Extremely disturbing reporting coming out of Florida by ProPublica:

“Cherise Doyley, a mother of three, was in labor at a Florida hospital when a nurse brought her a tablet. On the screen were a judge and several lawvers, doctors and hospital staff. Doyley wanted to have a vaginal birth. They wanted to force her to undergo a cesarear section.

Doyley, a professional doula, had had three prior C-sections – including one that resulted in a hemorrhage. She hoped to avoid another serious complication and lengthy recovery.

In labor and in a Zoom court hearing, Doyley had no lawyer or advocate and no one to explain to her what was going on. After three gours of testimony, the judge ruled that she could keep trying for a vaginal birth unless there was an emergency.

Overnight, doctors wheeled her into surgery. The baby was delivered by C-section.”

Source: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTkjJEBvV/

Many of the Jacksonville professionals whose faces and names appear in this Zoom call have active profiles on LinkedIn, and would love for them to explain why they needed to show up with a team of high powered goons to threaten a Black woman into complying? It is beyond abhorrent to wheel a woman IN LABOR AND NAKED in front of an entire Zoom court room without even informing her of what is going on.

And then when she calls out how she has 0 representative on the call, there has been 0 advocate provided for this legal process, and identifies that there are 0 Black people in the room to advocate for her health needs, Judge Michael Kalil essentially rolls his eyes and says it does not matter.

Black women in the United States are far more likely to die from pregnancy and childbirth than any other group, and not by a small margin:

In 2024, about 44.8 Black women died per 100,000 births. Compare that to 14.2 deaths for white women and 12.1 deaths for Hispanic women, per the CDC and  American Hospital Association.

That’s roughly 3 TIMES HIGHER A RISK; a gap that has barely budged in decades.

Research consistently shows Black women, even with access to medical care and insurance:
– Less likely to be believed when reporting pain
– More likely to have symptoms dismissed
– More likely to receive delayed or inadequate care
– More likely to be forced to deliver in lower-quality hospitals
– Receive less timely interventions
– Higher rates of hypertension
– Increased risk of complications like preeclampsia
– Greater strain on the body during pregnancy

A medically educated Black woman being rolled naked into a surprise court hearing while in active labor by an entire team of White legal sharks while a gaggle of “first do no harm” medical professionals gawk on Zoom for having the audacity to demand appropriate medical care for her medical history is absolutely dystopian.

#MaternalHealth #MaternalMortality #WomensHealth #PublicHealth #HealthEquity #HealthcareEquity #RacialEquity #BlackMaternalHealth #BirthEquity #ReproductiveJustice #HealthcareDisparities