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St. LOUIS, Mo. (InvestigateTV) — An alarming statistic shows 20,000 babies are dying before their first birthday. The infant mortality rate increased for the first time in two decades in 2022, and babies born to Black mothers have a rate nearly two times the national rate, according to the March of Dimes. A St. Louis man is working to turn his loss into hope with a program to educate and support Black fathers. Growing the next generation of Black fathers Inside Delmar Devine, change is happening. “I am looking to help grow the next generation,” said Brad Edwards, Founder of Dads to Doulas. Through his own tragedy, Edwards is finding his purpose. “I think a part of me is looking to heal through this journey as well,” he said. Brad holds many titles: a community activist, a mentor and above all a father. “100% they have completely changed my life,” he said. It’s his two children that bring him the most joy. “You know, anytime cuddling with my kids, watching a movie with them, and looking at them and knowing I am doing all this because of them,” he said. However, this isn’t where fatherhood started. In 2017, Brad and his partner were expecting twins. “It is nothing I can pinpoint on the medical system, more so lack of knowledge and understanding on my behalf and so knowing what I know now, I would have did things differently,” he said. Both boys were stillborn. “Perinatal loss is something that for a man can shift and really shake up your world,” he said. A Dad’s journey to coping with loss As a way to cope, he started Dads to Doulas. “Essentially, just to teach Black men about everything that goes into the labor and delivery process. Talk about perinatal health, perinatal loss, postpartum, everything that goes into the whole process from a-to-z,” he said. It’s a 6-week course where Black men are getting doula-level education ahead of childbirth. “We have a maternal health crisis as it relates to black women and babies, and so it is something that is very important and something that I think a lot of men may not know just because those numbers are out there, but they are not like presented in spaces that men exist in,” he said. “It really opened my eyes to this birthing process, it’s not just a nine-month thing,” said Patrick Springer, father-to-be and Dads to Doulas participant. Patrick Springer and his partner are expecting a baby girl in June. “When I think about this new life that is entering the world and just the possibilities,” he said. Patrick joined the Dads to Doulas program in 2024. “This is one thing our community definitely needed. We hear often times about inactive fathers in our community, and I love that this program is combating that stereotype,” he said. “We will not solve the maternal mortality crisis without men. We just won’t,” said Kyra Betts, lead facilitator of Dads to Doulas Kyra Betts is a certified doula and is right there alongside Brad, helping to make this program possible. From the very beginning of this journey, Kyra knew Brad had it on his heart to help other men. “I knew then that he never wanted to experience what he experienced again. I knew for a fact that him and his partner. They never wanted to go through that again,” she said. According to the March of Dimes, the infant mortality rate for Black babies in Missouri is 11.7 deaths per 1,000 live births. That’s compared to 5.1 deaths per 1,000 live births for white babies. The maternal mortality rate for Black women in Missouri was 71 deaths per 100,000 live births. That’s compared to the nearly 23 deaths per 100,000 live births for white women. Kyra said that with education and accountability, infant and maternal mortality can become a piece of history. “I don’t want it to continue to be an active problem forever because it should not be. The birth of a child is very beautiful, cathartic, and healing experience,” she said. Living on through the lives of others So for Brad, it all comes back to his why. “I want to leave a legacy that they can be proud of and know that their dad cared about others, and he showed that through his actions,” he said. While a part of him isn’t here, he hopes his two boys will live on through the lives of others. The ‘Dads to Doulas’ program falls under the ‘Dear Fathers’ platform. ‘Dear Fathers’ is a platform that empowers black men through personal stories, events and more. The ‘Dads to Doulas’ program accepts men from all over the United States. There are 43 men from 17 different states participating in the spring cohort. You don’t have to be a father or father-to-be in order to participate. In addition to infant and maternal health, another key focus is paternal health. Each participant must complete a physical and get blood work done to successfully graduate from the course. If you would like to learn more about ‘Dads to Doulas, ’ visit the website by clicking here.. Submit story tips to our Investigators Share errors or concerns with our Digital Editors Watch full episodes of InvestigateTV+ Subscribe to the InvestigateTV YouTube Channel
