In the wake of Super Typhoon Sinlaku, Famalao’an Wellness Center has launched a donation drive to aid pregnant women, new mothers, and infants. The women-led clinic, hoping to address critical needs, collecting essential items bound for the CNMI and Chuuk.

It’s a healthcare space for women, led by women — Famalao’an Wellness Center in Harmon Industrial Park. Daily, the team at the clinic serves pregnant women and provides a broad array of women’s health care and gynecologic services. For them, this specialized care offers a deep understanding of women’s needs — and on the heels of Super Typhoon Sinlaku, they have pregnant women, postpartum mothers, and infants in mind, holding a donation drive to support them in recovery.

Doctors and co-owner of Famalao’an, Mariana Cook-Huynh said, “This causes a lot of PTSD, especially for those kids and those mothers in Saipan, Rota, and Tinian because they had to actually live through that typhoon for 48 hours. It’s not just the storm itself, it’s the aftermath and the recovery, and making sure these moms are supported. We’re sending water, but they need a lot more than that.”

And co-owner Kelli Jarrett shared, “Pregnancy and especially late pregnancy, early postpartum, and the newborn period are obviously very vulnerable and time sensitive periods too, where people need to be able to access care, and so that’s something that’s very unique about this situation – is that anytime medical facilities have to be closed for a period of time, it leaves people vulnerable.”

In the meantime, the disaster also highlighting other vulnerabilities, like the need for critical supports like breast milk banks, when widespread and prolonged outages pose a great risk to infant food supply. Dr. Cook-Huynh, “Some things we were hearing from people in the other islands is that mothers were having to lose their supply of pumped breast milk because they didn’t have power to keep their freezers, and so they were asking what sources we have on Guam.”

“We are sending over some formula – it’s the next best thing we can do to make sure these babies get fed, because babies need a lot of hydration.”

And with that necessity in mind, items like baby formula, water, diapers, wipes, and more are slated for drop-off at the ayuda foundation and other organizations led drive at the former Lyndon B. Johnson Elementary School, bound for the CNMI and Chuuk.

Meanwhile, the clinic will continue to receive donations, and lend a hand where it can. Jarrett said, “We are all thinking about you, and we want to do whatever we can to support you — especially new moms, pregnant moms – you’re in our thoughts and prayers.”