I am Monica Clark-Washington, a Black woman with both DNA traceable, U.S. and Ancient Mexico- based, Indigenous ancestry. I am a survivor, truth-teller, and cycle-breaker of the U.S. Black & Indigenous Maternal Healthcare Crisis. My experiences navigating a broken, maternal healthcare system as a ,”woman of color,” over 40, and on Medi-Cal, led to the revelation of how underserved, mistreated, and medically neglected Black and Indigenous women truly are. Between 2021 to 2025, I endured 5 unexplained miscarriages in a row, that were eventually found to be caused by an undiagnosed, uterine bacterial infection called, Chronic Endometritis. I was finally thoroughly diagnosed with having two aggressive bacteria – E. Faecalis and U. Parvum- in my reproductive tract, that led to long-standing, chronic uterine and cervical inflammation. This inflammation has been scientifically shown to cause placental impairment and decidua degeneration. 

In 2024,  which I call the “year of discovering and exposing,” I was also hit with another alarming reality about my health – that I had been living with a traumatic brain injury (TBI)  for 40 years. This TBI was evidently the result of a bad fall when I was 3 years old, where I landed, head-first, on a tent stake after tripping. I endured the pain of excruciating headaches and vomiting, but those symptoms went unevaluated and undiagnosed, and caregivers remained unaware of the serious injury to my brain. Over time, as the condition got worse, it led to a series of cascading health issues that showed up at different points of life: polyuria, chronic sleep issues, chronic pulsatile tinnitus, heart palpitations, and intracranial hypertension. I was determined to find a solution, and had to strongly advocate for myself to get doctors to not only listen to my issues , but to believe me and order the referrals and diagnostic testing that were needed. This ordeal made me realize that many people just like me live with years of unexplained pain, health issues, and undiagnosed  conditions that debilitate their quality of life. If they happened to be on Medi-Cal, these signs and symptoms of conditions with worse health outcomes that could be diagnosed, systematically go ignored, and swept under the rug by medical professional after medical professional. Through my persistence, I came to understand that virtually all healthcare services would be covered under Medi-Cal health insurance when they are properly diagnosed and referrals are properly submitted to highlight the medical necessity of the service. These realizations inspired me initially to become a certified Community Health Worker, which inspired me further, to embark on a higher goal to become an Epidemiologist. As a certified massage therapist, for over 15 years, I’ve always been fascinated with the body and natural ways to keep it healthy, and currently I am pursuing a second bachelors degree in Health Science- Public Health.