I didn't really understand the healthcare disparities for Black women. Then my cousin died while delivering her daughter.

• Mykesha Mack's cousin April Valentine died on January 10.
• Her fiancé and family are caring for April's infant, Aniya.
• This is Mack's story, as told to Kelly Burch.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Mykesha Mack. It has been edited for length and clarity.

When my cousin April got pregnant, we were both so excited. Growing up, April and I were super close. We always talked about who would get married or have kids first, and here was April — the first of us to have a biological child at 31.