Episode 5: Saul's Light: People with lived experience are the experts - The NICU Experience

Red Bean Baby

Gioia sits down with Ms. Kimberly Novod, Founder and Executive Director of Saul’s Light. Ms. Novod and her husband founded Saul’s Light after losing their son after he was born prematurely. Saul’s Light seeks to support NICU families and those that have lost a baby, in addition to promoting policies to protect families and babies and improving perinatal health outcomes.

• Saul’s Light info:
  • https://www.saulslight.org/
  • Instagram: @sauls_light

Kimberly Novod, a nationally-recognized speaker and New Orleans-based community activist, knows well the rippling impact of maternal mental health, prematurity, and infant loss - having experienced all three. Driven by the principles of tikkun olam and tzedakah, she envisions a Louisiana in which neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and bereaved families receive the comprehensive support they need to lead meaningful lives.

As founder and executive director of Saul’s Light Foundation, Kimberly has collaborated with hospitals, service providers, and grassroots organizations to realize this vision, advocating for family-centered care, equitable healthcare policies, and directly serving families throughout the state since 2015. In recent years, she successfully advocated for state legislation that ensures families receive a tax credit for stillborn children and that health insurance providers, including Medicaid, cover prescription human milk. In 2022 alone, Saul’s Light provided direct support to over 100 English- and Spanish-speaking families, including education, peer mentorship and financial assistance to offset travel, lodging, and counseling."

Red Bean Baby talks about a lot of difficult, potentially triggering things. Take care of yourself and your mental health. Learn about more resources here on our website (https://www.covenanthousenola.org/issues/mental-health-wellness/).

Dr. Corine Brown, or Dr. C’Ma, a social worker and friend of Covenant House, can help you access more resources. Meet Dr. C’Ma here: https://themindbodyservicecollective.com/

• Learn more about Covenant House
  • https://www.covenanthousenola.org/
• Donate to Covenant House
  • https://www.covenanthousenola.org/donate/