marisol carr - unc medical center · doula is important to her because of her passion for...
TRANSCRIPT
Marisol Carr
Marisol is a Senior at UNC Chapel Hill studying Human
Development and Family Studies. She identifies herself as
Hispanic and is proud of serving families who are Spanish-
speakers. Marisol is an intern with UNC Birth Partners and is
proud of the program and its mission to serve all laboring
mothers. Marisol is participating in NURS 609 in which she will
provide her doula services with the refugee community and is
also a labor and OR doula. She spends her free time listening to
music, cooking, and playing with her dog.
Junessa Sladen-Dew
Junessa is a junior undergraduate student at UNC studying
medical anthropology and global health. She loves being a
doula because of the honor she gets in being part of the
individual journey of every birth giver. She is originally from
West Coast and spends her spare time teaching yoga and
cooking!
Lizzy Manguso
Lizzy is a UNC student studying biology and political
science and will be graduating in May of 2019. Her favorite
parts of being a doula are helping women achieve positive
birth experiences and the magical feeling when, all of the
sudden, there is another person in the room. In her free
time, Lizzy enjoys weightlifting, watching football, and
spending time outside.
Rishika Reddy
Rishika is at UNC studying Psychology and Neuroscience, with a
minor in Medical Anthropology. In her free time, she enjoys
relaxing with friends and family, hiking, and traveling! Through her
experience with Birth Partners, she has developed a passion for
the intersection of maternal health and mental health and has
loved being a part of a program that works towards improving
access to quality healthcare for mothers throughout the area.
Alex Hagwood
Alex, who grew up in Garner, NC, is a nursing student that will be a
labor and delivery nurse once she graduates from UNC-CH in May of
2019. Alex is a doula to help moms through one of the best days and
one of the most difficult days of their life. She especially loves to be a
doula for moms receiving a cesarean section and for mothers that
speak Spanish. She also currently works as a postpartum nurse aide at
UNC Hospital.
Rasheka Newbill
Rasheka is from Virgina and is a mom of four children. She is a full time
employee with UNC HealthCare as a RMA. She is soon on her journey to
becoming an RN!
Katie Vaughn
Katie graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in May 2017 with a
degree in Anthropology. In the past, she worked as the Program
Assistant for Birth Partners, and now she works at the Women's
Birth & Wellness Center. Katie is excited to begin nursing school
this summer in Atlanta at Emory University. Katie's work as a
doula is important to her because of her passion for patient-
centered and evidence-based healthcare.
Sarah Wu
Sarah is a Biology and Art History double major at UNC,
expecting to graduate in 2020. She is interested in
reproductive health disparities, especially in populations
that may not have historically benefitted from biomedicine.
In her free time, Sarah enjoys painting, eating lots of good
food, and watching Netflix.
Valerie Adams
Valerie works as a Women's Health and Pelvic physical
therapist at Duke University, commonly treating women
during pregnancy and/or following delivery who have
low back pain, sacroiliac pain, pelvic pain, urinary or
fecal incontinence, or weakness/separation of the
abdominal muscles. She feels strongly that women
should be well-informed following delivery that, although
many of the concerns listed above are common, they are not normal and there is help! As a
doula, she loves having the ability to advocate for mothers during one of the most unique
and impactful experiences of her life!
Olivia Neely
Olivia is a student at Duke University studying a self-designed
major in Sexual, Reproductive, and Maternal Health. Olivia
became a doula because of her experiences growing up with
a single mother, which inspired her to serve women while
illuminating gaps in care that exist for many. Olivia firmly
believes that all women deserve to be supported throughout
their pregnancy and birth and is passionate about providing
accessible doula care to all. She is so appreciative and
humbled to work at Birth Partners and encourages everyone
to think deeply about how we can work as a community to increase the accessibility of
maternal support and care throughout the country.
Celeste Ellison
Celeste is a senior at UNC Chapel Hill majoring in Global Health
and minoring in Medical Anthropology and Spanish. She will be
pursuing her MPH with a focus on Maternal and Child Health. She
became a part of Birth Partners to provide mothers with a positive
birth experience and to improve birth outcomes. In her free time she
enjoys spending time with loved ones, watching Netflix, and trying
new foods!
Waverlea Brown
Waverlea is a senior biology major from Goldsboro, N.C. She joined
Birth Partners through a class during her senior year with the hopes of
gaining more experience with labor and delivery as she aspires to be an
OBGYN. In her free time she enjoys cooking, traveling, and working as a
pharmacy tech at CVS in Carborro.
Nisha Uppuluri
Nisha volunteers as a doula primarily because of her mother, whose birth
experience was characterized by disrespect and trauma. She hopes that
her presence and support will make a difference in other women's lives,
ensuring that their births are positive experiences. These priorities inform
Nisha's academic interests as well: she is a senior at Duke University with
majors in Global Health and Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies, and
her research interests center primarily around women's rights within
healthcare settings. In her free time, she practices yoga and takes as many naps as she can!
Sierra Atwater
Sierra is from Pittsboro, NC. She graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in 2017
and has been volunteering with Birth Partners for a little over a year now.
She loves being a doula because it gives her the opportunity to empower
moms from a diverse set of backgrounds as they experience childbirth.
She plans to attend medical school in August. In her free time, Sierra
loves to travel. Last summer, she spent two months in Johannesburg,
South Africa interning with a science education company for middle school
girls.
Erin Magee
Erin received her MSW and MPH from UNC, with a concentration in
Maternal and Child Health. She currently works in population-level health
assessment and research, but loves the direct-service element of being a
doula. In her free time, Erin enjoys taking ballet classes, snuggling her
cats, and going to beer festivals with her husband.
Nikki Trupiano
Nikki grew up in Rhode Island, but moved to North Carolina when
she started classes at UNC-Chapel Hill. She graduated in May
2018 with a bachelor's degree in business and minors in chemistry
and medical anthropology. She currently works at a UNC Internal
Medicine outpatient clinic and will be going to medical school
starting summer 2019. She volunteers as a doula because she is
passionate about maternal and child health and wants to make sure
that every woman has access to a positive birthing experience. She enjoys running, going to
the beach, spending time with her family and friends, and going to the dog park with her dog.
Kathy Chan
Kathy is studying Nutrition at UNC's Gillings School of Global
Public Health and minoring in Chemistry and Asian Studies. She
will be graduating in May 2019, with plans to pursue medicine and
public health. She became a doula because she wanted to
provide compassion and companionship to women during perhaps
the most intimate, vulnerable, yet fulfilling moments of their lives,
while also learning their strength, power, and tenacity. Kathy
enjoys hiking, reading, and listening to music.
Allison DeSarro
Allison is from Denver, CO but has adopted Chapel Hill as home since
graduating from UNC in 2018. She now works as a RN in the Medical ICU
at UNC Medical Center. Allison primarily functions as the Lead OR Doula
and helps train new doulas to support clients in the operating room. Allison
enjoys being a volunteer doula because she believes that all women
should feel supported and empowered during birth. When she's not
working or volunteering with Birth Partners, she enjoys running, doing
yoga, and spending time with her friends and family.
Tanisha Hinton
Tanisha is a full-time Teacher Assistant at a local elementary school and
a Mom of two little girls. She is new to North Carolina and moved here in
2017 with her husband and two daughters. She always loved birth since
she was a young child. Volunteering as a Doula with Birth Partners gives
her the chance to fulfill her dream of supporting birthing moms emotionally
and physically. This is her way of giving back to the community.
Alice Donoghue
Alice is a mother of three and grandmother of six. She has been a
long-time advocate of womenʼs rights and is passionate about
helping mothers through the birthing process. Each labor and birth is
unique, and Alice is humbled and profoundly moved to be a small
part of each wondrous experience.
Amaya Martinez Mesa
Originally from Havana, Cuba – Amaya wound up in North
Carolina when she transferred to UNC to complete her B.A. in
Biology and Hispanic Studies. Her favorite aspect of
volunteering as a doula is being able to support birthing mothers
and partners in both, joyful and heart-breaking births. Currently,
she works as a clinical research assistant for UNC Perinatal
Research where she recruits patients from the same place where she volunteers! When she
is not on L&D, you can find her cooking new recipes, repotting plants or hanging out with her
puppy, Morty.
Alexa Lantiere
Alexa is from Long Island, NY. She is currently a nursing
student in an accelerated BSN program at Duke and will be
graduating in December, 2019. She is interested in
becoming a Midwife and to conduct research in the field of
maternal health. Alexa is passionate about providing doula
support to patients free of charge because she believes all
women deserve the opportunity to be heard and cared for during birth. Alexa enjoys
spending time outdoors, listening to podcasts, cooking & eating.
Ana Gomez
Ana has been a doula with UNC Birth Partners since her junior year
at UNC. She graduated last spring and is currently an AmeriCorps
VISTA at Duke. Ana loves being a doula because she believes all
women deserve to have physical and emotional support during their
labor regardless of socioeconomic status and language. During her
free time, Ana is a major foodie and loves to visit new restaurants
and snap pics of them in her hometown of Durham, NC.
Beth Mann
Beth is the photographer for Shannon Media, Inc
(publishers of Durham Magazine, Chapel Hill Magazine,
and Chatham Magazine) and the owner of Early Bird Photo
in Durham. She came to love birth after being asked to
photograph a birth by a close friend. Beth now aspires to
become a midwife. She loves UNC Birth Partners because
providing free support to all women (regardless of their
economic circumstances) and helping them feel comfortable and empowered in navigating
their own birth stories exhilarates and nourishes her. In her free time, Beth enjoys knitting,
reading, and hiking with her husband and two dogs.
Jennifer Na
Jennifer Na is a senior in the BSN program at UNC-CH's School of
Nursing graduating in May 2019. She participated in the NURS 611
and 609 doula courses where she has been paired with teenage and
refugee prenatal and postpartum clients. In her free time Jennifer is
usually thinking about food (she's one credit hour short of completing
the Food Studies Minor!), running her food instagram account, crying
at Anthony Bourdain re-runs, and ignoring her many food intolerances
(Low FODMAP).
Manisha Dubey
Manisha is a junior undergrad here at UNC, and her major is Health
Policy and Management in the Gillings School of Global Public
Health, and she has minors in Spanish for the Health Professions and
Chemistry. Manisha is a volunteer doula because she believes that all
birth givers deserve unconditional labor support, regardless of ability
to pay. Manisha is from Charlotte, NC, and loves to read, cook, and
talk with friends and family in her free time.
Marietta Harrell
Marietta Harrell is a UNC Alumna and mother of three who works full
time as a Litigation, Personal Injury and Workers Compensation
Paralegal in Raleigh. Having had three very unique birth experiences
that were empowered by the Bradley Method and the amazing support
of her Midwives, Marietta was inspired to share in empowering and
supporting other women in their own birth experiences as a volunteer
Doula. She feels the emotional, mental and physical support that a
doula can provide to a laboring woman is an opportunity every woman
should have.
Krysta Gougler-Reeves
Krysta grew up in North Canton, Ohio, and made Durham, North
Carolina, home in 2010. She received her master's degrees in Social
Work and in Public Health from The University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill in December 2016. Krysta works for Family Connects
International at the Duke Center for Child and Family Policy. She
enjoys camping with her husband and dog, visiting restaurants in the
Triangle area, and volunteering as a doula to provide women support
and dignity throughout the birth experience.
Persia Homesley
As a doula on the labor and delivery unit and in the OR, Persia is
grateful for the opportunity to assist women who are giving birth and
breastfeeding. Her goal is to reduce the suffering of others and foster
a positive and loving connection between parent and baby. In her free
time, you'll find her cooking something in her cast iron skillet or
walking by the lake during a sunset while listening to podcasts.
Shakeya Brevard
Shakeya is a graduate of North Carolina Central
University's Department of Health Education. While in
undergrad, she discovered her passion for maternal and
child health and became a doula. In 2018, Shakeya
founded SUCKLE, an online resource for millennial
mothers and mothers-to-be, delivering holistic wellness,
pregnancy and lactation advice and providing affordable
access to doula services in the Triangle. Shakeya enjoys volunteering with Birth Partners
because she believes it allows her to connect and empower mothers-to-be during birth in a
way they didn't know believe was possible.
Emily Long
Emily is from the Appalachian Mountains. She is
currently a senior at UNC who will graduate in May
2019, and she is double majoring in Biology and English.
Emily feels honored to have the opportunity to help new
mothers through labor, and she hopes to serve as an
advocate to empower women to have the most positive
birth experience possible. In her free time, Emily likes to
play bluegrass guitar and banjo, read American literature, and play with her cats.
Leah LeClair
Leah is a senior biology major from Durham, North Carolina.
She will be graduating this spring and aspires to attend medical
school to specialize in OB-GYN. She loves being able to support
mothers and their families to empower them to have the birth
experience that they desire. In her free time, she enjoys running,
watching movies, and exploring the Triangle's many coffee
shops.
Megan Carlucci
Megan trained to be a doula while pursuing her Master's in
Public Health at UNC. She is passionate about ensuring all
people giving birth have a positive and empowering experience.
In her spare time, she enjoys doing crosswords and cooking new
recipes.
Mora Hedayati
Mora is the mom of a two-year-old and was inspired to become a doula
after her own pregnancy and cesarean birth. She loves that UNC Birth
Partners are able to be with women in the OR as well as the delivery
rooms. She is an artist and is always working on some kind of creative
project. She is currently taking pre-nursing classes and is passionate
about women's health.
Ceara Smith
Ceara is originally from Jacksonville, NC and is a graduate student at
UNC Chapel Hill studying social work and public administration. She will
graduate in May 2019! Ceara became a doula as a way to answer her
calling to serve women, especially women of color. When she has a
break from grad school, Ceara enjoys reading (especially historical
fiction), journaling, spending time with loved ones, and binge watching
Netflix and Hulu.
Elspeth McWillian-Grench
Elspeth is a Chapel Hill native, and is now a senior at UNC majoring
in Women's and Gender Studies. She loves providing labor support
to birthing people and their families, and hopes to pursue a second
degree in nursing and eventually become a homebirth midwife! In
her free time, Elspeth loves reading, hiking, road tripping, and
eating lots of grilled cheese sandwiches. You can also find her
working at Flyleaf Books!
Shelby Watson
Shelby volunteers as a doula because it gives her the
opportunity to build unique relationships with women during a
powerful moment in their life. She is from Collettsville, North
Carolina where she spends most of her time outdoors with her
family. She is a first year at UNC-Chapel Hill on the pre-
nursing track with hopes of becoming a missionary after
graduating in 2022.
Shannon Brewer
Shannon is currently pursuing a second degree in nursing and
has plans to graduate in May 2020. Following nursing school,
she has hopes of becoming a labor and delivery nurse, and to
eventually go on to become a nurse midwife. Shannon loves
volunteering as a doula because she enjoys helping moms in
finding personal empowerment through their labor and birth
experience. She finds great joy in being able to be so involved
in one of the most life-changing experiences of life. In her free
time, she enjoys playing with her dog, trying out local
restaurants, and spending time with family and friends.
Joelle Shantz
Originally from New York, Joelle moved to North Carolina to
pursue her MPH at UNC Chapel Hill and will graduate in
Spring of 2020. In her career, Joelle hopes to promote
access to quality reproductive, prenatal, and maternity care
for all women. Being a part of Birth Partners has been an
invaluable part of Joelle's graduate experience; supporting a
women during such an important time is incredibly special!
Celia Mizelle
Celia was raised in Chapel Hill by her mom and grandparents.
Deeply appreciative of her own unique family, Celia loves to connect
with people of diverse backgrounds from across her home state as a
doula at UNC. She's wrapping up her last year as an undergraduate
at Duke studying Biology and Global Health but kind of hopes to be a
student forever. Besides school work and birth work, she loves being
a DJ at Durham Public Radio and daydreaming about New Zealand's
South Island, where she lived last year. Celia believes that doula
practice is life practice and has learned so much about listening,
resilience, and acceptance through serving as a doula.
Dana Caston
Dana lives in Carrboro and studies Women’s and Gender
Studies at UNC. In her free time, she is getting her feet
dirty in a garden, on a trail, or in a river somewhere. She
is also an artist and feels inspired by the power of women
and femmes as well as the natural world. Dana is very
passionate about women’s health, disparities, and holistic
healthcare. Through birth partners, she hopes to provide
care and affirmation in order to empower people during
the transformative time that is labor and birth. She is
excited to be part of such a unique and important program that invites anyone to come into
their power and be supported during birth
Kerra Jones
Kerra graduated from Duke with a degree in Psychology. She
was a cheerleader throughout her childhood in Metro-Atlanta
and went on to cheer for the Blue Devils during her
undergraduate career. She is currently a medical assistant and
plans to apply to Physician Assistant school in August 2018.
Kerra loves being a doula because she is able to help create a
comfortable and relaxing birthing environment for mothers. She
is amazed by the strength of women's bodies and loves seeing
mothers showcase their strength during the birthing process. In
her free time, Kerra enjoys creating canvas paintings, trying new
restaurants, and traveling around the world.
Marjorie O’Reilly
Marjorie became a Doula in 1998 after being a Hospice Volunteer for
many years in California. Her mission is to create the best support
and care for Mother and Baby before, during and after Birth. She is
inspired by her membership in The Association for Pre and Perinatal
Psychology and Health. And she is thrilled to be a part of Birth
Partners as their Senior Mentor Coordinator.
Suzanne McMillan
Suzanne grew up in Kenya, Africa, which is where she became
passionate about providing healthcare to women in rural and
low access areas. She graduated from UNC Chapel Hill, and is
currently working as a campus minister at UNC with
undergraduate students. Suzanne loves volunteering as a
doula as she gets to encourage mothers as they bring new life
into the world. She believes that childbirth is a place where
women can be empowered by being an active part of their birth
experience, and is honored to be a part of the doula program.
In her free time, Suzanne enjoys cooking, traveling, and
exploring local coffee shops.