Mama bear : one black mother's fight for her child's life and her own
(Book)

Includes bibliographical references (pages 235-236).

The wife of NBA Champion and All-Star J.R. Smith shares the story of giving birth to one of the youngest premature babies to survive, shining a spotlight on the dangers Black women face during pregnancy and paying tribute to black women's resilience.

Smith and her husband, NBA champion J.R. Smith, looked forward to the birth of their second child, Dakota-- until she went into labor at only 21-weeks pregnant. This is the story of her 141-day ordeal, from entering a hospital emergency room on New Year's morning and giving birth to her premature newborn, to taking her daughter home for the first time the following May. She shines a spotlight on the dangers Black women face during pregnancy: twice as likely as their white counterparts to go into labor prematurely and lose their babies, and almost four times as likely to die giving birth. A chronicle of pain, loss, and infidelity, her book is ultimately a celebration of community, family, faith, healing, the maternal bond, and one woman's indomitable spirit. -- adapted from jacket