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Iya Pittsburgh Project

LXCL:We envision a world where opportunity, safety, options, and dignity are standard in the perinatal experience, and most importantly span beyond the limits imposed by socioeconomic status, race, or gender.

The whole world is moving through a time of upheaval, of transition and&mdash;almost universally&mdash;humans struggle with uncertainty. We don&rsquo;t know what the future holds. It is also an opportunity to develop new, generative, and supportive models in our communities. At &Igrave;y&aacute; Pittsburgh, we see this as an opportunity to be responsive to the needs of those most vulnerable to the acute harms of this time. We want to offer Pittsburgh a model of a community healthcare worker, similar to the role of a Traditional Midwife. Someone who can see and incorporate the whole picture of someone&rsquo;s life to respond to their needs. And while focused on pregnancy-related care around birth, postpartum, pregnancy, and abortion access, we shall not be limited to this care or the constraints of imagination of insurance billing. We know this is an urgent need because it is difficult to access affordable healthcare, trans folks don&rsquo;t know if or when their access to gender-affirming care will be taken away, and our immigrant neighbors won&rsquo;t leave their homes for even the most critical reasons for fear of being separated from their family members by immigration enforcement. We know that doula, midwifery, and supportive care can meet people where they are in a way that our existing systems cannot. We believe that collectively, the community can provide for the needs of the workers, so they can focus on the care of the community members most in need. We believe that eventually, a reciprocal economy will develop. Our Ask:&nbsp;In order to put our energy toward this in 2026, we need your support. We&rsquo;re asking the community to provide $10,000 in monthly contributions, or getting us to a goal of $120,000 for the year. A trained community member will: &nbsp;<ul fr-original-style="list-style-type: disc;" style="list-style-type: disc; box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.7px Arial; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000;" style="margin: 0px; font: 14.7px Arial; -webkit-text-stroke: rgb(0, 0, 0); box-sizing: inherit;">Answer the questions teens would rather not ask parents but desperately need answers to.</li><li fr-original-style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.7px Arial; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000;" style="margin: 0px; font: 14.7px Arial; -webkit-text-stroke: rgb(0, 0, 0); box-sizing: inherit;">Offer workshops for birth attendants to ask questions and learn skills to better serve their clients.</li><li fr-original-style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.7px Arial; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000;" style="margin: 0px; font: 14.7px Arial; -webkit-text-stroke: rgb(0, 0, 0); box-sizing: inherit;">Engage in relational (instead of transactional) services.</li><li fr-original-style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.7px Arial; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000;" style="margin: 0px; font: 14.7px Arial; -webkit-text-stroke: rgb(0, 0, 0); box-sizing: inherit;">Have access to the resources to provide for urgent basic needs that cannot be found elsewhere.</li><li fr-original-style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.7px Arial; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000;" style="margin: 0px; font: 14.7px Arial; -webkit-text-stroke: rgb(0, 0, 0); box-sizing: inherit;">Be available to community members for their pregnancy, birth, or postpartum related questions and provide connections to other community resources.</li><li fr-original-style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.7px Arial; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000;" style="margin: 0px; font: 14.7px Arial; -webkit-text-stroke: rgb(0, 0, 0); box-sizing: inherit;">Build supportive relationships with community members who are advocating for their own access to the healthcare they deserve.</li><li fr-original-style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.7px Arial; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000;" style="margin: 0px; font: 14.7px Arial; -webkit-text-stroke: rgb(0, 0, 0); box-sizing: inherit;">Be able to meet the needs of their own families and community.</li><li fr-original-style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 13.3px 0.0px; font: 14.7px Arial; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000;" style="margin: 0px 0px 13.3px; font: 14.7px Arial; -webkit-text-stroke: rgb(0, 0, 0); box-sizing: inherit;">Meet people where they are, and care enough about them to help move them towards their goals.</li></ul>We have seen that Pittsburgh wants to help our neighbors meet their needs, especially when the government and many institutions are not moving the needle enough on pregnancy-related outcomes for Black and Brown families and are caving to the pressures of an authoritarian regime. This is one way you can make a difference in the lives of many people you may not otherwise be connected to. The power of community is the only way to close the equity gap. Join us, as we redefine the expectation of perinatal experiences for all of our neighbors.&nbsp;

The whole world is moving through a time of upheaval, of transition and—almost universally—humans struggle with uncertainty. We don’t know what the future holds. It is also an opportunity to develop new, generative, and supportive models in our communities.At Ìyá Pittsburgh, we see this as an opportunity to be responsive to the needs of those most vulnerable to the acute harms of this time. We want to offer Pittsburgh a model of a community healthcare worker, similar to the role of a Traditional Midwife. Someone who can see and incorporate the whole picture of someone’s life to respond to their needs. And while focused on pregnancy-related care around birth, postpartum, pregnancy, and abortion access, we shall not be limited to this care or the constraints of imagination of insurance billing.We know this is an urgent need because it is difficult to access affordable healthcare, trans folks don’t know if or when their access to gender-affirming care will be taken away, and our immigrant neighbors won’t leave their homes for even the most critical reasons for fear of being separated from their family members by immigration enforcement.We know that doula, midwifery, and supportive care can meet people where they are in a way that our existing systems cannot. We believe that collectively, the community can provide for the needs of the workers, so they can focus on the care of the community members most in need. We believe that eventually, a reciprocal economy will develop.Our Ask: In order to put our energy toward this in 2026, we need your support. We’re asking the community to provide $10,000 in monthly contributions, or getting us to a goal of $120,000 for the year. A trained community member will: Answer the questions teens would rather not ask parents but desperately need answers to.Offer workshops for birth attendants to ask questions and learn skills to better serve their clients.Engage in relational (instead of transactional) services.Have access to the resources to provide for urgent basic needs that cannot be found elsewhere.Be available to community members for their pregnancy, birth, or postpartum related questions and provide connections to other community resources.Build supportive relationships with community members who are advocating for their own access to the healthcare they deserve.Be able to meet the needs of their own families and community.Meet people where they are, and care enough about them to help move them towards their goals.We have seen that Pittsburgh wants to help our neighbors meet their needs, especially when the government and many institutions are not moving the needle enough on pregnancy-related outcomes for Black and Brown families and are caving to the pressures of an authoritarian regime. This is one way you can make a difference in the lives of many people you may not otherwise be connected to. The power of community is the only way to close the equity gap. Join us, as we redefine the expectation of perinatal experiences for all of our neighbors.

Restorative Reproductive Justice

We are reaching out to ask for your support for our dear friend &amp; colleague, Michele (Misha) James-Parham (they/he), their spouse William Parham (they/he), and their children. They are currently navigating a deeply challenging season. While the family has asked for privacy regarding the specific details of their situation, the weight of this crisis has created an immediate and significant financial burden. Between unexpected medical expenses, loss of their vehicle, temporary unemployment for both parents, and the need to focus entirely on health and recovery, they are facing a mountain that no one should have to climb alone. Our goal is to raise $30K to help cover their living expenses, transportation, and specialised care over the next few months, allowing them the space to breathe and heal without the constant stress of financial strain. Michele &amp; William are well known in the community as folks who show up for others. Michele is a community midwife of over 2.5 decades, an educator, a chaplain, and a therapist. William is a writer, musician, professional deejay, &amp; media producer. Their combined presence, professional expertise, camaraderie, &amp; unwaivering compassion for others has always been essential to the community. Now, it&rsquo;s our turn to show up for them. How you can help:<ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Donate: Any amount, no matter how small, makes a tangible difference.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Nourish: <a fr-original-style="" href="https://takethemameal.com/PHIT9777" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Dropping off meals</a> during this would also greatly benefit the family.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Share: Please share this link with your own networks to help us reach our goal.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Privacy: We kindly ask that you respect their need for space and privacy during this uncertain time.&nbsp;</li></ul>William was in a very bad car wreck resulting in a fractured right hip. After many, many images of William&#39;s hips &amp; pelvis, it was decided that surgery wasn&#39;t the best course of action, but instead physical therapy, non-weight bearing for at least 6 weeks, &amp; then weight bearing increased by 25% each week from then on was the better course of action. It was also discovered that William has some heart problems that are being tended to now. We will update as possible. The family is incredibly grateful for all the support thus far.✨ UPDATE 08-13-2026It&#39;s now mid-August and it has been a ride thus far. William is walking fairly well with a cane and has an ortho follow-up in Oct., but so far so good! They are still taking new meds for their heart after having a cardio version in July and are still under multiple doctors&#39; orders to rest, continue to wear a LifeVest (wearable defibrillator) to begin cardio rehab soon, and be prepared for the likelihood of having surgery to get an internal defibrillator. William&#39;s original return to work plan was to start back with short shifts &amp; light duty in mid-October, but that might get delayed if surgery is necessary. They have an electrophysiologist follow-up in mid-September that will likely determine whether or not surgery is necessary and if there will be a further delay returning back to work.&nbsp;❤️&zwj;🩹 Stay tuned for more information as we&#39;re given the okay to share! UPDATE 2026-07-17:Michele&#39;s spouse was recently hospitalized again and discharged last week. William had a cardio version that appears to be successful, but found out they had a heart attack at some point in the past that left almost a quarter of their heart essentially dead. The good news is that William&#39;s heart is in sinus rhythm and their cardio team assured them &amp; Michele that with continued rest &amp; taking necessary meds, William&#39;s heart can restructure and heal. And William has been weight bearing on their hip, slowly walking &amp; regaining strength! Unfortunately, for the family, it looks like it will be early October before William can start back at work with light duty &amp; short shifts. So, we&#39;re asking the community to continue to dig deep and support our board member &amp; therapist Michele and their family during these trying &amp; uncertain times. Any dollars, meals, or shares help more than you realize. UPDATE 2026-07-01:Michele&#39;s spouse William had to be readmitted to the hospital Sunday evening. They will likely continue to be there over the holiday weekend before having a cardio version and then being discharged back to home. UPDATE 2026-06-12:Michele&#39;s spouse William had their ortho follow-up &amp; was cleared to start partial weight bearing beginning on July 7th! They have a cardio follow-up on July 6th to check on their heart functioning. Their PCP says he thinks William will be able to start light duty at work in September if their heart recovery is going well. UPDATE 24 MAY 2026:Michele&#39;s spouse William came home in the evening on 21-5-2026. They are non-weight bearing on their right hip until July 2nd &amp; then slowly adding weight bearing to 100% over a month. They&#39;ll begin home physical therapy later this week. William&nbsp;was also diagnosed with a bundle of previously unknown/undetected heart issues including nonischemic cardiomyopathy, ventricular tachycardia, &amp; heart failure w/ low reduced ejection fraction, which require they wear a LifeVest (a wearable defibrillator) for a few months while their heart restructures with the aid of meds &amp; rest. Friends, family, &amp; the community continue to take care of the family while Michele &amp; the kids take care of William. We appreciate your continued support of our board member &amp; resident therapist Michele and their family during the next several months.<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1778381889/wysiwyg/pqxqdwpw6o33xuzhvejw.jpg" style="width: 600px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; user-select: none; max-width: 100%; position: relative; box-sizing: inherit;" fr-original-style="width: 600px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1778381912/wysiwyg/iqbtvlqnnjk1a9dtcazx.jpg" style="width: 600px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; user-select: none; max-width: 100%; position: relative; box-sizing: inherit;" fr-original-style="width: 600px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1778381926/wysiwyg/nimqg07kfmhoymapdca0.jpg" style="width: 600px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; user-select: none; max-width: 100%; position: relative; box-sizing: inherit;" fr-original-style="width: 600px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">

We are reaching out to ask for your support for our dear friend & colleague, Michele (Misha) James-Parham (they/he), their spouse William Parham (they/he), and their children.They are currently navigating a deeply challenging season. While the family has asked for privacy regarding the specific details of their situation, the weight of this crisis has created an immediate and significant financial burden.Between unexpected medical expenses, loss of their vehicle, temporary unemployment for both parents, and the need to focus entirely on health and recovery, they are facing a mountain that no one should have to climb alone. Our goal is to raise $30K to help cover their living expenses, transportation, and specialised care over the next few months, allowing them the space to breathe and heal without the constant stress of financial strain.Michele & William are well known in the community as folks who show up for others. Michele is a community midwife of over 2.5 decades, an educator, a chaplain, and a therapist. William is a writer, musician, professional deejay, & media producer. Their combined presence, professional expertise, camaraderie, & unwaivering compassion for others has always been essential to the community. Now, it’s our turn to show up for them.How you can help:Donate: Any amount, no matter how small, makes a tangible difference.Nourish: Dropping off meals during this would also greatly benefit the family.Share: Please share this link with your own networks to help us reach our goal.Privacy: We kindly ask that you respect their need for space and privacy during this uncertain time. William was in a very bad car wreck resulting in a fractured right hip. After many, many images of William's hips & pelvis, it was decided that surgery wasn't the best course of action, but instead physical therapy, non-weight bearing for at least 6 weeks, & then weight bearing increased by 25% each week from then on was the better course of action. It was also discovered that William has some heart problems that are being tended to now. We will update as possible. The family is incredibly grateful for all the support thus far.✨UPDATE 08-13-2026It's now mid-August and it has been a ride thus far. William is walking fairly well with a cane and has an ortho follow-up in Oct., but so far so good! They are still taking new meds for their heart after having a cardio version in July and are still under multiple doctors' orders to rest, continue to wear a LifeVest (wearable defibrillator) to begin cardio rehab soon, and be prepared for the likelihood of having surgery to get an internal defibrillator.William's original return to work plan was to start back with short shifts & light duty in mid-October, but that might get delayed if surgery is necessary. They have an electrophysiologist follow-up in mid-September that will likely determine whether or not surgery is necessary and if there will be a further delay returning back to work. ❤️‍🩹 Stay tuned for more information as we're given the okay to share!UPDATE 2026-07-17:Michele's spouse was recently hospitalized again and discharged last week. William had a cardio version that appears to be successful, but found out they had a heart attack at some point in the past that left almost a quarter of their heart essentially dead.The good news is that William's heart is in sinus rhythm and their cardio team assured them & Michele that with continued rest & taking necessary meds, William's heart can restructure and heal. And William has been weight bearing on their hip, slowly walking & regaining strength!Unfortunately, for the family, it looks like it will be early October before William can start back at work with light duty & short shifts. So, we're asking the community to continue to dig deep and support our board member & therapist Michele and their family during these trying & uncertain times. Any dollars, meals, or shares help more than you realize.UPDATE 2026-07-01:Michele's spouse William had to be readmitted to the hospital Sunday evening. They will likely continue to be there over the holiday weekend before having a cardio version and then being discharged back to home.UPDATE 2026-06-12:Michele's spouse William had their ortho follow-up & was cleared to start partial weight bearing beginning on July 7th! They have a cardio follow-up on July 6th to check on their heart functioning. Their PCP says he thinks William will be able to start light duty at work in September if their heart recovery is going well.UPDATE 24 MAY 2026:Michele's spouse William came home in the evening on 21-5-2026. They are non-weight bearing on their right hip until July 2nd & then slowly adding weight bearing to 100% over a month. They'll begin home physical therapy later this week.William was also diagnosed with a bundle of previously unknown/undetected heart issues including nonischemic cardiomyopathy, ventricular tachycardia, & heart failure w/ low reduced ejection fraction, which require they wear a LifeVest (a wearable defibrillator) for a few months while their heart restructures with the aid of meds & rest. Friends, family, & the community continue to take care of the family while Michele & the kids take care of William.We appreciate your continued support of our board member & resident therapist Michele and their family during the next several months.

Supporting the Parham Family

Your gift to the General Fund helps keep perinatal care accessible, dignified, and safe for every birthing person we serve. General Fund donations give us flexibility to respond where the need is highest&mdash;whether that&rsquo;s birth support, trainings, or supplies for midwives in the field. Thank you for standing with our community for equity in birth.&nbsp;

Your gift to the General Fund helps keep perinatal care accessible, dignified, and safe for every birthing person we serve.General Fund donations give us flexibility to respond where the need is highest—whether that’s birth support, trainings, or supplies for midwives in the field. Thank you for standing with our community for equity in birth.

Join our Medical Ethics Book Club to read and discuss how medicine, ethics, and justice intersect in everyday care. Together, we will look closely at non-fiction and fiction stories, hard questions, and the impact of medical decisions on individuals, families, policies, and legal precedence. The book club will meet in person at &Igrave;y&aacute; Pittsburgh&#39;s office inside of Tripoli Street Community Center/Cityview Church. Tea and coffee will be available. The book club will explore the following books on the following schedule:Oct 16/Nov 20, 2026 - Still Alice by Lisa GenovaJan 15/Feb 19, 2027 - Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri FinkMar 19/Apr 16, 2027 - TBDMay 21, 2027 - wrap up this round of readings with additional case studies and discussion, as well as determining books for the next round. Next round planned to start in August 2027.-- we have PDF copies of the books available for those who need them; email info@iyapittsburgh.org if you need one. Ticketing: We will cover roughly half a book per month. We have set up ticketing so that participants may claim a separate ticket for each month they wish to attend. Tickets are available until 5:00 PM day of discussion and tickets for the next month go live directly following the current month&#39;s discussion at 8:05 PM.&nbsp; &Igrave;y&aacute; Pittsburgh Project centers respectful, informed, and accountable birth care. Your registration helps shape the conversation&mdash;whether you&rsquo;re a parent, provider, student, or curious neighbor ready to listen, learn, and speak thoughtfully.

Medical Ethics Book Club

Join our DnD Fundraiser to help raise money for our continued support of the community.&nbsp; Your ticket/donation helps Iya Pittsburgh Project compensate the wonderful community members who provide community-based care&mdash;like birth planning support, advocacy, postpartum resources, therapy, support groups, homebirth midwifery, and more! &nbsp; Thanks to a collaboration with Gamemaster <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.coltenfisher.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Colten Fisher</a>, you can join us this October 30th as our party heads to a garden gala at Pips Conservatory in the fantasy-industrial city of Ferriburg; vines wrap around the whole greenhouse, and magical plants become aggressive. How will you and your character navigate this creepy fall day? Whether new to tabletop games or longtime players, participants aged 14 and up can choose from premade level 3 characters. You&rsquo;ll share a table, roll some dice, and help sustain community support with a fun-filled evening. Sign up below to reserve your seat at the table or make a donation if you cannot join us. Please email us at <a fr-original-style="" href="mailto:youthoutreach@iyapittsburgh.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">youthoutreach@iyapittsburgh.org</a> with any questions!

Iya Pittsburgh Project

Iya Pittsburgh Project

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Restorative Reproductive Justice

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Supporting the Parham Family

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General Fund

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