Julia Klebanov

Supporting new mothers is something that I deeply care about. The first organization I chose to support through my life of service gift, Every Mother Counts, works to improve maternal health and make pregnancy and childbirth safe for all women. This cause is very important to me personally, as my daughter and I faced potentially life-threatening complications when I was pregnant. We were fortunate to have access to the medical care that we needed, but many pregnant women don’t. The number of maternal deaths globally is staggering, and almost all of them would be preventable if women had equitable access to quality prenatal care. Every Mother Counts is working to change this.

The second organization I chose to support, Help a Mother Out, works to help new mothers and babies by increasing access to diapers for families in need. Despite being a huge expense, the cost of diapers isn’t covered through public assistance programs. By providing diapers to families in need, Help a Mother Out has eased the financial burdens on the families it assists and has served as a gateway for access to the other social services organizations it partners with.

My own struggles with maternal and fetal health have made me passionate about organizations working to decrease maternal mortality rates and improve infant health.

I often view my personal service work through the lens of what I’m grateful for. As the granddaughter of refugees, I was motivated to volunteer with a refugee resettlement program, and my own struggles with maternal and fetal health have made me passionate about supporting organizations working to decrease maternal mortality rates and improve infant health. I’m grateful for the assistance that my family received as refugees and for the care I received as a new mother, but I also recognize that many others do not have this support due to the significant inequities that exist in both these areas. I came to CZI because I was inspired by its mission to build a more equitable future for everyone. I feel privileged to work in a role where I help my initiative maximize the impact we can have as we work to create a healthier future through science.