GLORIA'S STORY

Perhaps Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple, said it best: “Is solace anywhere more comforting than….in the arms of a sister?” Her quote captures the very heart of Gloria Horsford-Torruella, whose life is the inspiration behind our organization. Once the right hand to my left, my little sis was the kind of person who wanted you to win. Loyal and loving, she supported the dreams of everyone around her, especially her family and friends.  

 An accomplished real estate professional, Gloria was generous with both her advice and her business expertise. Of Caribbean, Southern African-American, and Latinx ancestry, her vivacious spirit and inner strength were evident early on. As a tween, she bounced back from delicate heart surgery in a week’s time! Having her own biological children meant everything to her, so it was no surprise that she became a devoted mother of three. It was also no surprise that she would choose to put them first—even when she was in the greatest need.

In 2016, Gloria and her husband welcomed a double bundle of joy to complete their family. However, born 3 months prematurely, her twins required extensive medical NICU care. Needless to say, “a whole village” turned out for the babies and their toddler sister. For 12 months, the primary concern of the new mom, her relatives and medical teams, were her children. Neither she nor we would have had it any other way. Yet in the process what we all lost sight of was Gloria’s care. Despite her excellent insurance and prenatal care, she passed away one year postpartum.

I believe my sister might still be with us today had her pre-existing conditions, among other factors, not increased her vulnerability to postpartum mortality. In the U.S., the latter poses a risk to women of the African diaspora at an alarming rate of 3.5 times that of white women. Gloria gave everything to her children—and asked our family to do the same—to ensure that they were okay. We are still honoring her wishes and carrying out her legacy of love by extending support to the larger community via GloCare. With our events, awareness campaigns, gifts, and services, we aim to change the postpartum care system to ensure the wholeness and well-being of vulnerable mothers and their children.

Alyah

Won’t you join us? Be a part of the village of helping hands that all our sisters need in life.