Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County
  • ABOUT
    • Mission & History
    • Our Team
    • Volunteer Executive Board
    • Annual Reports
    • Client Success Stories
    • FAQ
    • Contact
  • PROGRAMS
    • Healthy Start
    • Connect
    • Save My Life
    • MomCare
    • Fetal & Infant Mortality Review
  • COMMUNITY ACTION
    • Addiction Support and Pregnancy (ASAP)
    • Breastfeeding Advocates of Sarasota County
    • Breastfeeding Friendly Sarasota Project
    • Breastfeeding Peer Counselors
    • Clean Start
    • IMPLICIT: Interconception Care Model for Vulnerable Populations in Sarasota County
    • Pump Up Sarasota
    • Safe Sleep Sarasota Initiative
    • Substance Exposed Newborn Prevention & Protection
  • FOR MOMS
    • Can Healthy Start Help You?
    • Breastfeeding Support & Resources
    • Clean Start – Protecting Your Baby from Drugs and Alcohol
    • Family Planning
    • Getting Healthy Before You Get Pregnant
    • Help to Quit Smoking
    • Hurricane & Disaster Preparedness
    • Safe Sleep for Your Baby
    • Text4Baby
    • Think 39 Weeks!
    • Zika and Pregnancy
  • FOR PROVIDERS
    • Prenatal Risk Screen
    • Infant Risk Screen
    • Provider Education & Resources
    • Your Community Liaison
  • EVENTS
    • An Evening for Healthy Start 2023
      13th Annual Fundraiser
    • Past Events
      • 2022 Breakfast of Champions
      • Run Baby Run! 5k
      • An Evening for Healthy Start 2022
      • Fourth Annual Regional Summit 2022
      • Free Virtual Webinar: Multiple Layers of COVID-19 From Birth to Grief
      • 2021 Parenting Series
        • 2021 Parenting Series – The Sleepy Tot
        • 2021 Parenting Series – COVID 19 Vaccination
        • 2021 Parenting Series – HypnoBirthing
        • 2021 Parenting Series – Resilient Retreat
        • 2021 Parenting Series – Potty Training
        • 2021 Parenting Series – Sound Beginnings
        • 2021 Parenting Series – Childhood Stress
      • 2020 Regional Summit Lunch and Learn Series
      • An Evening for Healthy Start 2020
      • “Giving Sarasota a Healthy Start” Luncheon 2020
      • North Port Community Baby Shower & Preschool Expo
      • Sarasota Community Baby Shower
      • SECOND REGIONAL SUMMIT: Substance Use Disorder in the Pregnant Patient and Substance Exposed Neonate
      • (Virtual) Breakfast of Champions 2020
  • DONATE
    • Donate
    • Volunteer
    • Wishlist
    • Amazon Smile
    • Goodshop
  • ABOUT
    • Mission & History
    • Our Team
    • Volunteer Executive Board
    • Annual Reports
    • Client Success Stories
    • FAQ
    • Contact
  • PROGRAMS
    • Healthy Start
    • Connect
    • Save My Life
    • MomCare
    • Fetal & Infant Mortality Review
  • COMMUNITY ACTION
    • Addiction Support and Pregnancy (ASAP)
    • Breastfeeding Advocates of Sarasota County
    • Breastfeeding Friendly Sarasota Project
    • Breastfeeding Peer Counselors
    • Clean Start
    • IMPLICIT: Interconception Care Model for Vulnerable Populations in Sarasota County
    • Pump Up Sarasota
    • Safe Sleep Sarasota Initiative
    • Substance Exposed Newborn Prevention & Protection
  • FOR MOMS
    • Can Healthy Start Help You?
    • Breastfeeding Support & Resources
    • Clean Start – Protecting Your Baby from Drugs and Alcohol
    • Family Planning
    • Getting Healthy Before You Get Pregnant
    • Help to Quit Smoking
    • Hurricane & Disaster Preparedness
    • Safe Sleep for Your Baby
    • Text4Baby
    • Think 39 Weeks!
    • Zika and Pregnancy
  • FOR PROVIDERS
    • Prenatal Risk Screen
    • Infant Risk Screen
    • Provider Education & Resources
    • Your Community Liaison
  • EVENTS
    • An Evening for Healthy Start 2023
      13th Annual Fundraiser
    • Past Events
      • 2022 Breakfast of Champions
      • Run Baby Run! 5k
      • An Evening for Healthy Start 2022
      • Fourth Annual Regional Summit 2022
      • Free Virtual Webinar: Multiple Layers of COVID-19 From Birth to Grief
      • 2021 Parenting Series
        • 2021 Parenting Series – The Sleepy Tot
        • 2021 Parenting Series – COVID 19 Vaccination
        • 2021 Parenting Series – HypnoBirthing
        • 2021 Parenting Series – Resilient Retreat
        • 2021 Parenting Series – Potty Training
        • 2021 Parenting Series – Sound Beginnings
        • 2021 Parenting Series – Childhood Stress
      • 2020 Regional Summit Lunch and Learn Series
      • An Evening for Healthy Start 2020
      • “Giving Sarasota a Healthy Start” Luncheon 2020
      • North Port Community Baby Shower & Preschool Expo
      • Sarasota Community Baby Shower
      • SECOND REGIONAL SUMMIT: Substance Use Disorder in the Pregnant Patient and Substance Exposed Neonate
      • (Virtual) Breakfast of Champions 2020
  • DONATE
    • Donate
    • Volunteer
    • Wishlist
    • Amazon Smile
    • Goodshop

“I am Healthy Start”

_I am Healthy Start_ (1)

A Personal Story from our Executive Director about the importance of Healthy Start: 

“My husband John and I were living in Birmingham, Alabama in 2012 and we had everything in the world we could ever hope or wish for.  I was the Executive Director of a 6 million dollar agency in the suburb of Birmingham, John was a director of a cell phone tower inspection team, and we were expecting our first child together.  We could not be happier or more successful…our life was awesome!

I was called into HR the day after my 7-month ultrasound.  I was on cloud nine.  The HR director and our CEO told me even though I was doing the best job ever but our association was not.  Since I was the newest ED hired I was the first to be laid off in tough economic times.  My first thought is I am pregnant why are they doing this to me?!  They offered me COBRA and it was $2200 a month.  I knew there was no way we could afford this.

About 4 weeks later John came home from work and told me his company laid off his whole division of the company.  So there we were 8 months pregnant and we both were jobless.  We both were applying for everything we could think of.  No one was going to hire someone 8 months pregnant and my husband was struggling to try to find something.

We packed up all of our belongings and came home to Sarasota, FL.  My parents found us a rental house that was not in the best part of town but we knew we could afford it for a few months without working.  At this point, I was 9 months pregnant with no provider and scared to death.  This was my first baby and of course, I had the stigma of the advanced maternal age stamped on my forehead.  I didn’t know the first thing about applying for Medicaid or even what that was.  I was too proud to accept the help because I always had such great insurance.  I had a friend tell me about a great OB in town and I called and got nowhere.  They wouldn’t see me without having the pregnancy Medicaid and since I was so far along in my pregnancy they were afraid to take me.  As I was leaving the office in tears, the receptionist handed me a brochure for Healthy Start and told me to not give up and to call them.

I did…I called them and talked to the most wonderful and caring woman that navigated me through the Medicaid process.  She got me in the OB I wanted to by making one phone call.  She referred me to WIC and that helped with groceries and taught me about the importance of breastfeeding.  She guided me through the food stamp process.  I was so embarrassed to even admit we needed the help.  This is for poor people and people who don’t want to work.  I then realized that family was ME!  I needed the help, I needed the support to have a HEALTHY baby.  She set John and me up with some childbirth education and parenting classes. I put all of my pride to the side and I accepted the help.  I thought the hospital and doctors were going to treat me different because I was on Medicaid.  I had such a wonderful experience and treated like a queen. When Jackson was born his umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck.  He was whisked away from me so the Doctors and NICU nurses could work on him.  All I kept hearing was breath baby breath baby!  When I heard his cry it was the most beautiful sound I have ever heard.  We did it…we had a healthy baby.

I was bound and determined to breastfeed.  I was having a very hard time with it.  My Healthy Start Care Coordinator called to follow-up to make sure I was doing okay.  I was not.  I was having such a hard time breastfeeding.  She had someone out to my house in less than 3 hours to help me.  I was able to breastfeed Jackson until he was one year old.

In the months after Jackson was born, I was able to secure a great position as Executive Director of the Literacy Council.  John got a great job too.  We were able to get out of the hole we were in when we were not working and get our insurance and buy a house.

Healthy Start was there for my family when we needed it.  It is my honor to work for them now.  To be surrounded by mission-minded and caring individuals that care and fight for our Moms and Babies…It is our jobs to make sure all babies in the state of Florida get a HEALTHY START.  We are family and we need to be a united force!

I just wanted to remind everyone why we are here…..  I am Healthy Start!!!!”

Shon Ewens, Executive Director

Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County, Inc. 

Florida healthy start Healthy Start Program

Latest Posts

  • shutterstock_2002113860_xpuwtv
    How Is the National Formula Shortage Affecting Sarasota Babies? Friday, 12, Aug
  • Hurricane
    Hurricane Season-What You Should Know If You Are Pregnant Thursday, 15, Jul
  • HealthyStart Parenting Series-04
    Free Parenting Series Thursday, 7, Jan
  • Giving Challenge Graphics-Unidos
    Unidos for a Healthy Future Wednesday, 22, Apr
  • Hurricane
    Hurricane Preparedness: Pregnant Women and Families Friday, 30, Aug

Archives

  • August 2022
  • July 2021
  • January 2021
  • November 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • August 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • July 2017
  • May 2017
  • March 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • July 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • May 2015
  • December 2014
  • July 2014
  • January 2014
  • June 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009

About

“Our Mission is to Improve the Health and Well-being of Pregnant Women, Infants, and Young Children in Sarasota County.”

WHO WE ARE

  • OUR TEAM
  • VOLUNTEER EXECUTIVE BOARD
  • BLOG
  • CONTACT
  • CALENDAR OF EVENTS

WHAT WE DO

  • OUR MISSION
  • OUR PROGRAMS
  • EVENTS
  • FAQ
  • PRESS RELEASES

OUR MISSION

“Our Mission is to Improve the Health and Well-being of Pregnant Women, Infants, and Young Children in Sarasota County.”

FIND US ELSEWHERE:

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube

© 2017 The Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County, Inc. Designed by Ciera Coleman. Photography by Peter Acker.