“Doctors told her she was suffering from regular morning sickness, though she was vomiting blood…“They said, ‘Welcome to the pregnancy, sweetheart. This is what pregnancy is,’” Ansonia, 30, recalled. “I told her, ‘No, this is not normal for me to be throwing up 10 to 20 times a day.’ My own primary care wasn’t listening to me.”

Sisters Angelica and Ansonia Lyons both suffered from poor medical care, were dismissed, received prejudiced remarks, and almost died during their pregnancies. Unfortunately, their experiences are the norm for many Black women during their pregnancy.

The existing health inequities are pervasive remnants from our nation’s history that must be eradicated. Angelica and Ansonia’s stories are why we do what we do.

Read the powerful AP News article here: Why do so many Black women die in pregnancy? One reason: Doctors don’t take them seriously