Our Leadership
Ashley's Story
"The mission of AIM is incredibly important to me. On May 12, 2022,
I delivered my daughter, Aubrey, via emergency cesarean at 28 weeks
5 days. She weighed 2 lbs. 4 oz and had numerous health
complications to overcome. It was a very scary time for our family
filled with uncertainty.
I thank God every day for the NICU nurse who took the initiative to
pull me aside and tell me I needed to seek help. I was so focused on
my baby that I was unable to recognize the signs of postpartum
depression, anxiety, and PTSD I was experiencing. She not only
recognized those signs but also provided recommendations for mental
health services.
This conversation changed my life. I was able to get the help I
desperately needed and start healing from the inside out. It
afforded me the opportunity to become the mother I wanted to be when
my daughter was released from the NICU 70 days later and shaped the
person I am today.
I share my experience and encourage others to do the same in hopes
that policymakers will recognize the acute need to improve access,
affordability, and quality of prenatal and postpartum maternal
health resources. It is imperative to recognize that I am one of the
lucky ones as not every story has a happy ending like ours.
I am honored to serve as the executive director of AIM and shine a
spotlight on the existing gaps in maternal health care here in
Arkansas. This is not simply an issue to address, but a mission to
spread awareness and spark tangible change in the way we approach
physical and mental health care before, during, and after pregnancy.
Together, we can use our voices and our experiences to create
long-lasting benefits for mothers, families, communities, and the
economy as a whole.”
AIM's Core Principles
