Atlanta, GA
Atlanta OB-GYN addresses challenges as Black Maternal Health Week begins
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – As Black Maternal Health Week begins, physicians are working to raise awareness about the importance of Black mothers’ health during pregnancy and in childbirth.
“Pregnancy is one of highs and unfortunately lows,” Dr. Ericka Gibson, who practices at Kaiser Permanente, said. “We celebrate the joy around pregnancy and delivery, but things can happen.”
Atlanta-based OB-GYN Dr. Gibson said Black women suffer pregnancy-related complications and death two to three times more than other patients.
“A lot of different reasons why those disparities exist. Racism definitely can play a part in making Black women more likely to suffer, from needs such as transportation, economic needs,” Gibson said.
According to Gibson, common complications for Black women include hypertension or high blood pressure related to pregnancy, as well as diabetes or hemorrhage after delivery.
Atlanta father Charles Johnson sadly lost his wife, Kira, after she suffered for hours from a postpartum hemorrhage. She had just given birth to their second child. Johnson went on to create the 4Kira4Moms nonprofit to work toward eradicating the maternal health crisis in the U.S.
“The highest honor I could pay Kira is to do everything I can to make sure that I send other mothers home to their precious babies,” he said.
Johnson’s nonprofit is partnering with others to host a Black Maternal Health Walk and Block Party on Saturday, April 13 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation and Aquatic Center. The event begins at 8:00 a.m.
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The Georgia Department of Transportation announced that a major weekend construction project, set to fully shut down two miles of I-285, has been postponed due to inclement weather. Atlantans are relieved, with many looking forward to more freedom to travel this Mothers’ Day weekend. Kim Leoffler has the story.
ATLANTA – An Atlanta flight attendant and mother of eight is among 17,000 Spirit Airlines workers struggling to find a new “destination” after the carrier suddenly shut down.
Spirit Airlines Atlanta impact
What we know:
Spirit Airlines ended all operations on Saturday, grounding its entire fleet and ending employment for its 17,000-person workforce. Flight attendants and customers were stranded across the country, often forced to pay for their own travel home after the discount carrier ceased operations.
Kamille Carter, an Atlanta-based flight attendant of five years, said she received the termination email from the CEO at 3 a.m., despite earlier assurances from union representatives that the company was stable. The company immediately cut healthcare benefits and stopped payments for sick leave and vacation time for all staff members.
Unpaid wages and benefits
What we don’t know:
It is unclear if Carter and her fellow employees will ever receive their final paychecks or if there is any legal recourse for the lost benefits. The company has not specified if any transition assistance will be provided to workers, some of whom had been with the airline since it launched in 1994.
Employee reaction in Georgia
What they’re saying:
“This is a death because you have to mourn, you have to grieve, it’s a process,” Carter said of the sudden job loss. Despite the financial strain of supporting eight children, Carter is looking toward her passion for cooking as a potential new career. She noted that while being uncomfortable is difficult, it can “push you to your destiny.”
Finding help in Atlanta
What you can do:
Community members looking to support Carter and other local workers affected by the shutdown can find more information on the FOX 5 Atlanta website. The station is collecting resources for those navigating the sudden loss of income and healthcare.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from an interview conducted by FOX 5 reporter Eric Perry, who spoke directly with former flight attendant Kamille Carter in Atlanta. Previous FOX 5 Atlanta reporting was also used.
The search for missing 16-year-old Benjamin Braithwaite is over. Atlanta police announced just before midnight Thursday that he had been located, more than a week after he vanished from his Regency Trace home.
The department shared the update on social media but did not release additional details about where he was found or the circumstances surrounding his recovery.
Braithwaite had been missing since the night of April 27, when he was last seen around 9 p.m. at his home in Atlanta. His family said they had no contact with him during the entire time he was gone.
The disappearance of the KIPP Atlanta Collegiate High School sophomore and basketball team member had galvanized the Atlanta community. His family, teammates, Atlanta police officers and neighbors gathered at the school last week to raise awareness about his disappearance. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where his mother works, joined the search effort — asking the public to watch for him at MARTA stops and fast food restaurants.
A $10,000 reward had been offered for credible information leading to his safe return.
“Even small details matter. Your awareness could make the difference,” the airport wrote in an Instagram post earlier this week.
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