There are times in our lives so terrifying, so stressful, that the only thing we can do is throw our hands up and pray.

Carla Curiel was  6 months pregnant when she faced a medical emergency in the Dominican Republic. “The doctor said, ‘If we let nature run its course, your children will be born now and nobody in the Dominican Republic will be able to save your babies,’” says Curiel.

Curiel underwent a risky medical procedure to be able to race back to Miami before the babies were born. What got her through it? Faith, she says.

Carla Curiel is a Latina mom of 2-year-old twin girls, Emilia and Adriana, and the co-founder of Lanugo, a fictional Latino-inspired entertainment world that helps Mamás Latinas embrace and pass on the richness of the Hispanic culture to our niños. She is also the March Of Dimes Ambassador Family and Family Team Development Committee Chair for Miami-Dade/Monroe County