East End Birth Network, Inc. (501c3) is a grassroots organization providing education and support for families birthing, parenting, and residing on the East End of Long Island. Advocating for fundamental human and equal rights by identifying inequities and disparities in the birthing and parenting culture through continued community outreach and activism.
EEBN Board Members:
We are made up of seven likeminded women, who are striving to make a change in the community through education.
Sara Faraone Topping, Executive Director and co-founder
Sara was born and raised on the East End and is currently raising her three children here with her husband Peter. She is a Licensed Massage Therapist in the State of New York and in 2010 became a certified holistic doula. She served two years on the board of the Long Island Doula Assoc. Inc, and is an intern with the New York State Association of Licensed Midwives on their communications committee.
Kate DeLalio Turza, President
Kate is a life long resident of the East End, raising her three young children in East Quogue with her husband, Brian. She has a B.S. in Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology from the University of Colorado (2005). She’s an office manager at Tim Blenk Tree Care, Inc, certified (CAPPA) postpartum doula. In addition, she’s received extensive training in Postpartum Mood Disorders from Long Island Doula Association, Inc. and the New York Postpartum Resource Center in both 2015 and 2017.
Meg Tarshish, Secretary
Meg Tarshish was born and raised in the East End of Long Island, where she is currently focusing on aiding her young children in becoming “good citizens” of this world. Meg received her undergraduate degree from Eugene Lang, with a concentration in fine art and globalization. She has spent most of her adult life in the educational field; working specifically with preschool age and special needs kids.
Gayle Eckey, Board Member and Co-founder
Gayle enjoyed a rewarding career as a doula and Lactation Consultant for many years before becoming a Certified Professional Midwife. She has been working on legislative efforts to unify midwifery in NY to be inclusive of the Certified Professional Midwife and will be introducing a bill in the 2020 session.
Ahna Red Fox, Board Member
Ahna was born, raised and currently living on Shinnecock Reservation on the East End of Long Island. After graduating Southampton High School, she has spent much of her time working in activism, advocacy, and mentorship. She is a Full Spectrum Indigenous Birth Worker (doula) by way of Zaagi’idiwin, an Indigenous Midwife and Doula run organization based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She founded Wuttahminneoh Birth Work in March of 2019, after completing her training in January 2019. She became inspired by her birth traumas after having her son and decided to make a change within her own Indigenous community, but more importantly women of color whom need support and navigation of the healthcare systems during their sacred time. She joined the board of East End Birth Network in January of 2020.
Ana Carrillo, Board Member
Michele H. Liot, Consultant
Michele is a RN Labor & Delivery at Stony Brook University Medical Center (SBUMC), BA, BS, CBE and Student Nurse Midwife (expected graduation 2020), local birthworker and activist, wife and mother of two. Michele is the Treasurer of EEBN and has been an active member of the board since 2014. Born and raised in Noyac, a hamlet of Sag Harbor, Michele is dedicated to ensuring the best practice she participates in at SBUMC is implemented in her own community. As an RN for 10 years Michele has participated in multiple evidence-based, best practice initiatives at Stony Brook and is currently part of the SBU multi-disciplinary team of the nationwide ACNM Reducing the Primary Cesarean Section collaborative.