Two disturbing viral videos showing Black women begging for help in U.S. hospitals have reignited national alarm over maternal care.
The videos have pushed journalist and birthFUND founder Elaine Welteroth into urgent action.
Over the last couple of weeks, millions watched, horrified, as Karrie Jones, in active labor, pleaded for assistance while sitting in a wheelchair in a Dallas-area hospital triage room. According to NBC News, she waited more than 30 minutes before being admitted, even as she appeared to be minutes from giving birth.
Days later, a second video surfaced from a Crown Point, Illinois hospital, where Mercedes Wells, experiencing strong contractions, reportedly went six hours without being seen by a doctor. She was discharged. Eight minutes after leaving the hospital, she gave birth in the family car. She is now hospitalized with post-birth complications, People reports.
For Welteroth, these incidents weren’t isolated tragedies, they were symptoms of a system she says routinely fails Black mothers.
“It’s horrifying to see the way those women were treated. But for many Americans, this is a wake-up call,” she told AFROTECH™. “Two viral videos are showing us how inhumane our medical system can be.”
A Crisis With Names, Faces, and Consequences
The U.S. remains the most dangerous developed country for childbirth; especially for Black women, who are nearly three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes.
Welteroth knows the fear firsthand. Despite her own resources and access, she faced moments of neglect during her pregnancy. Twelve days after giving birth, she developed symptoms of blood clots. Her midwife urged her to get to an ER immediately — a decision that likely saved her life.
“This is a documented crisis that is only getting worse,” she said. “BirthFUND exists to give women a different ending to their story.”
Building an Ecosystem Instead of Waiting for Institutions To Change
Launched in 2024 with support from Serena Williams, Alexis Ohanian, John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, Kelly Rowland, and Tina Knowles, birthFUND covers out-of-pocket midwifery costs for families who can’t afford them. The model is simple: remove financial barriers, and you reduce deaths.
The results are already tangible. 138 babies have been delivered through birthFUND-supported care, and 260 families have received services in less than two years. The fund has raised over $3 million, and one Ohio mother told Welteroth she would have attempted an unassisted home birth — out of fear of hospitals — if not for the organization’s help.
“That frames just how dire the situation is for many Black women,” Welteroth said. “We need community birth workers who look like the patients they serve — people who can offer respectful, dignified care, even in their own homes.”
The World Health Organization estimates that universal access to midwifery care could prevent two-thirds of maternal deaths, newborn deaths, and stillbirths by 2035, saving 4.3 million lives each year.
A New Campaign: BirthFUND100
Now, Welteroth is scaling up. The nonprofit’s new initiative, birthFUND100, is a national call for “culture change makers” willing to confront not just medical emergencies, but the conditions that make childbirth dangerous: food insecurity, housing instability, lack of transportation, and more.
The goal: raise $1 million for rapid relief.
Actress Kerry Washington has signed on as the campaign’s first impact partner.
“This work is changing what care looks like — giving moms real support, real resources, and real protection when it matters most,” Washington wrote on Instagram. Other leaders joining the initiative include actress Michelle Monaghan, plus entrepreneurs Laura Modi and Nancy Twine.
From Fear to Action
Welteroth says too many public conversations about maternal health end with fear — and stay there.
“We are safeguarding families one birth at a time,” she said. “This is about shifting the narrative from fear to solutions that save lives in real time.”
The two viral videos showed the country what broken maternal care looks like. Welteroth’s growing coalition is fighting to show what a better future could be.
