A Letter from Amnesty International

Our health care system failed Linda; she died needlessly from childbirth. This Mother’s Day, stand up for ALL mothers. Support Amnesty’s work on maternal health today.

Dear Rector, A few weeks ago, we shared with you the tragic story of Linda Coale,a healthy 35-year-old woman who died just days after giving birth to her son, Benjamin. Her age and delivery via c-section made her a high-risk case, yet no one – nurse, doctor, hospital welcome packet – told her to watch for signs of a blood clot. She slipped through the cracks and died. Benjamin, now 2, can’t celebrate Mother’s Day with his mom. But you can help save another son or daughter the heartbreak of growing up without a mother. Support our campaign to prevent needless maternal deaths in the United States. Watch this short video about Linda and Benjamin made with Linda’s sister, Clare. Then please donate to Amnesty in honor of a special mom in your life for Mother’s Day. A safe birth is a specially protected human right – a right that’s denied every day in communities throughout the United States. Half the maternal deaths in this country are preventable. Pregnant women deserve better care. They shouldn’t die because they were not given the routine medical information that could save their life. Our maternal death rate is shameful – in 40 countries women have a lower risk of maternal death than in the United States, and all of those countries spend less on health care – but there is something we can do about it. Amnesty’s work on maternal health tackles the root causes of preventable maternal death such as discrimination, inadequate care and lack of secure access to care. Our goal is to reverse the odds for pregnant women and make safe birth a top priority in the U.S. health system. Our strategy has worked to make substantive changes and save women’s lives in Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso. Now it’s time to rise up for American women and children. As human rights defenders we have an obligation to prevent needless deaths from childbirth.There is no excuse for failing another mother. Help families celebrate a thousand more Mother’s Days with a gift to Amnesty International today.And when you send your gift, be sure to tell the special mom in your life about your special deed with our animated Mother’s Day e-card. Happy Mother’s Day, Nan Strauss Researcher Amnesty International USA