Memorializing More Than A Midwife: Dr. Janell Green Smith, Gone Too Soon After Childbirth Complications
Dr. Janell Green Smith may have been known to many as a certified midwife at Prisma Health Greenville Midwifery Care in South Carolina; however, her title didn’t end there. According to Dr. Janell’s Instagram, she was a Believer, a wife, a photographer, a Loc’d midwife, a Doctor of Nursing Practice, and a Black maternal health advocate. Impressively, Dr. Janell accomplished these titles by her early 30s.
Tragically, Dr.Janell passed away at age 31 on January 2nd, 2026, shortly after delivering her first child/daughter, Eden. The complications of childbirth delivery specifics have not been publicized. According to People, Dr. Janell Green Smith, a South Carolina-based midwife, dedicated her life to advocating for Black maternal health and safe childbirth.
As you scroll down her timeline, pictures and videos reflect love and light as she gives you a glimpse into her life. Countless smiles and laughs show Janell celebrating New Year’s, Birthdays, and ‘Nurseaversarys’. All of which are now memories her friends and family can look back on to cherish times when she was here.
Four days ago, the American College of Nurse-Midwives released a statement on Facebook extending condolences and, in part, saying, “We grieve Dr. Smith’s loss and recognize it as a profound failure of the systems meant to protect birthing people. In her honor, ACNM commits not only to reaffirming our values, but to intensifying our actions to dismantle racial inequities in maternal health, strengthen accountability in care systems, and work alongside Black midwives, clinicians, and communities to prevent future tragedies.”
According to the CDC, Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White women. Multiple factors contribute to these disparities, such as variation in the quality of healthcare and underlying chronic conditions. Social determinants of health prevent many women from racial and ethnic minority groups from having fair opportunities for economic, physical, and emotional health.
These statistics align with the American College of Nurse-Midwives’ description of Janell’s death as “a profound failure of the systems meant to protect birthing people.”
Dr. Janell’s untimely death has impacted many lives, including people she’s never met. A GoFundMe account has been started to support her untimely death and funeral expenses, newborn essentials such as diapers, clothes, and medical needs, and living expenses to give her husband adequate time to grieve without financial pressure.
The money will also go towards ongoing support and stability for Daiquan and the baby in the months ahead as they adjust to this new reality; any contribution, no matter the size, will help provide stability, relief, and care during a time when the family needs it most.
