— Timoria McQueen Addresses Maternal Death Rate for Black Women —
Timoria McQueen (right) shares her touching and life-altering story on “Mom Talk with Denise LaRosa,” a Blog Talk Radio show
Pittsburgh, PA — Timoria McQueen was living a life many women dream about; she was enjoying a successful and glamorous career as a makeup artists for stars like Mariah Carey and Keri Hilson. She married the man of her dreams and was expecting their first child with great anticipation. Then the day finally arrived. In April 2010, Timoria went into labor. It was easy, almost too easy. Timoria gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby girl. What was a joyous occasion rapidly turned into a nightmare. Timoria started hemorrhaging and the medical team swiftly went into action to save her life.
“I always felt like my first moments with my child were stolen from me. She was rushed into the nursery right away. I had a three and a half hour surgery that I was awake for. I had to watch each little incision. This was a surgery that was going to save my life. My experience is something that I never shied away from, or been embarrassed to talk about. It took me time to process it, but it’s never been something that I ever had a problem saying, ‘This is what happened to me.'”
Timoria McQueen shares her touching and life-altering story on “Mom Talk with Denise LaRosa,” a Blog Talk Radio show where moms get to share their joys and challenges while also receiving some valuable tips and resources on parenting and women’s issues. Timoria’s near death experience led to her being diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a disorder often associated with military veterans. Timoria’s life-altering event placed her in a position to be an advocate for maternal health and she shares some startling statistics on “Mom Talk with Denise LaRosa.”
According to Alternet.org, “America is one of only eight countries in the world to see an increase in its maternal mortality rate over the past decade” and “nationwide, black American women are four times as likely to die during childbirth than white women,” which was revealed by Amnesty International. Timoria McQueen explains, “When it comes to our own health, we don’t do the research and we don’t vet physicians as much as we would vet a painter to come and paint our home, or a mechanic to work on our car.” Timoria encourages women to take a stand by signing a petition that would urge congress to take action and pass The Maternal Health Accountability Act of 2014. The petition can be found on change.org and Timoria’s blog www.timoriamcqueen.com.
Timoria’s interview on Mom Talk with Denise LaRosa will debut on September 30th at 10am EST and be available ongoing. To listen to the episode, please use the following link: www.blogtalkradio.com/momtalkwithdeniselarosa/2014/09/30/makeup-artist-to-the-stars-turned-maternal-health-advocate-shares-her-story
About Mom Talk with Denise LaRosa
Creator and host, Denise LaRosa, is a wife and mother of two girls. A former dancer and elementary school teacher, Denise is now the executive editor for Urban Media Today, an online news magazine located in Pittsburgh, PA. Denise has a passion for Mommy blogging and also works as a freelance writer. Denise does radio spots for WZUM 1550am “The Heart and Soul of Pittsburgh,” offering her opinion on everything from education to the latest entertainment news. To hear the latest episode and listen to past episodes, please visit www.blogtalkradio.com/momtalkwithdeniselarosa or www.denisenlarosa.com.
About Timoria McQueen
Timoria McQueen is a professional make-up artist turned maternal health advocate, writer and speaker in New York. Timoria suffered a post partum hemorrhage and underwent a life-saving surgery shortly after the birth of her daughter. She was diagnosed with PTSD and realized that there were very few resources for women who had similar birth experiences. Along with providing resources for other women, Timoria shares a candid look at what life has been like since giving birth to her first child four years ago on her blog at www.timoriamcqueen.com.
PRESS CONTACT:
Denise LaRosa
denise@denisenlarosa.com
412-445-1153