.

The money you donate will go directly towards helping me get across country, towards books and school supplies, and towards rent while I am attending school. I understand that I am very privileged to be able to ask for help, and I hope use that privilege to give back to my community - from hosting a satellite Hearts Release Program to perhaps organizing a doula program at the local hospital, to providing free childbirth education classes to families in need. My goal is flexible. The $3000 starting goal will help me get to Vermont safely and provide some basics for living (a bed, some food, etc). Anything beyond that, up to $5000, will go towards supplies for school (stethoscope, shoes, scrubs, books, etc), anything beyond $5000, up to $15,000, will go towards rent for my first year. Anything leftover is going straight back to my new community in terms of community support programs that I'll start to organize. I appreciate your help - even a penny is a penny more than what I have!