Brynne Potter President, Virginia Friends of Midwifery P.O. Box 73 North Garden, Va. 22959 May 14, 1996 Dear Concerned Citizen, As you may already know, Virginia does not license non-nurse midwives to practice, and consequently, most consumers do not have access to midwifery care. The trend to hospitalize birth has never been proven safe. Yet many studies have provided proof that birth with midwives in out of hospital settings is safe. Many of us know that the risks of physical intervention and emotional trauma in the medical setting outweigh the risks of home delivery without "legal" support. We make our decisions based on our inherent knowledge of what is best for our bodies and families. If we are lucky enough, we may find a birth attendant willing to attend our birth with us as we make the choice to experience our birth in the home setting, where it has naturally taken place since the beginning of time. The rights of parents to choose where and with whom to give birth have been put in great jeopardy recently in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Commonwealth Attorney of Loudon County, Virginia has brought a charge of involuntary manslaughter against Martha Hughes in connection with the home birth of a baby. A rescue squad was summoned as the baby lost heart tones before the birth. The parents had made an informed choice to have their baby with Martha and do not support the state's intention to prosecute her. We are asking that you help us to take steps now to insure access to midwifery care for future generations. Our long term goal is to promote changes that will allow for more midwives to practice without the threat of criminal charges. The immediate need is to insure that Martha Hughes is not convicted of a crime for which she is not guilty. Your personal letters to the Commonwealth Attorney will show the prosecution that citizens care about midwifery. Your letter should include your personal feelings about the legal issues surrounding midwifery and your request that the case against Martha be dropped. Please try to keep your letter short as we hope to send at least 1000 letters! Please also send a copy to Martha's attorney so that the letters may be submitted in her defense. Send your original letter to: Hon. Robert Anderson Send a copy of your letter to: Greenburg, Bracken & Tran Legal fees for this type of defense can easily run into the tens of thousands of dollars. Any amount of money would be greatly appreciated and is desperately needed. We are currently working toward making contributions tax-deductible if at all possible. If we receive this status, all contributions would be come deductible retroactively, so please donate now. Your donation will give you a one year membership with VFOM which includes a subscription to our newsletter and a membership packet. There are some questions as to the legality of solicitation for donations of this type over the internet so we will not ask you to send your donations or give an address here. For information on how to donate please call our regional contacts at one of the following numbers: Northern Virginia: Kelly Lewis (703) 361-3855 The trial date for this case has been set for November 18-21, 1996. We need as many people as possible to be at the courthouse to show support for Martha. If you can come, please leave your name, mailing address and phone number on the answering machine of Sheila Chappelle (540) 687-4129. Information about where and when to meet before, during and after the trial will be sent to you. Thank you for your concern and consideration Byrnne Potter |