A sad event happened recently when Tori Bowie, a former Olympic gold medal winner, died while in her eighth month of pregnancy. She was found in her bed by sheriff deputies after not being heard from for a few days. This is a sad event on many levels and worse when I found out we were at fault for this happening.
The coroner attributed her death to “natural causes,” but cited a condition that occurs more frequently in black women – pre-eclampsia or the more severe eclampsia. This is a sudden spike in blood pressure. Eclampsia is more severe, exhibited by seizures and possibly a coma.
NPR reported in March, “The maternal death rate among black Americans is much higher than other racial groups, in 2021 it was 69.9 per 100,000, which is 2.6 times higher than the rate for white women.”
The report from Democracy Now! typifies the reaction across the legacy media. They interviewed Dr. Carla Williams as an expert. She is an OB/GYN in New York City. She reiterated the statistics above then stated “These women’s concerns are not being heard. There is bias and racism within are medical institutions. Nothing can save you; you can be ‘high-class,’ you can have all the money in the world. You can be recording artists or an Olympic athlete and nothing can spare you.” Dr. Williams went on to say she had her last two births at home after being unhappy about her experience of childbirth in a hospital.
There were a lot of points left out of the analysis upon further reflection. If for some reason there are specific conditions that are particular to black women during their pregnancies, why would that not be taught to doctors during their OB/GYN training? It is hard to believe that doctors neither encounter this during training nor in medical journals thereafter. From what all these non-medical professionals are writing, these conditions are well known.
There is no discussion of the medical care Bowie received during her pregnancy. One would think someone from these media publications would be all over her physician asking for comments. I go to my dermatologist to check on a rash and they take my blood pressure. If Bowie were properly seeing a physician, they would know what her blood pressure is and express a concern.
It is estimated that Bowie was deceased for 8-10 days before law enforcement entered her home. I read multiple reports and only one spoke of her being alone. No one asked the simple question: where was the FATHER? It was of no concern that this woman was in her eighth month, living alone and the idea of a father being in the picture didn’t cross the minds of any press or “experts”?
Having lived through the births of two children with The Beautiful Wife, I can’t imagine her doing so without someone near, particularly at the end of her pregnancies. Certainly, Bowie could have taken some actions to alleviate her situation of being alone. The important thing is how divorced so many people in the black community are from having a father/husband on the scene.
Then there is the aspect that pre-eclampsia is apparently a widespread condition in the black community. There are many clinics in the black community. Many of them are operated by Planned Parenthood. Drive around neighborhoods in these communities and you will see their familiar signs.
We pay hundreds of millions of dollars of local, state, and federal funds to operate these clinics. These clinics provide extensive abortion care. Yet, the people who support these operations often speak of the fact that they provide “female healthcare.” Their website speaks of Reproductive Rights. Planned Parenthood writes that having high-blood pressure is a particular concern for pregnancy.
This is what they have on their website for recommendations as to when you should see a doctor during pregnancy:
How often will I have prenatal care visits?
How often you’ll get prenatal care depends on how far along your pregnancy is and how high your risk is for complications. The typical prenatal care schedule for someone who’s 18-35 years old and healthy is:
• Every 4 or 6 weeks for the first 32 weeks
• Every 2 or 3 weeks for the 32nd-37th weeks
• Every week from the 37th week until delivery
Based on this, even if Bowie were going to a clinic, she should have seen a doctor and the doctor would have taken her blood pressure. It is unfathomable that the doctor would not have focused on this potential condition.
Or is it that Planned Parenthood is not really doing these things in the communities they are in and more focused on what their primary interest is – providing abortions. That is why I continue to call it Planned NONParenthood.
Any way you cut it, the charges of racism in these situations are typical – slanderous, inflammatory, and unjustified. As usual, the charges are tossed around like trinkets off a Mardi Gras float.
This is not my fault. This is not your fault. We can provide everything needed. If people cannot or will not avail themselves of what is necessary then that is on them, not us.
