I am Crystal. I am a passionate educator and doula. I approach both birth work and education with energy, compassion, and care. My interest in birth work started in 2017. I listened to an episode of All Things Considered about a Black woman, Shalon Irving, who worked for the CDC studying social determinants of health. Shalon studied the very thing that would later lead to her own death: complications postpartum. Shalon’s story is the story of a system that continuously fails Black women. Shalon’s story brings purpose to my work as a doula. As a doula, my aim is to empower Black and brown women in their birthing experience.
After designing my major in Public Health at Clark University, I continued my commitment to work toward helping to improve the health outcomes of people in my community. I originally started OLWP as a way to provide women in Worcester, Massachusetts access to sanitary products. I was invited to participate in the Clinton Foundation’s Global Initiative to represent One Less Worry, Period alongside other college-aged change makers. I am excited to extend the original mission of OLWP into birth work. Women from Worcester to New York City and across the country should never have to worry about anything as important as their access to reproductive health care.
I have a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, a Master’s of Arts in Teaching, and I am a DONA trained doula through Birth Day Presence. I am working toward becoming a DONA certified doula with the great support from doula mentors in the Brooklyn community. I am looking forward to continuing my education in order to better support my clients and families. I am currently on the By My Side volunteer doula list.
When I am not doula-ing, you can find me riding my bike around Brooklyn, enjoying NPR podcasts, or caring for my 30+ plants.