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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels May 7, 2004 Submitted photos Midwives rally around one of their own By Steve Zimmerman Ashland Daily Tidings Sara Carson has learned the art and science of midwifery from one of the best in the area, Maureen Mitchell. Carson has trained and practiced with Mitchell for five years. So when Mitchell fell ill with cancer, it took Carson no time at all to pitch in to raise money to help defray the costs of Mitchell's treatment. Saturday, the midwives and many who Mitchell helped deliver their babies came together for a benefit that raised more than $5,000 for Mitchell. Carson talked about the process Mitchell has used to teach her midwifery. "I have been apprenticing with Maureen. It is a multi-step process," she said. "It starts Submitted photos out with watching and book study and as you become more qualified you might learn to do blood pressure or you might listen to the baby's heartbeat. Then you eventually become an assistant before doing a supervised primary. If you so choose, you can then do state testing to become licensed." Mitchell was diagnosed with skin cancer in the summer of 2003. She has gone through traditional treatment that has not been completely successful. So she is now going through additional treatment and is unable to practice. "So we, as her friends and fellow midwives, got together to organize the fundraiser," Carson said. "I don't have the numbers, but it has cost several thousands of dollars for treatment thus far." For the past three months, the midwives had been planning the event. That coincided with Mitchell stepping away from her practice to deal with her illness. The other midwives have taken over Mitchell's practice. Rosemary Carvalho was one of the organizers of the fundraiser and one of the midwives who have helped Mitchell's patients. "It is not a problem for us other than time," she said. "We all have our own clients. I have picked up a few of her clients and have been seeing ones she was intending to follow through with. "She is my very dear friend and I have known her since 1989. We have worked together in the past and she has helped me out. Years ago, my assistant broke her ankle just before we had four births and Maureen stepped in and helped me with every one of them. The hard part (in taking over the care of her clients) is getting to know people as well as we like to know our clients. I am hoping she is well enough for her to attend some of these births even if she cannot help." Carvalho said she is not surprised by the concern showed for Mitchell by her fellow midwives. "I think that to be a midwife you have to be a pretty strong personality," she said. "And I think we are all diverse, all different and some of us, myself included, are very opinionated. But we are coming together because we love Maureen. I don't think love means you have to be the same as someone else. She is a very good midwife and her clients love her." There is a medical trust account set up for Mitchell at Umpqua Bank. Anyone interested in donating toward Mitchell's medical expenses, can go to any Umpqua Bank and ask to make a donation to the Maureen Mitchell account. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams