Who Kira Was
Mom to Langston and Charles Jr. Wife to Charles. PhD student at Pepperdine. Beloved.
Hospital Series of Events
April 12–13, 2016 · Cedars-Sinai Hospital
12:30 pm
Kira was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Hospital on April 12, 2016 at approximately 12:30 p.m. for a routine cesarean delivery.
2:33 pm
She gave birth to her son, Langston, at 2:33 p.m.
3:00 pm
At 3:00 p.m. Kira was out of the operating room and was taken to the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). Shortly before 5:00 p.m., blood-tinged urine was seen in Kira's foley catheter.
5:24 pm
By 5:24 p.m. Kira's foley catheter was draining bright red blood. Dr. Naim was made aware of his patient Kira's situation.
6:44 pm
It wasn't until 6:44 p.m. that a "surgical emergency" CT scan was ordered that ultimately was never performed.
11:42 pm
At 11:42 p.m., two physicians were at Kira's bedside and one performed an ultrasound that found "expanding hematoma and now free fluid." They recommended taking Kira to surgery to identify the source of the bleeding. However, Dr. Naim, who was also at the bedside at this time, wished "to continue expectant management at this time."
12:30 am
As Kira's condition continued to rapidly decline, her husband Charles pleaded for help. Kira was finally taken to surgery approximately around 12:30 a.m. on April 13, 2016, 10 hours from the time when the family initially realized something was wrong and pleaded for help.
“I pleaded for help for 10 hours.”
2:22 am
During surgery Kira was found to have 3 liters of blood in her abdomen and did not survive the blood loss. Kira was pronounced dead at 2:22 a.m. on April 13, 2016. The autopsy stated that the cause of "death was due to hemorrhagic shock, due to acute hemoperitoneum" (massive internal bleeding) post cesarean section.
The movement — milestones
- 20174Kira4Moms founded in honor of Kira.
- 2019Preventing Maternal Death Act signed into law.
- 2023Black Maternal Health Week Block Party launched in Atlanta.
- 2024Paternal Centers of Excellence (PCOE) and 4Kira4Dads expanded nationally.
- 2025Move4Moms launched to mobilize communities and partners.
- 202610-year commemoration of Kira's passing — honoring her memory by turning pain into power for families nationwide.
Kira Johnson
A preventable loss that sparked a movement.
From Grief to Action
Her loss became a movement. Her name became a call to action.
Our Story in Photos
Why We Fight
In 2016, our founder, Charles Johnson, lost his wife Kira during a routine C-section at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles, California. He founded 4Kira4Moms in 2017 as a response to his experience, to be a voice for other mothers and families facing unnecessary maternal loss, and to put an end to the maternal mortality health crisis.
Black women are disproportionately affected by this epidemic, where they are 3x more likely to die from pregnancy than white women. Implicit bias, access to healthcare, and a number of other factors highlight the need for legislation, support for community-based organizations focused on Black maternal health, and access to care, information, and resources for all underserved and disproportionately affected communities.
Our Mission & Vision →