The International Cesarean Awareness Network is powered by the selfless efforts of our numerous volunteers. We cannot thank our dedicated volunteers enough for their cooperation and service in assisting ICAN with accomplishing its mission. In an effort to acknowledge some of our amazing volunteers who work tirelessly behind the scenes to offer support, education, and advocacy for the mothers in their area, we have created a Volunteer of the Month announcement to highlight our supporters.

ICAN is pleased to announce April Henry, ICAN of Central Florida, as the March 2018 Volunteer of the Month!

What led you to ICAN?

In 2008/2009, when I was thinking of trying to conceive again, I found ICAN through an internet search.

What motivates you as a volunteer?

Supporting my co-leaders in making a positive impact on the health of babies and women, both physically and mentally/emotionally one woman at a time. I believe maternity and postpartum care are among the areas of medicine that lack the use of evidence-based care the most and it is hurting families every day.

What are your other professions and passions outside of ICAN?

I work in compensation and benefits on the employer side for a global nonprofit – Wycliffe Bible Translators.

What moment makes you proudest as an ICAN volunteer? What moment was hardest for you?

Of course, anytime someone gets the information and the empowerment they need to make an informed decision is a proud moment. But anytime someone who through circumstance or wishful thinking is unable to be in the same position is very difficult. Other than that, my proudest and hardest moments have to do with learning new skills, like social media management, and growing as a facilitator, like taking responsibility for when words don’t come out quite right or people are disappointed or inadvertently hurt.

Thank you for all you do, April!

The International Cesarean Awareness Network is powered by the selfless efforts of our numerous volunteers. We cannot thank our dedicated volunteers enough for their cooperation and service in assisting ICAN with accomplishing its mission. In an effort to acknowledge some of our amazing volunteers who work tirelessly behind the scenes to offer support, education, and advocacy for the mothers in their area, we have created a Volunteer of the Month announcement to highlight our supporters.

ICAN is pleased to announce Bronwyn Fackrell, ICAN of the Capital District as the February 2018 Volunteer of the Month!

What led you to ICAN?

I read Jennifer Block’s book Pushed when it came out in 2007, where she mentions spending time with ICAN members and learning what they wish they had known. I didn’t know at the time that my third child would be born via classical c-section the following year, after two straightforward vaginal births.

What motivates you as a volunteer?

There is so much I wish I had known as a first-time mom. The information is readily available and it’s a matter of helping people find it.

What are your other professions and passions outside of ICAN?

I have been involved with Special Scars for about seven years, and a member of the board for three years. I’m also very active in my church where I accompany the choir. Horses have also been a lifelong passion. But mostly, I’m raising my five kids.

What moment makes you proudest as an ICAN volunteer?

My proudest moment was beginning to establish a relationship with a local hospital’s Women’s and Children’s education department.

What moment was hardest for you?

The hardest is knowing there are so many people to reach and so many roadblocks spreading the word.

Thank you for all you do, Bronwyn!

The International Cesarean Awareness Network is powered by the selfless efforts of our numerous volunteers. We cannot thank our dedicated volunteers enough for their cooperation and service in assisting ICAN with accomplishing its mission. In an effort to acknowledge some of our amazing volunteers who work tirelessly behind the scenes to offer support, education, and advocacy for the mothers in their area, we have created a Volunteer of the Month announcement to highlight our supporters.

ICAN is pleased to announce Leiko Hidaka, ICAN of the Dominican Republic, as the January 2018 Volunteer of the Month!

What led you to ICAN?

While searching for information on VBACs, I came across the VBAC Project and ICAN’s webpage.

What motivates you as a volunteer?

After learning ICAN’s vision and mission, it felt like I had found a community that shared my beliefs and passion for women’s and families’ rights regarding their birth choices, a place where I could find and provide sincere support, and it just felt like the right place for me to join. It is my belief that women have the right to choose the birth experience they want and are not to be judged nor discouraged, for it is something that will stay with them and have a strong impact for the rest of their lives.

What are your other professions and passions outside of ICAN?

My professional life started out as an Architect working with territorial public policies, moving on to social policies and eventually working for the United Nations Population Fund and later on for the United Nations Development Programme. Sometime in between these last two, life led me into the birth world. I became a birth doula and that’s when my eyes opened up to the great need women and families have for sincere support in this regard.

What moment makes you proudest as an ICAN volunteer and what moment was hardest?

It has only been a few months since I joined ICAN and I feel incredibly honored to have been selected as volunteer of the month! As for my hardest moment, so far most of the things I’ve done within ICAN are planning and organizing, to begin holding meetings in Jan 2018 and spreading the word on ICAN in the Dominican Republic. In this time what has seemed to be the hardest is to realize how many women have such deep wounds regarding their birth experiences, far more than I would have imagined. However, this also fuels my decision and conviction to continue working to provide support and education to help women be empowered and able to avoid having their experiences ruined by the system or unsupportive care providers.

Thank you for all you do, Leiko!

The International Cesarean Awareness Network is powered by the selfless efforts of our numerous volunteers. We cannot thank our dedicated volunteers enough for their cooperation and service in assisting ICAN with accomplishing its mission. In an effort to acknowledge some of our amazing volunteers who work tirelessly behind the scenes to offer support, education, and advocacy for the mothers in their area, we have created a Volunteer of the Month announcement to highlight our supporters.

ICAN is pleased to announce Vicki DiIoia, ICAN of Santa Barbara, as the December 2017 Volunteer of the Month!

What led you to ICAN?

I had a cesarean with my second child in 1989 which took a while to process. When I became pregnant with my daughter, I began to look into my options for VBAC and midwifery and was led to the local ICAN chapter in NJ. Without their support and info on local options, in the early 90’s, I no doubt would’ve had a much harder time with my two HBACs.

What motivates you as a volunteer?

I believe how we birth, as well as how we are born, is profoundly important in terms of our connections to each other. Evidence-based education regarding cesareans and VBACs is empowering, especially in Santa Barbara – a town whose only hospital bans VBACs. My passion is assisting women and families in finding the birth atmosphere that works for them and feeling supported in that birth – there’s nothing better!

What are your other professions and passions outside of ICAN?

I am a Birth Activist and Educator, Birth and Post Natal Doula. I am extremely concerned (and motivated) by issues surrounding birth autonomy and bodily integrity, as well as human rights in childbirth; even more so now that I have two granddaughters. I’m compelled to ensure they have the right to make decisions regarding their own bodies. And birth choices, should they choose to parent. I believe we need to recognize the importance of PTSD, with it’s emotional and physical tolls, in maternity care and the implications for our society. I am also passionate and excited about Pre/Peri-Natal Psychology, especially in regards to healing trans-generational wounds. I am on the board of BEBA.org. In my worldview, bringing insights from birth psychology to more people and into ‘normal’ health discussions will improve our quality of life in general and our cultural and interpersonal relationships, in particular.

What moment makes you proudest as an ICAN volunteer?

My proudest moments involve open-ended discussions on birth options – there’s nothing like the light that turns on when women realize they have a choice. Repeat cesareans are not mandatory. It was also so gratifying to be able to host two maternal health panels that included Midwives, OBs, VBAC Facts, Maternal-fetal health specialists and moms who shared their stories. We received feedback from women who changed caretakers and made different choices based on the info they learned.

What moment was hardest for you?

My most difficult conversations involve helping women process a forced cesarean, especially the moment they realize they had options, yet were mislead or blatantly lied to.

Thank you for all you do, Vicki!

The International Cesarean Awareness Network is powered by the selfless efforts of our numerous volunteers. We cannot thank our dedicated volunteers enough for their cooperation and service in assisting ICAN with accomplishing its mission. In an effort to acknowledge some of our amazing volunteers who work tirelessly behind the scenes to offer support, education, and advocacy for the mothers in their area, we have created a Volunteer of the Month announcement to highlight our supporters.

ICAN is pleased to announce Anastasia Stone, ICAN of Santa Barbara

as the November 2017 Volunteer of the Month!

What led you to ICAN?

I found ICAN when I was pregnant with my second child and seeking a VBAC in Santa Cruz, CA.  I have been a member for 2 years.

What motivates you as a volunteer?

I long to see all women have access to evidence-based care no matter what their socio-economic status is. I am passionate about seeing a cultural change where I live and in the broader community. Looking back over the last two years, I am encouraged by the stories of victory from planned family-centered cesareans to Vaginal Births After Cesarean in-spite of the VBAC ban at our only hospital.

What are your other professions and passions outside of ICAN?

I am a passionate mother of five children and wife to my husband Dustin. Two of my children came to me by birth and three through adoption. One of my other biggest passions is adoption, specifically through the foster care system. My close friends and family are never surprised to hear me advocating for evidence-based care in birth and encouraging someone to consider adopting in the same conversation.

What moment makes you proudest as an ICAN volunteer?

My proudest moment is when we had a maternal health panel and actually had a local OBGYN show up and sit on the panel!

What moment was hardest for you?

My hardest moment was when I watched a mother attempt to deny a repeat cesarean at the hospital. Instead of the doctor respecting her choice, I sat on the phone with her while they bullied her to the point of consenting to the repeat cesarean.

Thank you for all you do, Anastasia!