Against the Odds

Kaylynn Nixon is the first of her family to graduate from college, much to her mother’s pride. She lives with her fiancé, Shannon Sweaney, who was told by doctors he would never have children. Despite always wanting to be a mom, Kaylynn has been making peace with a different path, until a surprise conception reignites her hopes. 

To confirm her pregnancy, Kaylynn traveled more than an hour to Poplar Bluff for her first sonogram. She will continue to travel there for every reproductive appointment and for the birth. Since the closure of Kennett’s local hospital six years ago, there has only been one OB-GYN doctor practicing in all three of the Missouri Bootheel’s counties. Missouri ranks as the 44th worst state for maternal mortality in the U.S. According to the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, women in the Bootheel experience worse maternal and infant health outcomes than the rest of the state.

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Story for Missouri Photo Workshop, 2024