October 29, 2018

A Story from our Nurse Family Partnership: Hay Mar Nyein Chan

The transition to motherhood was sometimes difficult for Hay Mar Nyein Chan. As an immigrant from Myanmar, Chan and her husband didn’t have many resources when it came to navigating their new roles as parents.

That’s where EveryStep came in. Through the organization’s Nurse-Family Partnership program and dedicated nurse Carrie Miller, Chan applied for health insurance and learned about the pregnancy and birthing processes.

The Nurse-Family Partnership Program provides first-time mothers with a home-visiting nurse to guide them through their pregnancy and stay with them until their baby is two. For clients like Chan who aren’t fully fluent in English, a personalized nurse experience makes all the difference when having to speak to doctors and make appointments.

Using all that she learned from Carrie, Chan was more confident when it came to her second pregnancy. She also felt empowered to help her neighbors when it came to their living situation.

“Hay Mar would advocate for these neighbors,” Miller recalls. “[One time, some] kids tried to push a pregnant woman down the stairs, so we had a police officer come to her apartment. Hay Mar invited her friends to come speak their concerns to the police officer so they could get some help to protect the moms living there.”

Chan now shares her experience with anyone curious about EveryStep its programs, encouraging them to join the program to help not only themselves, but their communities.

This story is an edited excerpt of a piece written by Drake University student Sierra Burgos.