our story
Our Founders Story
The Next 9 was born from my personal battle with postpartum preeclampsia. My daughter was induced four weeks early due to a rise in blood pressure readings in my last trimester. After delivery, I felt something was wrong. Then came the worst headache I had ever experienced—nothing helped, not Tylenol, not ibuprofen. My body was trying to tell me something, but I didn’t yet know what.
Days later, I could feel my heartbeat slowing down. It wasn’t exhaustion—it was a life-threatening complication that Black and Brown mothers face far too often. Fortunately, I had a blood pressure monitor at home. When I took my reading, it was a shocking 180/110. I knew I was in immediate danger of damage to critical organs, and my baby’s life was at risk. I sought medical attention, but I couldn’t help but think—what if I didn’t have a blood pressure monitor? What if I had waited another day, assuming it was just a bad headache or migraine that would resolve itself? What if I couldn’t afford the hospital visit, the medical equipment, or the postpartum care I needed to survive?
Too many mothers don’t get that second chance. I founded The Next 9 to change that reality. No mother should have to choose between access and survival.
Our Mission & Impact
We believe that no mother should have to suffer in silence. Through programs like the Preeclampsia Protection Program, Healing Her Heartbeat, and the BIPOC Birth Equity & Recovery Fund, we provide:
- Life-saving tools & education for preeclampsia prevention and postpartum health monitoring.
- Mental health support for mothers coping with pregnancy, birth complications, loss, or postpartum struggles.
- Advocacy & community engagement to fight for systemic change in maternal healthcare.
Our work is rooted in lived experience, community-driven action, and a commitment to equity. By ensuring that mothers have access to resources, education, and culturally responsive care, we are reshaping maternal health outcomes so that no mother is left behind—whether in the next 9 months, 9 weeks, 9 days, 9 hours, or 9 seconds.