Doula Heidi Snyderburn-Campbell drove around the Charlotte apartment complex cautiously, looking for any signs of Border Patrol presence last Friday.

She was there to pick up a Brazilian woman named Rose for a doctor’s appointment. Rose, who is 15 weeks pregnant and undocumented, initially wanted to skip the appointment due to fear of immigration enforcement actions taking place across the city.

When Snyderburn-Campbell found that out, she offered to escort Rose, who also brought her 8-year-old niece to help translate.

As they arrived at the doctor’s parking lot, Snyderburn-Campbell pulled her car right up to the entrance to shorten the walk. Rose, worried about encountering Customs and Border Protection agents, had been crying in the car on the way there. She knows a lot of other women who are skipping appointments due to the arrests and detainments.

In the ultrasound room, Rose’s face lit up as she saw the image of her baby for the first time. As the sound of the heartbeat became audible, Snyderburn-Campbell’s eyes welled up with tears. The ultrasound tech printed out copies for Rose to take home. She and her niece poured over the black and white images, pointing out every body part.

For Snyderburn-Campbell, it was a chance to help one mother among many who might be too afraid to venture out alone.

“I’m always very scared for the mothers and babies who do not receive timely prenatal care,” she said. “Prenatal care in pregnancy is critical.” 

A.M. Stewart is a family photographer and photojournalist based in Mount Holly, N.C. Her work has appeared in Charlotte Magazine.