Mele’s Story

Mele grew up in East Palo Alto, and loves seeing the people from her community provide care and services at Ravenswood when she walks through its clinic doors. Seeing how Ravenswood is invested in the community makes her proud. Mele has been a patient of Ravenswood since 2016.

During her fourth pregnancy in 2022, she received care from Ravenswood’s Women’s Health Department, and would sometimes receive prenatal care from Dr. Santana, who is the Associate Director of Women’s Health. Dr. Santana specializes in obstetric care, which is provided to patients during and after a pregnancy to make sure the pregnancy goes well and the baby is developing healthily. Mele enjoyed receiving care from Dr. Santana so much that she requested Dr. Santana be her primary obstetrician.

Having developed trust in Dr. Santana, Mele felt confident having Dr. Santana provide care and support throughout her fifth pregnancy in 2023. Four months into her pregnancy, Mele was informed that she had placenta previa, a condition in which the placenta is covering the opening of the mother’s cervix and hinders a normal delivery. Dr. Santana walked through the meaning and consequences of the condition. Understandably, Mele was scared and nervous when Dr. Santana informed Mele she may need to have a cesarean section (c-section). To comfort Mele, Dr. Santana disclosed her own situation requiring a c-section. “Having gone through a similar experience enhanced the way I was able to provide care,” said Dr. Santana as she remembered her consoling words to Mele.

In December 2023, Mele’s condition escalated into an emergency requiring early admittance to the hospital – her placenta was bleeding. During her time there, Dr. Santana would call Mele to check on her and review her health chart from her own office. She reassured Mele that she was doing great. Mele remained in the