Article submitted by Marcela Metcalf, Lead Community Health Worker, Kansas City Healthy Start Initiative

I met Mikala in August of 2018. She was about seven months pregnant and had requested safe sleep information on our website. When we first met, she shared that she had been deployed to Iraq a couple of times while enlisted in the Army. She did not have any sort of assistance from a group or organization while learning to be a first-time mother. I felt as though the least we could do to thank her would be to assist her during and after her pregnancy. As her community health worker, I have been able to refer her to various organizations such as Research Hospital for childbirth education and Sleepy Head Beds to obtain new beds for her new house. We also provided her with a car seat and trained her in proper usage. She is also able to obtain safe sleep education, and diapers, a pack and play, and other necessary items from our Healthy Start Store.

I have always been impressed by Mikala’s resilience and willingness to do anything possible to have a happy and healthy family. In less than a year she has been able to go back to work, move to a new house, and continue taking care of her son, Perseus. She is always enthusiastic and appreciative of Healthy Start and all the resources we provide for her and her family.

Mikala was gracious enough to be showcased in a video commenting on her participation and appreciation for her Community Health Worker and the Kansas City Healthy Start Initiative.