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.”