Make Tyla A Midwife

Hello everyone! My name is Tyla, I'm a 25-year-old NYC native, and I'm raising money for midwifery school. I graduated from NYU's Rory Meyers College of Nursing in 2018 and have been working as a nurse for four years in Labor & Delivery with experience in Mother & Baby and the Newborn nursery.

An excerpt from a paper of mine:

"In the United States, 'black women are 3–4 times more likely to die a pregnancy-related death as compared with white women' (Howell & Zeitlin, 2017 ). These numbers are alarmingly high considering the vast steps we have taken in modern medicine. These mortality and morbidity rates have an effect on both the black community and the community at large – doctor-patient relationships are strained due to the growing distrust surrounding this issue. This is an issue that extends to, not only black women, but to OBGYN’s as a whole, black families, patients and all hospitals. Decreasing mortality and morbidity rates for black women requires a comprehensive examination of hospital policy, culture amongst physicians and the role physicians play in advocating for change at higher levels."

Midwifery is a profession that began with black women, and black midwives are dedicated to fighting the disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality in this country. Throughout my academic career, I have aimed to embody that passion for social justice by being a part of groups such as the Black Student Union, The Governance Council for Minority and Marginalized Students (GCOMMS), the Student Government Assembly (SGA) and The Black & Brown Coalition. For this work I received a President's Service Award and an Nia Award for my leadership on campus. I hope to continue to bring my passion for social justice to my work as a midwife and serve low-income communities of color and LGBTQ communities, and provide the holistic care that these communities deserve. 

Each semester of the seven-semester program will cost approximately $4,000. There is also the cost of books, additional fees, malpractice insurance (Approximately $500/year), professional association memberships and various other costs. On top of these costs, I am still paying off my undergraduate loans and trying to afford the cost of living in New York City. 

I don't expect to raise all of the funds, but any help is appreciated, whether it is just a share or a donation. 

Peace & Love

Tyla