Simone Landrum, a 23-year-old African American woman from New Orleans, is the mother of two young boys. In 2016, she learns that she is expecting her third child and is thrilled about having a daughter, who she planned to name Harmony. However, this pregnancy wasn't like the previous two she had endured. Complications such as cramps, persistent migraines, and light sensitivity made her pregnancy challenging (wwltv.com, 2018). Additionally, Simone's relationship with her boyfriend, the baby's father, was physically abusive towards her, furthering the complications. Simone is left with no choice other than to accept him back in her life, despite the abuse, as she couldn't provide for her kids and herself financially. She had to eventually quit
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The doctor neglected to diagnose her with pre-eclampsia, “a potentially fatal problem”, which was evidently a highly likely risk given Simone's elevated blood pressure during pregnancy, along with other indications (Mayo Clinic, 2022). Simone’s medical records say that printed educational material on pre-eclampsia was given to her during a visit, yet she only became properly educated on the disorder months later, after online searching for her symptoms (Villarosa, L, 2018). In fact, the doctor said he would be out of town and could deliver the baby via C-section that same day, which was six weeks before her due date. Just a few days later, Simone was rushed to the hospital, bleeding and losing a fatal amount of …show more content…
Reflection My family in India, including my own grandmother, have faced challenges in their pregnancy such as miscarriages and the lack of education on pregnancy, as it is a taboo topic in the education system there. I started my research to see if women in the US faced a similar issue when I came across an article about Simone Landrum and her story. As I read through the article, I was in shock at the experiences she has been through. Yet, it was clear to me how public health was applicable, such as noticing the social determinants Simone represented, and how that experience was preventable. Being able to apply my knowledge of public health learned through lectures into a real life scenario allowed me to connect with the implications public health has on our society. We learnt about so many statistics, such as mortality rates and incidence cases, but to connect it to a real person and their experiences makes the statistic more human, and not just a number, shaping the way I view public health as a class. This account also showed me how even within the US, pregnant women face inequities and disparities like my family had in
The doctor neglected to diagnose her with pre-eclampsia, “a potentially fatal problem”, which was evidently a highly likely risk given Simone's elevated blood pressure during pregnancy, along with other indications (Mayo Clinic, 2022). Simone’s medical records say that printed educational material on pre-eclampsia was given to her during a visit, yet she only became properly educated on the disorder months later, after online searching for her symptoms (Villarosa, L, 2018). In fact, the doctor said he would be out of town and could deliver the baby via C-section that same day, which was six weeks before her due date. Just a few days later, Simone was rushed to the hospital, bleeding and losing a fatal amount of …show more content…
Reflection My family in India, including my own grandmother, have faced challenges in their pregnancy such as miscarriages and the lack of education on pregnancy, as it is a taboo topic in the education system there. I started my research to see if women in the US faced a similar issue when I came across an article about Simone Landrum and her story. As I read through the article, I was in shock at the experiences she has been through. Yet, it was clear to me how public health was applicable, such as noticing the social determinants Simone represented, and how that experience was preventable. Being able to apply my knowledge of public health learned through lectures into a real life scenario allowed me to connect with the implications public health has on our society. We learnt about so many statistics, such as mortality rates and incidence cases, but to connect it to a real person and their experiences makes the statistic more human, and not just a number, shaping the way I view public health as a class. This account also showed me how even within the US, pregnant women face inequities and disparities like my family had in