Amy’s experience proves that love and community know no borders.
You are newly married, a new resident of the United States, uninsured, unemployed and pregnant. This overwhelming set of circumstances created a great deal of stress for Amy and Jesse McKinney. The couple found it hard to believe that there was nowhere to turn for help.
When the Eastlake, Ohio couple first found out they were expecting a child, they tried to obtain medical coverage. “Every time I spoke to someone on the phone and mentioned that I was unemployed, pregnant and an immigrant, they hung up!” Jesse, newly employed, had not completed his company’s probationary period, so the couple had no health insurance. Amy is a native of Belfast, Ireland where she is on a career break from her job as a policewoman. She explains that in Northern Ireland, with national health insurance, there would be no financial obstacles regardless of how complicated her pregnancy.
“Insurance is not required and getting pregnant would have been a normal and routine experience for us, not a financial burden,” she says. So Amy googled free medical care for pregnant women and found Womankind. “Google brought us together.”
Womankind became her lifeline. “I wasn’t sure about what kind of facility it would be, but everyone was friendly and welcoming,” she explains. “They make you feel at ease.”
The 31-year-old McKinney explains that she and her husband had not anticipated starting a family so soon. Her journey is also complicated by a lack of family close by for help and assistance. Her mother-in-law Debbie McKinney, who is also her neighbor, stepped up to help and has accompanied Amy on some of her clinic visits. Additionally Amy, who now is nearing her third trimester, formed close ties with the Womankind staff.
During one of her visits, she explains, she bonded with Nancy Pavlik, RN, Womankind’s Director of Nursing. She laughs and says that the “Muddy Buddy” snacks brought them together.
“At a time when I have been going through the biggest change in my life, and not having parents close at hand for support, Nancy has made me feel at ease and like a friend. I feel like she has shared in my joy on this journey.” Each staff member, she says, welcomes clients as family. She is impressed with the volunteers as well. “They don’t have to be there, but they want to support you as a mother.”
Amy’s mother-in-law Debbie has also been very impressed with Womankind and loved that volunteers avail themselves to any and all visitors to teach them how to knit. As it turns out, Debbie McKinney’s cousin also used Womankind services some 18 years ago for the birth of her second son. This knowledge also made Amy feel more secure in her decision to visit Womankind’s Transportation Boulevard location.
Husband Jesse was unable to attend the clinics with Amy having to wait in the car as Womankind changed its procedures to comply with COVID-19 directives. But, she says, he has expressed how impressed he is with the level of care Amy has received and was thrilled to be able to share in the experience of mom and baby’s first ultrasound. This allowed Jesse to bond with little Ronan James who is expected in September.
Care at Womankind is continuous through 28 weeks of pregnancy. For Amy and many women like her who do not have the benefit of having an obstetrician close at hand for questions, staff at Womankind are always available. “Even between visits, if I’ve had concerns, I have been able to call and leave a message which is returned expeditiously,” she says.
Thinking back over her 28 weeks of Womankind visits, Amy says the center offers much more than just routine checkups. “Womankind is like a big warm safety blanket. They will make sure you are ready and prepared to leave their nest at 28 weeks and finish your journey in the right place for you.”
The new mom-to-be says Womankind care is much more than just routine checkups. She has no doubt that she will be adequately prepared for the remainder of her pregnancy journey and Hillcrest Hospital delivery.
“I will miss going there,” says McKinney. It’s like going to have coffee with friends!” The 31-year-old McKinney says she will be eternally grateful to all the staff who have made her pregnancy a joyful experience. She is also looking forward to returning to Womankind to take advantage of the center’s postpartum services. “I will need all the help I can get,” she says with a smile.
This story first appeared in our Summer 2020 newsletter.
