A junior in high school in Ridgeland has started a nonprofit to help new mothers and pregnant mothers in need.
Celia Lane created a nonprofit called Nourish.
  
 
Celia is passionate about maternal-fetal medicine. She wants to eventually do that with her career. She said she is especially inspired to help because Mississippi has one of the worst maternity mortality rates in the nation.
She spent time shadowing a maternal-fetal medicine specialist to learn more about the needs in our state.
This inspired Celia to start her nonprofit two years ago, in 2022.
The mission of Nourish according to the website is, “To provide resources and support for pregnant patients and mothers at every step of their journey. Combining science with service, we seek to offer assistance to those who choose pregnancy by ensuring they attain the necessary nutrients for fetal development and also safely leave the hospital with the resources and information to take care of their child right away. Our Baby Box Initiative is designed to distribute Baby Boxes (maternal-fetal care packages filled with essential resources including blankets, clothes, diapers, sanitary products, etc.) to underserved clinics in our community. Nourish’s mission speaks directly to my passion for neonatology and maternal-fetal medicine, two fields that function as the intersection of maternal health and developmental biology and serve both the authors and legacies of human life.”
Celia has a passion for baking and cooking and includes recipes on her website that have helpful nutrients for mothers and expecting mothers.
There are recipes specifically tailored to mothers and expecting mothers on the website.
There is also research and articles on her website that Celia has made more accessible to mothers by explaining the information in a more relevant way for people.
These articles share useful information on maternal-fetal health.
Nourish also offers a monthly newsletter with current events, articles, and helpful tips for mothers.
The Baby Box Initiative was born from this nonprofit.
What is a Baby Box?
A baby box is a box that is full of useful supplies and things for both the mom and baby.
The boxes have onesies, socks, hats, blankets, washcloths, and hygiene items like toothbrushes and toothpaste, thermometers, teething items, and pads for the mom.
Celia fundraised for the baby boxes by sending out emails and selling bundt cakes around Easter for people to buy.
She spent a lot of time researching the best items to include in the box.
Celia said she wanted the boxes to go to mothers who especially need them in underprivileged communities in the area.
She reached out to multiple clinics in the area and ended up distributing them through Central MS Health.
They also shared some of the boxes with the clinic called Central Hinds at Tougaloo where they hand them out to mothers.
How Can You Help?
If you want to help fund the Baby Box Initiative, you can donate through the website or Venmo.
To learn more about Nourish and the Baby Box Initiative, check out their website.
