It is hard to remember a busier October than that we are experiencing. Added to the routines of Breast Cancer Awareness and Spooky Season, have been the hurricanes and elections. Schoolchildren are busy with scholastics and athletics and parents a/k/a chauffeurs are navigating clubs and games, in addition to hurricane clean up. Those of you who experienced water and wind damage are in our thoughts and we all hope for a quiet remaining storm season. Those of us who avoided significant interruptions of our lives and homes can continue to contribute to the vetted support for those still struggling. Recovery will take many months for many of our neighbors.

Frank and I are enjoying the leaves change in Minneapolis as we have returned for a short visit with Vivian. Six months is a very long time in baby development—we left a newborn and returned to find an interactive, happy little baby who smiles at everyone and pushes all the right grandma buttons…

October is time to get your mammogram if you are late. It is time to remember the women whose lives were affected by the second most common cancer for women—affecting one of every 8 women during their lifetime. It is time to acknowledge the amazing strides in breast cancer treatment—especially for advanced breast cancer and support continued research. 

But both detection and treatment depend on access to care, and healthcare for women—especially pregnant mothers is increasingly difficult to find. Nationwide, there are entire counties without a single obgyn or provider for women’s health. Far too many pregnant women live more than an hour away from a hospital that provides maternity care. Volusia County, which does have several maternity hospitals cannot provide prenatal care to all the women who need it—those using Medicaid or struggling with transportation or even the necessities of housing, income, childcare and food.

But local, regional and national efforts are underway to turn around the alarming trend of increasing maternal morbidity and mortality in the US. We are thrilled to be working with Common Sense Childbirth and other organizations to address these issues on a local level with increasing access to perinatal and gyn care and on a state and national level with grassroots and legislative efforts. I will be writing about the details very soon.

During the Season of Giving, consider such organizations for your gifts—in honor of your friends and family, who would rather see a goat purchased in their name for a family in Serbia, or networking to assistance for a family in Daytona. 

Local: 

• Healthy Start of Flagler and Volusia Counties
• Easy Access Clinic and Common Sense Childbirth
• United Way Women’s Initiative

National: 

• Every Mother Counts
• Heifer Project International



These groups and more can be accessed on your search engines and you can combine the gift of your time, talent and money—in our local environment or on a state or national level. More to come on increasing prenatal care in Volusia County very soon!