Everything changed when the Los Angeles wildfires swept through Bell’s life while she was four months pregnant. Her home and entire community were destroyed in the blaze.
She lost everything she had been preparing for the baby. “Sentimental swaddles and clothes gifted to me from neighbors… all gone.” Forced to live in an RV without power, running water, or propane, Bell sought help from FEMA but was denied support because she wasn’t technically renting or owning her home. Like many young people today, Bell had been living in an intergenerational household.
As she got closer to her due date, she worried about bringing a child into such uncertainty. “I felt like I had no support, no sense of family, and was very depressed,” she shared. “I began to think, ‘How will I provide my child with a safe, loving home when we’re living in an RV?’”
With direct cash aid and essential baby supplies, we helped Bell prepare for her son’s arrival. At 35 weeks, baby Eaton was born, named after the fire to reclaim her strength and start fresh. More than material support, Bell found the community and connection she needed. “4th Trimester provided me with a sense of family, friendships, and amazing support. They gave me community.”
“From feeling defeated every step of the way… to saying, ‘I’m blessed beyond belief.’” Bell reflects, “One day we’ll tell Eaton about the importance of community and supporting others and how much of a difference you made in our lives.”
She says, “I’ve always hated asking for help. But this experience taught me something important: It takes a village, and my village has been you.” We’re honored to be that village for Bell and Eaton when traditional systems failed.
This is how we do it.
We center the mother. We show up in crisis. We believe postpartum care should never depend on privilege or luck.
