Join Us for a Special Documentary Viewing of ProPublica's "Before a Breath"

After the loss of her daughter Autumn, Debbie Haine Vijayvergiya discovers that more than 20,000 stillbirths occur every year in the U.S. — and at least 1 in 4 is likely preventable. She goes to Washington, battling political inertia as she fights to make stillbirth research and prevention a federal priority. Kanika Harris, a maternal health advocate and doula, tells the story of her twins, Kodjo and Zindzi, as she trains a new generation of Black birth workers. And Stephanie Lee, a nurse leader at a Manhattan hospital, seeks answers about what might have led to her daughter Elodie’s stillbirth as she takes a leap of faith and becomes pregnant again.

Inspired by ProPublica’s groundbreaking reporting on the stillbirth crisis, which was a finalist for a 2023 Pulitzer Prize, the film is a powerful story of grief, healing and three mothers demanding that the U.S. do better by expecting parents.

There will be a panel discussion following the screening.
Topic sensitive & not recommended for children.
This is the first of two identical screening sessions, the other occurring on 6/8.

This is an independently organized event inspired by reporting from ProPublica, an award-winning nonprofit newsroom.

"Before a Breath" Documentary Screening on 6/7/25

By Empty Arms Bereavement Support

"Before a Breath" Documentary Screening on 6/7/25

ProPublica’s “Before a Breath” weaves together the stories of three mothers who have lost children to stillbirth