Mississippi Today

A look inside one Mississippi mom’s life a year after giving birth

Published

2 years ago

January 28, 2023

A look inside one Mississippi mom’s life a year after giving birth

by Eric J. Shelton, Mississippi Today
January 28, 2023

HEIDELBERG – It’s 1 a.m. and Heidelberg native Courtney Darby, a mother of four, is sound asleep in her room with part of her leg wrapped in a cast due to a broken ankle. She is suddenly awakened by the sound of her 8-month-old son, R’Jay Jones, crying.

Her daughter, Deysha Ransom, 13, who is sleeping in the room next door, wakes up and springs into action. She brings R’Jay to Darby, who breastfeeds him until he falls asleep. Deysha returns R’Jay to his room, and everyone goes back to sleep.

April-May

Courtney Darby, center, her son R’Jay and her daughters Deysha Ransom, left, and Zhyria Jones spend family time together at their home in Heidelberg, Miss., Friday, April 29, 2022.
Courtney Darby holds her son R’Jay Jones at her home in Heidelberg, Miss., Friday, April 29, 2022.
Courtney Darby holds her son R’Jay Jones at her home in Heidelberg, Miss., Friday, April 29, 2022.
Courtney’s son Willie Parker Jr. holds his brother R’Jay at their home in Heidelberg, Miss., Friday, April 29, 2022.
Courtney cleans her kitchen at her home in Heidelberg, Miss., Wednesday, May 11, 2022.
Courtney cleans her kitchen at her home in Heidelberg, Miss., Wednesday, May 11, 2022.
Courtney changes R’Jay’s diaper while her stepdaughter, Zhyria Jones, pays attention at their home in Heidelberg, Miss., Wednesday, May 11, 2022.
Courtney and her son Willie Parker Jr. spend time with R’Jay at their home in Heidelberg, Miss., Wednesday, May 11, 2022.
Courtney’s son Willie Parker Jr. carries his brother R’Jay to the kitchen at their home in Heidelberg, Miss., Wednesday, May 11, 2022.

Darby relies heavily on her daughter, who is now 14, to help with her son since she broke her ankle in May when R’Jay was 5 months old.

“My oldest daughter is the real MVP,” Darby said. “She does a lot because she understands my issues. During that time, it’s like she was experiencing what it was like being a mother.”

The accident happened when she was getting out of her SUV to go to work. The side step bar didn’t extend as usual, and her foot landed hard on the ground, twisting her ankle. She was taken to the hospital, where her ankle was treated and wrapped in a cast.

She went to surgery for pins and a plate to be placed in her ankle several days later on a Monday. The following Friday, she went to her doctor in Laurel, and she told him she was in extreme pain.

“He said it was normal,” Darby said.

June

Courtney looks at medical bills while in a wheelchair at her home in in Heidelberg, Miss., Thursday, June 16, 2022.
Family members play with R’Jay before the start of his six months of life celebration party at Courtney’s home in Heidelberg, Miss. on Thursday, June 16, 2022.
Courtney decorates R’Jay’s cake before his six months of life celebration at her home in Heidelberg, Miss. on Thursday, June 16, 2022.
R’Jay’s hand print is left after grabbing his cake during his six months of life celebration party at Courtney’s home in Heidelberg, Miss. on Thursday, June 16, 2022.
R’Jay gets frosting on his face during his six months of life celebration in Heidelberg, Miss. on Thursday, June 16, 2022.
Courtney sits with her boyfriend and father of R’Jay, Raphael Jones, while celebrating six months of R’Jay’s life at her home in Heidelberg, Miss. on Thursday, June 16, 2022.
Courtney Darby smiles while celebrating six months after giving birth to her son R’Jay at her home in Heidelberg, Miss. on Thursday, June 16, 2022.
Courtney prepares R’Jay’s six months of life celebration at her home in Heidelberg, Miss. on Thursday, June 16, 2022.

The following week, on June 3, she went back to the doctor to tell him about the continued pain and how tight the cast was on her ankle.

“When they took the cast off, the doctor noticed drainage in my ankle,” she said. She left with a prescription for antibiotics.

But the pain medicine she got at the hospital was not giving her any relief.

“I went through pain that I never imagined,” Darby said.

Her mom, who is a nurse, noticed that the pain was abnormal. They called the hospital several times a week seeking answers. During a visit on July 15, the doctor denied her pain medication, citing the laws surrounding narcotics.

Tears began to roll down her cheek, and her voice cracked as she told him about her pain – including that it was so severe, she considered ending her life.

She went to the doctor about six times before she was finally diagnosed in early August with osteomyelitis, an inflammation in her bone that resulted in infection.Luckily, she was diagnosed and treated around the time she was expected back at her job as a teacher at Bay Springs High School.

July

Courtney’s daughter Deysha Ransom helps her down the ramp at her home before a doctor’s appointment in Laurel, Miss. on Friday, July 15, 2022.
Courtney’s son Willie Parker Jr. kisses his brother R’Jay as they wait to travel to Laurel, Miss. for Courtney’s doctor’s appointment on Friday, July 15, 2022.
Courtney gets in a wheelchair before entering the hospital for a doctor’s appointment in Laurel, Miss., on Friday, July 15, 2022.
Courtney holds her son R’Jay as her daughter Deysha Ransom wheels her in the hospital in Laurel, Miss., Friday, July 15, 2022.
Courtney holds her son R’Jay as she waits for her doctor in Laurel, Miss., on Friday, July 15, 2022.
Courtney expresses the severity of her ankle pain to her doctor during a visit in Laurel, Miss., Friday, July 15, 2022.
Courtney cries out of pain and frustration during a doctor’s visit after repeatedly expressing how painful her broken ankle is feeling, Friday, July 15, 2022.
Courtney sits in pain as her ankle is examined during her doctor’s visit in Laurel, Miss. on Friday, July 15, 2022.
Courtney gets an X-ray on her broken ankle during her doctor’s visit in Laurel, Miss., Friday, July 15, 2022.
Courtney’s children help her back to her mother’s vehicle after a doctor’s visit in Laurel, Miss., Friday, July 15, 2022.
Courtney gets back into her mother’s vehicle after her doctor’s appointment in Laurel, Miss., Friday, July 15, 2022.
Courtney has her blood drawn at a doctor’s appointment in Laurel, Miss., Friday, July 15, 2022.

Before her ankle injury, she dealt with postpartum depression. She started to receive counseling about three months after giving birth to R’Jay.

“That was a fight with the devil,” Darby said. “Sometimes it was very much so getting the best of me. I didn’t want to get out of bed or comb my hair.”

She was breastfeeding, so she had to push through, she said.

In January, right after giving birth to R’Jay, she received a letter stating that her Medicaid coverage would stop in February. Then, Medicaid sent another letter saying it would be reinstated due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. She had secondary insurance through her job as well.

September

Courtney Darby collects herself mentally before her ankle surgery on Tuesday, September 20, 2022.
Courtney Darby gives her son R’Jay Jones a kiss before her ankle surgery on Tuesday, September 20, 2022.
Courtney Darby prepares to travel to Hattiesburg for ankle surgery on Tuesday, September 20, 2022.
Courtney Darby prepares to travel to Hattiesburg for ankle surgery on Tuesday, September 20, 2022.
Courtney Darby awakes after ankle surgery in Hattiesburg, Miss., Tuesday, September 20, 2022.
Courtney Darby awakes after ankle surgery in Hattiesburg, Miss., Tuesday, September 20, 2022.
Courtney Darby is helped to her mother’s vehicle after having surgery on her ankle in Hattiesburg, Miss., Tuesday, September 20, 2022.
Courtney Darby sits in her mother’s car after ankle surgery in Hattiesburg, Miss., Tuesday, September 20, 2022.

But even with Medicaid and her insurance, she still received medical bills that amounted to thousands of dollars.

“I don’t understand why I have to pay this much money out of pocket when I have Medicaid coverage and secondary insurance,” Darby said.

Darby’s story isn’t unique. She is one of many women in Mississippi who feels she is being pulled close to the ground.

Specifically, Black women in the state deal with more health disparities than any other state in the country. A recent report from the state health department showed Black women in Mississippi are four times more likely to die in childbirth than their white counterparts.

The state has also not extended postpartum Medicaid coverage for women as most other states have done.

This is Darby’s story.

October -December

Courtney shares pizza with her children while at her stepdaughter’s basketball game at Bay Springs High School, Tuesday, October 25, 2022.
R’Jay attends his sister’s junior varsity basketball game at Bay Springs High School, Tuesday, October 25, 2022.
Courtney plays with her son R’Jay during her stepdaughter’s junior varsity basketball game at Bay Springs High School, Tuesday, October 25, 2022.
Courtney gets R’Jay dressed for his first birthday party at her home in Heidelberg, Miss., Friday, December 16, 2022.
R’Jay’s birthday cake is in place during his first birthday party celebration at Courtney’s home in Heidelberg, Miss., Friday, December 16, 2022.
Zhyria Jones, Courtney’s stepdaughter, carries R’Jay to the living room as they wait for guest to arrive for R’Jay’s first birthday party, Friday, December 16, 2022.
Courtney and her stepdaughter Zhyria Jones prepare R’Jay’s birthday cake ahead of his first birthday party at Courtney’s home in Heidelberg, Miss., Friday, December 16, 2022.
Courtney’s daughters Zhyria Jones, left, and Deysha Ransom hang decorations for R’Jay’s first birthday party at Courtney’s home in Heidelberg, Miss., Friday, December 16, 2022.
Deysha Ransom plays with her brother R’Jay before guests arrive for his first birthday celebration at Courtney’s home in Heidelberg, Miss., Friday, December 16, 2022.
Raphael Jones, Courtney’s boyfriend and R’Jay’s father, playfully puts cake on his son’s head during his first birthday party at Courtney’s home in Heidelberg, Miss., Friday, December 16, 2022.
Courtney’s boyfriend, Raphael Jones, holds his son R’Jay as family sing happy birthday during R’Jay’s first birthday party at Courtney’s home in Heidelberg, Miss., Friday, December 16, 2022.
R’Jay opens his gifts during his first birthday party at Courtney’s home in Heidelberg, Miss., Friday, December 16, 2022.
Courtney kisses R’Jay during his first birthday party at her home in Heidelberg, Miss., Friday, December 16, 2022.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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UMMC holds free cancer screenings

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1 day ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @EricJShelton – 2025-04-30 12:00:00

by Eric J. Shelton, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Resident physician Claire Babin, right, performs an oral cancer screening on Ella Holmes during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Physicians prepare for oral, head and neck cancer screenings during a free screening event at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin, center, screens Diane Carter for oral cancer as medical students Mason Nodurft, left, and Eva Kiparizoska observe during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Educational giveaways advocating against smoking are available during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Sharon Terry, senior tobacco treatment specialist, waits for patients during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Skylar Robinson, medical office assistant, left, and Kiandria Bruce, registered nurse, review materials at the patient sign-in table during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Head and neck cancer literature is available during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Dr. Alex Brooks and registered nurse Angela Noble talk during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Nina Brown, clinical manager, helps Ned Bostic with paperwork during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin performs an oral cancer screening on Ned Bostic at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Ned Bostic receives a neck cancer screening during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin, center, and medical student Hanna Watson examine Ned Bostic during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.

The University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery hosted a free oral, head, and neck cancer screening Wednesday at the Jackson Medical Mall as part of Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week.

The event featured quick, noninvasive screenings aimed at catching cancer early — when treatment is most effective. Onyx Care provided free HPV vaccinations, while the ACT Center for Tobacco Treatment, Education, and Research offered resources on smoking cessation and free services.

“These screenings take about 10 minutes and can save lives,” said Dr. Gina Jefferson, head and neck surgical oncologist at UMMC. “The earlier a cancer is diagnosed, the better chance we have of curing it.”

Tobacco and alcohol use remain major risk factors for these cancers. However, physicians say an increasing number of cases are linked to HPV, especially among younger adults with no history of smoking or drinking. Dentists are often the first to spot early signs, which can include persistent sores, lumps in the neck, or difficulty swallowing.

Oral, head and neck cancers are among the most common globally. When found early, survival rates can exceed 80 percent.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post UMMC holds free cancer screenings appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article presents factual information about a free cancer screening event without showing a clear ideological stance. It primarily focuses on the health benefits of early cancer detection and the availability of free resources, such as HPV vaccinations and smoking cessation support. The language used is neutral and the content is centered around public health education rather than promoting a political viewpoint. The inclusion of factual statistics, such as survival rates and risk factors, adds to its informative and objective tone. There are no signs of bias or advocacy for a particular political agenda, making this a centrist piece.

Crooked Letter Sports Podcast

Podcast: What next for Mississippi State baseball?

Published

1 day ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @rick_cleveland – 2025-04-30 10:46:00

by Rick Cleveland and Tyler Cleveland, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Mississippi State didn’t even wait until the end of the season to fire Chris Lemonis, who brought the national championship to Starkville not quite four years ago. Where do the Bulldogs go from here. Robbie Faulk who covers the Bulldogs more closely than anyone else joins the podcast to discuss the situation.

Stream all episodes here.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Podcast: What next for Mississippi State baseball? appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Mississippi Today

Mobile sports betting users: We want to hear from you

Published

1 day ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @MSTODAYnews – 2025-04-30 10:21:00

by Mississippi Today, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Mississippi Today is looking to speak with current and former mobile sports betting users. We’d like to speak with people who spend considerable amounts of time and money betting on sports through online gambling sites.

We’re interested in hearing the experience of people who have suffered from gambling addiction or problems, or friends and family members of people who have. We also would like to talk with people who believe legalizing mobile sports betting would benefit Mississippi and its residents.

We want to hear from you. Please take the survey below or contact Political Reporter Michael Goldberg by email at mgoldberg@mississippitoday.org

TAKE THE SURVEY:

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This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Mobile sports betting users: We want to hear from you appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article from Mississippi Today appears to present a neutral stance, focusing on gathering input from various groups of mobile sports betting users, including those who may have experienced addiction issues. The content does not advocate for or against the legalization of mobile sports betting but instead seeks to gather diverse perspectives, including those of individuals who may support or oppose it. The language used is objective and does not suggest a particular ideological perspective, allowing for a balanced exploration of the issue at hand.