Vu-An Foster MPH DrPH Student

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Founder & Executive Director, Life After 2 Losses, Inc. | Business Owner, Vu-An Foster LLC |
Published Author • Public Health Expert • Consultant • Professor • Community Advisory Committee Member, NJ Maternal & Infant Health Innovation Authority

10/09/2026

When I say I got my loss families, I mean it! 😂❤️🪽

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of serving as the presenter for the New Jersey Maternal & Infant Health Innovation Auth...
10/09/2026

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of serving as the presenter for the
New Jersey Maternal & Infant Health Innovation Authority (NJMIHIA) Doula Town Hall in recognition of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.

Our goal was to equip doulas and birth workers with practical tools to provide compassionate, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed care to families experiencing pregnancy and infant loss.

Interestingly enough, at the start of my DrPH program, my DiSC assessment confirmed that my leadership style is Influence. And not to sound corny quoting Spider-Man, but “With great power comes great responsibility.”

I believe those of us in positions of influence have a responsibility to use it to help create a more equitable world Life After 2 Losses

As a leader who remains curious, yesterday also reinforced a few lessons for me:

•Lead with vulnerability. There were teary eyes in the room, including my own, and that's okay. Sometimes it's the nature of the work.

•Give people permission to care for themselves. While we may all be showing up in our professional roles, I will always make space to honor those who have personally experienced loss and encourage them to do whatever they need during my presentations to care for themselves, even if that means the group collectively surrounds and supports them through it.

•Keep people engaged, not just informed. Interactive learning creates opportunities for shared experiences and meaningful dialogue.

•Remain curious and willing to learn. You can be the expert in the room and still have something to learn from everyone sitting in it.

Yesterday, I didn't mention a single one of my credentials during my presentation because I wasn't there to establish myself as an expert. I had a message to deliver: In healthcare systems that aren't always compassionate or trauma-informed, here's how we can show up and be present for families experiencing loss.

Because before I became an expert in this field, I was a loss mama who used her experience to begin supporting others just like me. When our goal is to create opportunities for more compassionate care, sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is lead with our why and remind people of the humanity behind the work.

Come back on Monday! I have more to share about this experience and a powerful initiative we've put together through Life After 2 Losses to support doulas in this work.

Dear Future Me...Do it scared.Do it without knowing exactly how it will turn out.Do it without needing every answer befo...
09/17/2026

Dear Future Me...

Do it scared.
Do it without knowing exactly how it will turn out.
Do it without needing every answer before you take the first step.
Trust that sometimes clarity comes after the decision, not before it.

When I said yes to pursuing my DrPH at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, I did not have every detail figured out.
And truthfully, I still don't. 😂

Getting to Washington, DC for immersion, however, was a requirement. Everything else? I'm learning to trust the process, remain flexible, and keep moving forward even when I don't have every answer.

I simply know that I am being called toward something bigger.

And I am learning that some of the most transformative decisions we make require us to move before we can see the entire path.

There are things I am experiencing now that I could not have predicted when I submitted my application. New relationships. New ways of thinking. New opportunities. New clarity around the kind of leader I want to become and the impact I want to have.

None of that would have happened if I had waited until I felt completely ready or for the perfect moment.

So, Dear Future Me...

Keep going.
Keep doing the things that scare you.
Keep walking through doors without demanding to know exactly where every hallway leads.
Keep trusting the process while doing the work.
Because sometimes faith isn't knowing how the story ends.

It's being willing to turn the page anyway.

And now, another little reminder that I actually turned that page: the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health has officially released the 2026 DrPH Cohort Bio Book. Seeing our cohort together, and seeing my own bio there on page 22 makes this new chapter feel a little more real

https://publichealth.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs4586/files/2026-09/DrPH%202026%20Cohort%20Bio%20Book%20%28website%29.pdf

And I would love to hear from my network:

What is something you accomplished simply because you moved forward with faith, trusted the process, and figured out the rest along the way?
Maybe someone reading your answer needs the encouragement to take their own first step.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure and honor of attending the inaugural kickoff of the Community Advisory Committee for the N...
09/11/2026

Yesterday, I had the pleasure and honor of attending the inaugural kickoff of the Community Advisory Committee for the New Jersey Maternal & Infant Health Innovation Authority (NJMIHIA)

We opened with remarks from Lisa Asare, President and CEO, who spoke about the innovation New Jersey is leading in maternal and infant health and the national attention our state is receiving for this work.

That timing felt especially significant as New Jersey was highlighted on Good Morning America yesterday for the progress being made in maternal health. A state that historically ranked 47th in the nation for maternal mortality is now being looked to nationally as an example of what is possible when we invest intentionally in maternal and infant health.

I also walked away incredibly appreciative of the intentionality that went into selecting the
members of this committee. We had robust, transparent conversations, and it became clear very quickly how well our different experiences, expertise, and perspectives complement one another.

I see the beginning of a beautiful partnership and collaboration as we work toward the Authority’s vision of “a world where all mothers and babies flourish.”

I am incredibly grateful to have a role in this work and excited about what we can build together.

Stay tuned for more on this appointment and what I am most looking forward to contributing as a CAC member.

Look who I ran into today while establishing care with my new provider!The one and only Dr. Antonia Francis Oladipo, a p...
08/26/2026

Look who I ran into today while establishing care with my new provider!

The one and only Dr. Antonia Francis Oladipo, a physician I deeply respect and had the privilege of appearing alongside in a documentary about maternal health.

Dr. Oladipo has actually helped me find both my previous provider and now my new provider following my two preventable second-trimester pregnancy losses and nearly losing my life to severe postpartum preeclampsia.

Many of you know my story. If you need a reminder, or you're new to my network, I'll share an article below that tells part of it:

⬇️⬇️⬇️

https://www.nj.com/opinion/2022/05/happy-mothers-day-to-the-women-who-arent-listened-to-calavia-robertson.html

Recently, my provider transitioned primarily to the hospital to deliver babies, which meant continuing my care with other providers in the practice who did not look like me.

For me, and where I am in my journey, representation moving forward matters.
There is also a larger public health conversation here.

In 2024, the maternal mortality rate for Black women in the United States was 44.8 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared with 14.2 for White women. More than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable.

Research on racial concordance has also found that Black patients can report stronger communication, greater trust, and better patient experiences when receiving care from Black physicians.

Does having a Black physician automatically guarantee excellent care? No.
But representation matters. Being heard matters. Being believed matters. Being treated with dignity and respect matters.

And after everything I have experienced, being intentional about who I trust with my body matters.

Someday, I hope to have a completely different pregnancy experience. One that not only ends with a healthy, living baby in my arms, but with me walking out as a healthy mom, knowing I was heard, respected, treated with dignity, and felt safe throughout my entire journey.

When that time comes, it feels good knowing I am taking steps now to make sure I am in good hands.

I cannot rewrite what happened to me.

But I can be intentional about what happens next.

The advocate is still a patient.

And today, I advocated for her.

Who remembers the iconic movie Legally Blonde featuring Elle Woods?Elle famously went to Harvard Law after being told th...
08/26/2026

Who remembers the iconic movie Legally Blonde featuring Elle Woods?

Elle famously went to Harvard Law after being told that the man she loved needed a “Jackie,” not a “Marilyn.”

But what if there is room to be both?

During our DrPH immersion week, I had the opportunity to hear an incredible keynote address from Brian C. Castrucci, DrPH, MA In a room full of colleagues, I thanked Brian for his candor and his reminder to remain true to who we are as leaders. I shared that I am often known as a disruptor, the person willing to shake things up to create systemic change.

But what I left unsaid was the commitment I made to myself in this season: I will show up entirely as my authentic self.

I refuse to subscribe to anyone else's idea of what a woman in my position “should” look like.

I am fully aware that before I even open my mouth, my visual choices may disrupt what people expect academia to look like. But this is the version of me that allows me to show up as my most confident, authentic self.

You can show up boldly feminine, fully styled, and still be a powerful, substantive leader in the room.

That's what I love about Elle's character. Her classmates were highly skeptical of her at first. Eventually, they couldn't ignore her work ethic, her compassion, her heart, or her relentless determination to uncover the truth.

She didn't become excellent by becoming less of herself.
And neither will I.

If you didn't know it before, know it now: excellence doesn't have a uniform.

Do the work. Shake the table. And do it entirely as yourself.

And if you're still unclear...

Will I keep disrupting public health spaces while staying true to exactly who I am?

You bet your ass I will!

Time is an interesting construct.I plan to share more about my week in Washington, DC, for my The George Washington Univ...
08/24/2026

Time is an interesting construct.

I plan to share more about my week in Washington, DC, for my The George Washington University- Milken Institute School of Public Health DrPH immersion, but before I do, I want to share a personal reflection.

Throughout the week, I heard from other mothers about what it has meant to pursue a DrPH while raising children. One of our TAs told me, “I’m so proud of you. You brought your son, you drop him off at daycare, come to the program, go back to get him, and do it all over again.”

I had colleagues ask if there was not someone I could trust to keep him while I was away.

But for me, it was about time.

As a loss mama, I see time through a lens I hope most people never have to experience. We live as though we have an infinite amount of it, but the truth is, the clock is always ticking.
No matter what is happening in my life, I want to be the one who puts my son to bed.

So even after long days at immersion, I picked King up. We went back to our hotel, ate dinner, talked about our day, played a game, read a book, and went to bed. And throughout this entire experience, I also got to make some amazing memories with him.

I will never have those moments with my daughters. That has taught me to be deeply intentional about the moments I do have with my son.

I want the degrees. I want the career. I want the impact. But I never want to look back at everything I accomplished and realize my child grew up while I was busy accomplishing it.

At the end of the week, I looked at him and said, “Wow, I did it.”

He immediately corrected me:

“No, Mama. We did it.”

And he was right. 💙

Honored to see Life After 2 Losses featured in the Ms. Foundation for Women's new report, Birth Justice Now: How Ms. Fou...
08/07/2026

Honored to see Life After 2 Losses featured in the Ms. Foundation for Women's new report, Birth Justice Now: How Ms. Foundation for Women is resourcing community-based birth justice solutions.

After experiencing two preventable pregnancy losses, I founded Life After 2 Losses with a vision of transforming grief into advocacy. Today, our work extends beyond support services to advancing maternal and infant health, strengthening health literacy, and partnering with communities and policymakers to create lasting systems change.

I'm especially grateful that the report recognizes the importance of lived experience in shaping policy and systems change and highlights Life After 2 Losses alongside organizations advancing birth justice across the country.

Receiving this recognition while continuing my Doctor of Public Health journey at The George Washington University-Milken Institute School of Public Health feels especially meaningful. It reminds me that lived experience, community leadership, and academic scholarship all have a place in shaping the future of public health.

Thank you to the Ms. Foundation for Women, especially Sona Smith, and everyone who contributed to this report for investing in community-led solutions and amplifying the work of grassroots organizations.

The work continues.

Link for the full report

https://lnkd.in/gBKHBpmt

Today I’m attending the in-person portion of the New Jersey Planning & Redevelopment Conference 2026 hosted by New Jerse...
06/12/2026

Today I’m attending the in-person portion of the New Jersey Planning & Redevelopment Conference 2026 hosted by New Jersey Future and American Planning Association to further explore how policy, equity, housing, transportation, infrastructure, and community development all intersect with public health outcomes.

As a DrPH scholar and nonprofit leader for Life After 2 Losses , I’ve become increasingly intentional about the environments and conversations I choose to engage in. I’m continuing to move into spaces where discussions surrounding policy, equity, housing, infrastructure, transportation, and community development are helping shape the future of public health and overall community well-being.

One thing this leadership journey continues to teach me is that meaningful change happens through cross-sector collaboration and the willingness to understand systems beyond our immediate field of work.

Special thank you to the RWJF Jegna Council for sponsoring my registration and continuing to invest in leaders committed to equity-centered change across communities.

Looking forward to the breakout sessions:
“Reimagining Community: Development, Shared Ownership, and Building the Future We Choose” and “The New State Plan Era: Coordinating Growth, Equity, and Resilience Across New Jersey.”

Last night, I had the honor of attending the Wilhelmina Holder Fellowship Graduation Celebration hosted by The Citizen S...
05/29/2026

Last night, I had the honor of attending the Wilhelmina Holder Fellowship Graduation Celebration hosted by The Citizen Service at the Yacht Club with Chad-soma Foster and my son, King.✨

What made the evening especially meaningful for me was reflecting on the fact that before her passing, I had the privilege of serving alongside Wilhelmina Holder as a community member. Even more full circle, she was one of the people who helped me prepare for my SATs at the Newark Public Library NJ before I headed off to college.

So to sit in that room honoring her legacy while watching the next generation of fellows step into leadership felt incredibly powerful.

One thing that really stayed with me from Darren Freedom Green ’s remarks was his reminder that while photo moments and recognition are beautiful, the real impact is the work happening behind the scenes in our communities every single day.

He spoke about several areas where Civic Trustee is helping create change, but the one that deeply resonated with me was healthcare.

As someone whose advocacy journey was born from personal loss and the realities families face navigating maternal healthcare systems, hearing that reminder hit differently. It reminded me that purpose driven work is not always glamorous, but it is necessary.

Sometimes impact looks like policy conversations.�Sometimes it looks like community organizing.�Sometimes it looks like creating spaces where people feel seen, heard, and supported.

May Wilhelmina Holder’s legacy continue to live on through the work these young fellows will go on to do in our communities. 🤍 Michelle Tatum-Curry, MPH, MPA, CDP, HS-BCP

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