The House of Lite: A New Kind of Transition Home   The House of Lite, is a new project of The Tatia Oden French Memorial Foundation. It will be a transition home for moms and newborns, initially opening its doors in the San Fransicso Bay Area, East Bay.  The House of Lite ( HOL) will offer all the necessary support services, counseling and resources for the single moms on welfare who live there, who want to break the cycle of poverty they currently come from and become independent, productive members of the community.  What is new about the HOL is that it will be located in a residential area that is near transportation, food stores with fresh food and other establishments  that has a low crime  rate and neighborhood schools. Research has shown that "where" you live significantly impacts the quality of life you have.  Please support the House of Lite by donating on the Home page  of this website then click on the facebook link and read more about the fundraiser and The House of Lite. We are currently holding resource and support workshops for single moms in Alameda County the second and fourth Fridays of every month. Please visit our Facebook page (The House of Lite) for the most recent information on the workshops. The House of Lite
FDA PETITION CAMPAIGN As an educational consumer group, the Tatia Oden French Memorial Foundation has written a letter to the FDA regarding Cytotec. We seek to have the FDA issue much stronger warnings to the public regarding the side effects of this "ulcer" drug, when used to induce labor. If you would like more information regarding the letter campaign please contact us at zorah@tatia.org On Nov. 22,2004 the petition and over 950 signatures were delivered to the FDA in Washington, DC. The petition can now be viewed and signed on line. To do so, please go to : www.petitiononline.com/cytotec. We deliverd over 2000 electronic signatures to the FDA in March 2007. The Cytotec Petition continues to gather signatures. Signatures will continue  to be delivered to the FDA until the petition is resolved. on line signatures now total over 2900. Visit the on line petition and view the comments.  Please visit and sign our petition.Please email us your contact information when you sign the petition if someone you know and love has had an adverse outcome when induced with Cytotec.  No one else is collecting this information on adverse outcomes for cytotec inductions.   UPDATE  Dec. 7, 2012:  We have received a response to our petition from the FDA.  They have denied our request to create a medicine guide for Cytotec Inductions. They feel that the ALERT on Cytotec inductions found on the FDA website is sufficient public notification. They are however in discussion with ACOG regarding how the mom should be total about the risks and benefits of cytotec inductions during discussions of the labor and delivery process. We feel this is a big step and partial "win". We hope to be able to participate as a consumer group in these discussions. Please see the link on the FDA Petition page for the complete response from the FDA.  Petition on Cytotec to FDA
Alameda County Public Health Commission : Informed Consent Pamphlet with Medical Intervention Insert The Alameda County Public Health Commission  has produced an Informed Consent pamphlet  with a Medical Intervention Pamphlet. The Informed Consent Pamphlet gives general information on decreasing the intensity of labor contractions and some questions to ask your health care provider. The Medical Intervention Pamphlet gives 7 medical interventions commonly used during labor and delivery along with the adverse effects on the mother or baby, or both. Both pieces are meant to stimulate discussion between the mom and her health care provider. They are also available in Spanish from the Alameda County Public Health Dept . Please contact the Alameda County Public Health Dept. and request copies in english or spanish or both, at 510 267-8000, or click on the website link below and scroll down to "Informed Consent Pamphlet" Informed Consent Pamphlet	SPEAKERS BUREAU The Tatia Oden French Memorial Foundaiton offers presentations regarding the issues of maternal mortality, informed consent and the off-label use of drugs-specifically the use of Cytotec to induce labor. We strive to provide as much information as possible to as many people as possible regarding these issues. We believe that ALL known side effects of the various drugs and procedures used in labor and delivery, should be explained to women BEFORE they agree to these interventions. Without this information it is impossible to give fully INFORMED consent. We are presently scheduling presentations at labor classes, high school classes, radio talk shows and conferences where labor and delivery issues are discussed. To schedule a presentation please contact us at: zorah@tatia.org
The Safe Motherhood Quilt Project is a quilt started by Ina May Gaskin several years ago, to honor all the mother's who have died in childbirth in the US, or who have died do to pregnancy or childbirth related reasons. Ina May and the Tatia Oden French Memorial Foundation continue to collect the names and causes of the women in the US who have died in childbirth or for childbirth and, or pregnancy related reasons. Please contact either Ina May  at inamaygaskin@gmail.com , or the Tatia Oden French Memorial Foundation at momoden@sbcglobal.net if you have any information on any maternal death.  Accurate statistics on maternal deaths in the US are NOT kept in all states, so even though the World Health Organization in 2008 put the US at 41st in the world for maternal deaths....the real number is much higher. Help us make this known so we can reduce the numbers of women dying in childbirth.   The Safe MotherHood Quilt Project
The Dangers of Cytotec..... New Facebook Page   The "Dangers of Cytotec " is a Facebook page that has been set up which posts current articles and information regarding the dangers of using Cytotec ( Misprostol) to induce labor.  With over 1000 'fans' it posts comments from those who have witnessed the adverse events that can follow a cytotec induction as well as comments from those who are just plain blown away that it is even used.  Please check it out and let us know what you think. Just go to your facebook page and do a search for "Dangers of Cytotec".	Amnesty International : Demand Dignity Campaign Focuses on Maternal Mortality in The US   Amnesty International has not only released its report on maternal mortality in the US ( March 2010), but is actively pursing legislators to enact legislation which will improve maternity care in the US and significantly reduce the very high maternal mortaliy rate in the US. The most recent piece of legislation is the Maternal Health Accountablity Act of 2011, where maternal health is finally treated as a HUMAN RIGHTS issue. The health of a country has long been gauged by its maternal mortality rate . Presently the US ranks 41st in the world, according the World Health Organization (WHO).   This is unacceptable. Please read about and support the Maternal Health Accountability Act of 2011 by urging your representative to co-sponsor this bill. Our lives depend on it. Maternal Health as a Human Rights Issue