Penny Simkin

We hope you'll be able to join us tomorrow for our Celebration of Penny's life at Bastyr University from 1:00 to 3:00, with reception to follow. If you can't join us in person, here is a link to the livestream.

https://www.youtube.com/live/3DoMwRe71Qs

In the meantime, don't forget to check out the Penny Simkin Goddess Auction at https://givebutter.com/c/bmQ2nB .

Here is today's featured item. A beautiful painting that graced Penny's dining room for decades.

This beautiful, numbered print, "Keeping Tradition" by Coast Salish artist Susan Pointe hung in Penny's dining room in Seattle for three decades. That room, around the oak dining room table Penny grew up with, was the site of countless family gatherings, refreshment breaks from homebirth classes, meetings and brainstorming sessions with co-authors, mentors, proteges, doulas, childbirth educators, and other thinkers in the field.

Bid on the goddess that drove Lola crazy! 🐕

We're so excited to see the enthusiasm for this event! 🎉So many fun items and precious keepsakes. 🥳 Please help spread the word!

Here's the link to sign up: https://givebutter.com/c/bmQ2nB

Today's featured item is another treasure!

Mexican Terra Cotta Pipe - This was a gift to Penny from midwives in Mexico City. According to Penny's assistant, Katie Rohs, "When you put water in the compartment in the back and tilt it forward, it makes a weeping sound and tears flow from her eyes. Funny tidbit: Penny's dog Lola went BANANAS when this goddess 'cried." Lola would bark and bark until the crying stopped and the goddess was put away."

Happening now! 🎉 Exciting news! 🎉 Join us for Penny Simkin's online Birth Goddess Auction, Sept 2-15! 📍 Bid on unique treasures from Penny's private collection & support the Simkin Center's Leadership Fund! 💖

View and bid on items at: https://givebutter.com/c/bmQ2nB

One-of-a-kind items include Penny's own doll and pelvis, which she used for decades to demonstrate a baby's rotation and descent during labor and delivery. (Scan QR code to learn more!)

Celebrating Penny Simkin
Her Life, Her Work, and the Future of her Vision for Birthing Care

We invite you to honor and celebrate the remarkable life and pioneering spirit of Penny Simkin, a trailblazer in maternal-child health and respectful maternity care globally.

Date and Time:
September 7th, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (Pacific Daylight Time)

Location:
•In-Person*: Bastyr University Chapel, Kenmore, WA
*After the celebration, please join us on the patio for an opportunity to reconnect with friends and colleagues, accompanied by light refreshments.
•Live Stream: Online access available.

RSVP Information:
*If you plan to attend In-Person, please RSVP here. https://bastyr.catalog.instructure.com/browse/simkin-center/penny-celebration/courses/simkin-center-penny-simkin-celebration-of-life-september-7
*If you plan to attend via Live Stream, please RSVP here.
https://bastyr.catalog.instructure.com/browse/simkin-center/penny-celebration/courses/simkin-center-penny-simkin-celebration-of-life---september-7th-live-stream
*If you have already RSVP'd, there's no need to RSVP again.

Registered In-Person attendees will receive detailed logistical information, including directions and campus access, a few days before the event.

Registered Live Stream attendees will be provided with a link to the live stream a few days before the event.

The celebration will be recorded and made available on both the Simkin Center and Penny Simkin's websites.

Confirmed Speakers for Penny Simkin's Celebration of Life:
•Dr. Devin Byrd, President, Bastyr University
•Kathy McGrath, MSW, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT (DONA). Former DONA Mentor and Penny's BFF
•Mary Simkin-Maass
•Neel Shah, MD, MPP, FACOG: Physician, Scientist & Entrepreneur, Chief Medical Officer of Maven Clinic, Visiting Scientist at Harvard Medical School.
•Melissa Cheyney, Ph.D., CPM, LDM: Professor of Clinical Medical Anthropology, Oregon State University, Community Midwife, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care, and co-author with Penny -The Birth Partner, 6th edition-due for release, October 2024
•Venus Standard, MS, CNM, APRN, FACNM, LCCE, CD (DONA): Certified Nurse Midwife and Director of Health Equity Education and Community Engagement for the Department of Family Medicine at UNC, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
•and Music/Performances: Penny's daughters will perform several musical performances including "DONA Nobis Pacem".

About Penny Simkin: Penny was a pioneer in the maternal health and doula movement, who passed away on April 11. She leaves behind a legacy of compassion and empowerment. As an advocate, mentor, and beloved member of our community, Penny touched countless lives. This celebration is an opportunity for us to come together, share cherished memories, reflect on her lasting contributions, and honor her incredible journey.

We look forward to coming together in remembrance and celebration.

🌟
Penny's Birth Goddess Auction Open September 2-15, 2024!
Over 100 items from Penny's remarkable collection!
🌟

We are thrilled and honored to announce an upcoming online auction celebrating the incredible legacy of Penny Simkin. For over five decades, Penny dedicated her life to advancing informed birthing care, traveling the globe to train doulas, deliver workshops, and speak on the importance of compassionate, coordinated support.

Throughout her journey, Penny collected exquisite sculptures, indigenous art, and unique pieces related to pregnancy, childbirth, nursing, and childrearing—her beloved "Goddesses." This collection reflects her deep commitment to advancing informed birthing care and her global efforts to promote respectful, compassionate, and coordinated birth support.

Penny wished for these treasured "Goddesses" to support the Simkin Center Leadership Fund at Bastyr University. Proceeds will contribute to a merit scholarship aimed at increasing the number of birth professionals from and working in underserved communities.

The online auction will open on Labor Day, September 2, 2024, at 9:00 AM Pacific Time and will run until Sunday, September 15, 2024, at 9:00 PM Pacific Time.

You'll receive more information soon.
Please join us for the fun!
Don't miss out!

For more information about the Simkin Center Leadership Fund, visit: https://bastyr.edu/simkin-center/scholarship

We hope this collection will inspire you and keep Penny's spirit alive in the work we do together.

Penny's family is working with the Simkin Center and her wonderful friends and colleagues to plan this tribute to Penny and rallying cry for the path forward in maternal health. Please join us!

~Save the Date~
Saturday, September 7, 2024
Penny Simkin-A Celebration of Life

Join us in celebrating the remarkable life and pioneering spirit of Penny Simkin, a trailblazer in maternal-child health and respectful maternity care globally.

Date and Time:
September 7th, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (Pacific Standard Time)
Following the memorial, please join us for a community gathering.

Location:
In-Person: Bastyr University Chapel, Kenmore, WA
Planning to attend in person? Please RSVP by clicking here:
https://bastyr.catalog.instructure.com/browse/simkin-center/penny-celebration/courses/simkin-center-penny-simkin-celebration-of-life-september-7

Live Stream:
Planning to attend via Live Stream? Please RSVP by clicking here:
https://bastyr.catalog.instructure.com/browse/simkin-center/penny-celebration/courses/simkin-center-penny-simkin-celebration-of-life---september-7th-live-stream

More information will follow!
In the meantime, please let us know if you plan to attend in person or via live stream so we can get an accurate head count.

About Penny Simkin:
Penny, a pioneer in the maternal health and doula movement, passed away April 11, leaving behind a legacy of compassion and empowerment. She was not only an advocate and mentor but also a beloved member of our community. This celebration of her life is an opportunity for us to come together, share cherished memories, reflect on her lasting contributions, and more.

Thank you for being part of our community, and we look forward to celebrating Penny's life with you on September 7th.

Nice segment on Sunday Today this morning.

Penny Simkin, mother of the doula movement, dies at 85 Penny Simkin, the woman who helped spark the doula movement by providing support and comfort for families in the delivery room and after childbirth, has died at 85. NBC’s Joe Fryer remembers a life well lived on Sunday TODAY.

Beautiful obituary in the New York Times today.

Penny Simkin, ‘Mother of the Doula Movement,’ Dies at 85 As a childbirth educator and maternal advocate, she promoted a profession that provides comfort to women giving birth and offers postpartum care as well.

Penny's heartbroken family shares this sad news of our beloved Mom/Gummy/sister:

In Memoriam: Penny Simkin, PT

With profound sadness and a heavy heart, DONA International announces the passing of our esteemed co-founder, Penny Simkin, PT, after a brief battle with cancer. Her departure on April 11, 2024 marks a tremendous loss not only to our organization but to the global doula community, childbirth educators, perinatal researchers, families she supported, and the countless lives she touched through her pioneering work in childbirth and maternity care.

Penny's unwavering dedication to supporting families during one of the most significant moments of their lives has left an indelible mark on the field of labor support and childbirth education. Since 1968, Penny, a skilled physical therapist, embarked on a mission to transform the childbirth experience, making it more empowering, informed, and supported. Her tireless commitment to this cause led her to prepare over 15,000 individuals, couples, and siblings for childbirth, directly assist hundreds of families through labor as a doula, and author several influential books that have become staples in the field that have been translated into several languages.

Penny was a visionary and a luminary in every sense. Her work has paved the way for a new generation of doulas and childbirth educators, instilling in them the values of compassion, evidence-based practice, and relentless advocacy for birthing people and their families. Through her profound contributions and co-founding of DONA International, Penny has revolutionized doula care and childbirth education across the globe, leaving a legacy that will undoubtedly endure for generations to come.
Her book, The Birth Partner, remains a beloved resource for anyone involved in the childbirth process, illustrating her commitment to not only the physical but also the emotional well-being of doulas and families during childbirth.

Though she recently stepped back from her professional endeavors to focus on her family, Penny's legacy continues to thrive through the work of the many doulas she trained, the families she supported, and the impactful works she left behind. Her life was a testament to her passion for making childbirth a positive and supported experience for all.

Penny's life was rich not only in professional achievements but also in love and joy. She and her husband, Peter, were blessed with four grown children, eight grandchildren, four many grandchildren-in-law, four great-grandchildren, and a beloved dog, Casey. Her family was her pride and joy, and she cherished the time spent with her loved ones.

As we mourn the loss of Penny Simkin, we also celebrate her extraordinary life and the countless ways she has enriched ours. Her legacy will continue to inspire and guide us as we carry forward her mission to improve childbirth and support families around the world. Penny's spirit lives on in the work of DONA International, in the lives of the families she has touched, and in the hearts of the many who loved her.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to DONA International in Penny Simkin's memory, to continue her life's work of supporting and educating doulas and families. For more information on how to make a contribution, please visit https://www.dona.org/impactprogram/

We invite all who knew Penny, were touched by her work, or wish to share their thoughts and memories to do so by sending them to [email protected]. Your stories and memories will be a great comfort and a cherished collection for her family during this difficult time.

We extend our deepest sympathies to Penny's family, friends, and the many individuals whose lives she has touched. May her soul rest in peace, and may her legacy of love, support, and education continue to flourish in the years to come.