04/30/2025
The importance of a patient advocate is sometimes unseen. The support they provide is always patient centered, making sure the patient is cared for and set up for success. Birth equity and Substance Use Disorder are a couple of the points of focus here at sowing seeds. This story is inspiring and truly shows people can change and there’s so much support when they’re ready.
A New Beginning
Sierra Pregnancy + Health, located in Roseville, California, received a new ultrasound machine from 4US in June 2020. The following story is from their website:
When Andrea walked through the doors of Sierra Pregnancy + Health for a pregnancy test, she was afraid. Her life had been full of abuse and trauma. She had suffered a miscarriage, had two prior abortions, and now found herself pregnant again.
Andrea desperately needed hope. She used drugs to cope with the pain and destruction in her life. In fact, she had used drugs that very day. During her appointment, Andrea’s Patient Advocate asked questions about her life and the trauma she had experienced. Andrea suffered flashbacks and anxiety attacks about her past abortions and miscarriage.
Andrea's losses were affecting her mental health and everyday life. Her Patient Advocate listened to her, gave her resources, and introduced the concept of reproductive grief care and counseling. Two days later, Andrea came back for an ultrasound. She had the opportunity to see her baby and hear the heartbeat. What a gift!
After the ultrasound, Andrea expressed that she didn’t want to use drugs anymore – she wanted to get healthy and have her baby. Our staff rejoiced with her and gave her a bag of diapers, handmade blankets, bottles, and resources for rehabilitation from drug usage. It was a joyous day in our clinic!
Andrea took the opportunity to create a new beginning at Sierra Pregnancy + Health. She received resources and services that were tailored to her needs, which provided hope. In the end, she chose life for her baby and sobriety for herself.
We are excited about new beginnings for our patients. Thank you for providing a place where our clients can receive a fresh start!
You can help provide new beginnings for more women and families at 4US Ways to Give: https://buff.ly/0uS5sbr