The US has the highest maternal mortality of all industrialized countries. For Black women, the risk is 3.5 times higher. According to the CDC, 84% of maternal deaths are preventable. Dr. Shalon worked at the CDC, raising her voice against inequality in healthcare before falling victim to the systemic racism she fought against. Three weeks after giving birth, she died. But her voice lives on.

Through AI, Dr. Shalon’s voice was brought back to life so she can sing one last lullaby. Not for her daughter but to seek a change in the American healthcare system, to keep Black voices alive so no other mother dies a preventable death.

To give a face to the numbers identified by the Population Reference Bureau, we searched for a victim who embodied the maternal health crisis and was, even while alive, a voice against inequality in healthcare. Dr. Shalon fought against racism within the CDC, and we would bring her fight back to life with AI. We harnessed the emotional power of lullabies so that her voice, which was dismissed while alive, could not be ignored after her death. “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” was identified as one of the most popular songs on streaming platforms in the US, and the adaptation ran on radio and social platforms so expecting and recent parents could be made aware of the risk. More importantly, the song was played at the principal maternal-related medical conventions of the country so that public visibility and emotional responses from medical professionals together push for a more accountable healthcare system.

After analyzing over 137 hours of videos, audio clips, and voice notes provided by Dr. Shalon’s family, 5 minutes and 33 seconds of useful data were identified and fed to an algorithm to learn Dr. Shalon’s speech patterns and bring back her voice through AI. By adapting the most popular children's songs on music streaming platforms, we harness the emotional power of lullabies, creating an intimate, audible experience that raises awareness, creates conversation, and pushes for a more accountable healthcare system through public visibility.

For the general population, over 7 million people were impacted by the campaign, generating a 35% increase in the relative search volume for “Black pregnancy” and a 39% increase for “Black maternal health.” For the Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals Industry, Lullabye reached 39% of all US obstetricians, 55% of high-risk pregnancy doctors, and over 60% of doulas and midwives, achieving recognition by the Association of Black Cardiologists and the Preeclampsia Foundation.