At Mary’s Choice RVA – a Christ-centered program for women in crisis pregnancies – about a dozen volunteers and staff were packed around a refreshments table on May 21, while executive director and founder Maureen Nwoye shepherded everyone into position. In an adjacent room, the “mamas” whom Mary’s Choice serves wore blazers and dresses, while their tots swarmed with excitement, aware that something special was going on this afternoon.
The occasion? A visit by the First Lady of Virginia, Suzanne Youngkin, accompanied by Janet Kelly, the Secretary of Health and Human Resources for Virginia.
Youngkin, Kelly, and other members of the first lady’s team came by to see the work done by Mary’s Choice and to offer support for the maternity home led by Nwoye, a parishioner at St. Benedict, Richmond.
“I want to thank you all for loving the mothers,” Youngkin told Mary’s Choice staff and volunteers. “As you well know, you’re in the center of a local, commonwealth-wide, and national debate about life.”
The visit was arranged after Youngkin met Nwoye on Jan. 23, at an event at the Capitol. Her husband, Gov. Glenn Youngkin, declared that date Maternal Health Awareness Day in Virginia.
Maternal health has been a focus for the governor and his administration. The mortality rate among pregnant mothers has fallen by about 50% since Youngkin took office in 2021. The administration has launched data-gathering and support programs for pregnant mothers, including mobile screenings for women without transportation, an educational campaign about the benefits of low-dose aspirin, and extended postpartum Medicaid coverage.
However, said Kelly, “There’s still so much work to do.”
Nwoye said that the first lady wanted to visit Mary’s Choice – where mothers facing a crisis pregnancy can stay for an extended period, while mentors help them get back on their feet – to learn more about the needs of maternity homes.
“I told her we need resources,” said Nwoye. “When these women are ready to turn their life around, especially the ones that have been incarcerated, they are not able to find a job. If there can be some way to give them a chance to restart their lives, that would be one thing they would need.”
“There should be some grants … that could aid the work that we do,” Nwoye continued. “For the women, if there could be assistance with mental health care, that would be very helpful, too.”
After speaking with the staff and volunteers, it was time for Mrs. Youngkin and her team to meet the mothers and their young children. Laughter, dancing, and excited baby babble welcomed them to the adjacent room.
“Having support makes all of this easier for me,” said Keira, a young mother with a vivacious toddler named Jonae. She added that it was difficult at first but the “good people” at Mary’s Choice made it easier.
Jonae, for her part, entertained the visitors by spinning in circles, climbing on their legs, and playing peekaboo.
“I don’t want to go back to work – I just want to stay here with you,” said Kelly, as she bounced Jonae in her arms.
Nwoye said that everyone was “still on cloud nine” several days after the visit.
“Oh my goodness … for the mamas, in their lifetime, what are the odds they will meet the first lady?” said Nwoye. “In their mind, people marginalize them … and to see the first lady picking up their children, engaging them, it just made their day.”
“It was a beautiful thing for their morale, to know that yes, you count, as well as every other person on the face of the Earth,” she added.