The Insulting Childbirth Experiences Mothers With Disabilities Endure

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Nikki and Darrell’s bill, the Parenting With Disabilities bill, would try to prevent Child Protective Services calls on parents with disabilities by helping parents apply for adaptive parenting equipment and allowing personal care assistants to assist with minor parenting tasks. It would be the first law of its kind in the U.S.

Shortly after Nikki Villavicencio gave birth via C-section, there was a complication. Her daughter, Alexandria, was coughing up blood, and Alley's stomach was swelling. Nikki's doctors wanted to transfer Alley to the children’s hospital across town. Already afraid for their baby, Nikki and her partner, Darrell Paulsen, panicked. Both parents have significant physical disabilities: Nikki, then 27, has arthrogryposis, a condition that immobilizes some of her joints. She uses her feet for almost all functions people typically perform with their hands, from texting to handling utensils to applying makeup. Darrell, then 42, has cerebral palsy, which affects muscle tone and movement. Because they both use wheelchairs, they couldn’t ride with Alley in the ambulance.

To read more on this story, click here: The Insulting Childbirth Experiences Mothers With Disabilities Endure

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