What Serena Williams Teaches Us about Self Advocacy
Serena Williams has proven herself a role model and superstar once again. This time off of the court.
The 23 time Grand Slam singles victory holder and tennis legend is, indisputably, a tennis legend. It wouldn’t even be a stretch to call her the G.O.A.T. I’ve been watching Serena Williams play tennis since she was a teenager in braids and beads — and anytime she’s playing tennis, I’m glued to the TV. I’ve watched her grow into a confident and beautiful young woman who has changed the game of tennis forever.
Serena’s domination in the world of tennis has shown every little Black girl out there,
“Yeah…you can do that too!”
For this, I am ever grateful to Ms. Williams as well as her amazing sister, Venus.
A Role Model Off of the Court
Ms. Williams recently gave birth to her first child, an adorable little girl named Alexis Ohanian. However, what should have been a completely joyous post-delivery period for Ms. Williams turned into a roller coaster of frightening medical events that could have taken her life.
But Serena Williams knew her body. She had the confidence to speak up to the nurses and doctors around her. Serena Williams advocated for herself. And now she is telling her story.
Emergency Surgery and then Blood Clots
After having her daughter delivered by emergency C-section, Serena rested peacefully with her newborn daughter. She recently told Vogue magazine, “That was an amazing feeling.”
Later, a different story… “And then everything went bad,” she told Vogue.
The day after her C-section, Serena began to develop shortness of breath. She knew the symptoms of a blood clot (she had been down that road before) and she knew her own body, so she immediately alerted medical staff. Serena herself told the hospital staff, “I need a CT scan and a heparin drip.”
The CT scan would show clots in her lungs, and the heparin drip would help to thin her blood.
Though there was some delay, with one nurse even thinking that Serena’s medications were making her confused 🙄 , eventually, her medical team did the CT scan that Serena had insisted on. And guess what? She was right! She had blood clots in her lungs! She was immediately started on life saving medication.
Black Women Dying in Childbirth
Serena’s story is so important — for all women, but for Black women in particular. Why?
African American women have a higher risk of dying in childbirth than all other American women.
Our risk of dying at childbirth is 3 to 4 times that of White women!
According to CDC data, there are about 13 deaths per 100,000 births per year for White women. For Black women, that number jumps to a disgraceful 44 deaths per 100,000 births per year!
Almost 10% of pregnancy related deaths are caused by lung blood clots (pulmonary embolism) — so Serena’s self-advocacy, quick thinking and confidence could very well have saved her life!
Taking Control
As Black women, we have higher rates of heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure than our white counterparts. This translates into higher rates of not only mortality, but also a negative impact on our quality of life.
Serena William’s example emphasizes the importance of knowledge, asking questions, being persistent and prioritizing our health.
Self-Advocacy
Self-Advocacy is about speaking up. It’s about asking questions. It’s about having the self confidence to persist, and sometimes insist.
Self-advocacy is about getting the information you need to make responsible and informed decisions about what happens to you and your body. It’s about taking control of your health and your life. Self-advocacy is informed problem solving and listening to that little inner voice that we all have.
Serena William’s brave example shows us that self-advocacy can even save a life.
Originally published at mdhairmixtress.com on January 18, 2018.
