Hello

My name is Jenna Martell, and I reside in a rural community in northeast British Columbia, where I was born and raised, only 20 minutes from the Alberta border. My husband and I are raising our two kids, ages 7 and 5, on an acreage where we are focused on living the simple way of life. I own and operate a Health and Safety Consulting company, which allows me to work from home most of the time to take care of the homestead and spend time with my family.

My Role in the Research Team

I can bring a unique perspective to this research team because of my diverse pregnancy experiences. For my first pregnancy, I received care from a family physician in Dawson Creek and birthed my daughter at full term. My second pregnancy was cared for by a midwife. When my water broke at 24 weeks gestation in Dawson Creek, my midwife had me flown out to Edmonton, Alberta, to give birth at a larger hospital to ensure that my son and I received specialized care that could not be provided in our small community. I am honoured to participate in this research and to bring a lived experience perspective to the process.

My Experience with Pregnancy Care

During my first pregnancy with my daughter, which our family physician monitored, the usual tests, ultrasounds and appointments were completed without concern or worry. The only ‘issue’ was my weight classification of being overweight. During her birth, she got ‘stuck,’ and I had to have an emergency cesarean section. She was born healthy, with no physical or mental conditions. Two years later, during my pregnancy with my son, I opted to have care provided by a midwife. Again, the same tests, ultrasounds and appointments were all normal, with the possibility of a vaginal birth after cesarean section (VBAC) being discussed. However, my water broke at 24 weeks with my son and I was flown out to Edmonton where he was born the next day, marking the start of our 150-day journey in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) between the Stollery and the Royal Alexandra Hospital. He survived five brain surgeries, four general surgeries, loss of toes on one of his feet, and multiple tests and blood transfusions. He is now five years old and has a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt and a Cerebral Palsy diagnosis.

The biggest issue that has stuck out to me about my experience was being a resident in a rural community nearly on the border between two provinces. The discussion of sending me to Vancouver (14 hours from home) versus being sent to Edmonton (6 hours from home) was a concerning debate. I would like to see more coordination between the provinces and northern communities so that mothers and babies are closer to home and can receive the support they need from their families.

My Vision for the Future

As a patient within the Alberta healthcare system with my son and experiencing the struggles northern communities have, my goal is to advocate for better access to a higher level of care for preterm babies and their families closer to home. I hope this research will help put real-life experiences into the research process and assist the healthcare community in taking progressive steps toward lowering the number of preterm births and improving care in rural communities.