I remember I told my doctor when I was getting cut I can’t breathe and she said oh yeah you can Francisca Shaw knew immediately that something was deeply wrong as she was being rushed into an emergency C-section it was 2015 the birth of her third child seia at Seattle’s University of Washington Medical Center they uh cut my uterus Shaw’s ruptured womb caused heavy bleeding she had to have a hysterectomy and went into cardiac arrest according to medical records seen by reers the University of Washington Medical Center did not comment on Shaw’s case citing Federal privacy laws but said it was quote committed to ensuring high quality and equity in all of its patient care black women in the US are three times more likely to die from pregnancy related causes than white women according to the CDC and reproductive Health Advocates are trying to use the upcoming election to Spotlight inequities impacting black women including higher rates of delivery complications and deaths