What if an ordinary evening in front of the television could change your life forever? For Angela Gorman MBE, a senior neonatal nurse from Cardiff, Wales, that seemingly insignificant moment became the beginning of an extraordinary humanitarian journey. What started with one heartbreaking documentary eventually developed into a 20-year mission to protect mothers and newborn babies across Africa.
In her compelling memoir, WOMANSLAUGHTER: A Personal Journey Through The Tragedy of Maternal Mortality, Gorman shares how compassion, determination and an unexpected decision transformed her life while contributing to the survival of countless women.
The Sunday Evening That Changed Everything
On June 26, 2005, Angela Gorman returned home exhausted after a demanding shift at a neonatal intensive care unit. She was preparing to switch off her television when a BBC Panorama documentary, Dead Mums Don’t Cry, caught her attention.
The programme followed Dr Grace Kodindo, an obstetrician working in Chad, where pregnant women were dying from complications that could often be treated with readily available medications in wealthier countries.
Gorman watched in disbelief as young women lost their lives because essential medical supplies were unavailable or unaffordable. The suffering of these mothers and the desperation of healthcare professionals left her deeply shaken.
Instead of allowing the experience to become another forgotten television programme, she opened her laptop and wrote an email. That simple action would change everything.
When Compassion Became a Lifesaving Mission
Determined to make a difference, Gorman joined other concerned individuals who had responded to the documentary. Together, they began raising funds and arranging shipments of essential medications to support Dr Kodindo’s maternity hospital in Chad.
Their early efforts produced remarkable results. According to reports Gorman received from Dr Kodindo, the availability of donated medications significantly reduced maternal deaths at the hospital. The medical team estimated that approximately 25 women each month were surviving who might otherwise have died.
Encouraged by these developments, Gorman continued expanding her humanitarian efforts, eventually helping establish the charity known as Life for African Mothers.
Over approximately two decades, the organisation supplied more than six million tablets of Misoprostol to parts or all of seven African countries. Gorman estimates that around two million women received this vital medication free of charge.
Beyond the Statistics: Real Mothers, Real Families
However, WOMANSLAUGHTER is much more than an account of medical achievements. Gorman takes readers inside under-resourced maternity wards, where healthcare workers struggle without adequate equipment, reliable electricity or basic medications.
She also recounts dangerous journeys, political instability, heartbreaking encounters and the extraordinary dedication of African doctors and midwives.
Throughout the memoir, one message remains unmistakable: every maternal death represents a family facing unimaginable loss.
The mission also carries a deeply personal connection. Gorman’s paternal grandmother died in childbirth in 1915 from catastrophic postpartum haemorrhage, the very complication her humanitarian work sought to prevent.
An Extraordinary Story That Deserves to Be Heard
Through honest storytelling, emotional reflections and moments of unexpected humour, Angela Gorman MBE demonstrates how one person’s determination can inspire meaningful change.
WOMANSLAUGHTER: A Personal Journey Through The Tragedy of Maternal Mortality challenges readers to reconsider global healthcare inequalities while celebrating the power of compassion and collective action.
For anyone who believes that ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary things, this remarkable true story offers inspiration, perspective and a powerful reminder that every mother’s life matters.
Discover the extraordinary journey of Angela Gorman MBE in WOMANSLAUGHTER, available now on Amazon.
Buy your copy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HN2Z66L6/
