Kasa and KJ: Celebrating Life

Wednesday, 4/4/2018

Inspiration can come from any number of sources, and can motivate you to achieve things you never imagined. For Kasa, that inspiration comes from her son, KJ. In 2016, Kasa went into preterm labor during her sixth month of pregnancy. KJ was born after three days of labor, but passed away just seven days later in the NICU at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas.

KJ first inspired Kasa to donate her milk. As her body continued to produce breastmilk, nurses at Baylor UMC informed Kasa of Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas and how donor milk helps fragile infants in hospital NICUs such as their own.

“It was a no-brainer,” Kasa said of her decision to donate. “It was a gift that my firstborn son was barely able to use. It means giving babies a fighting chance and I would do it all over again.”

KJ’s passing reminded Kasa that life is a gift and is often too short. “It forced me not to be scared to chase my dreams,” she said. With this outlook on life, she began to reconsider an idea she had years ago for a new type of fitness class: afrikoPOP.

afrikoPOP combines modern West African dance with high intensity interval training set to an afropop beat. To put it simply, it’s a workout dance party. Kasa has showcased afrikoPOP and held classes all over the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, putting a creative spin on exercise that’s both challenging and empowering.

Later this month, Kasa is hosting “afrikoPOP With a Bump,” a free class designed just for moms and moms-to-be. The event will feature an afrikoPOP workout, pregnancy nutrition, healthy bites and self-care that focuses on being strong and healthy during pregnancy and the postpartum period. It’s a topic that’s near and dear to her heart: Kasa is currently pregnant with her second son, KJ’s younger brother, due in May.

Kasa says that starting afrikoPOP is “one of the most nerve-wracking, thrilling, and fulfilling experiences ever.” While she’s made sacrifices, she says it’s worth it in order to build something that will last for years to come and will continue to honor her firstborn son.

afrikoPOP With a Bump is at 10:30 am Saturday, April 28, 2018 at Nylo Dallas Southside. For more information and a link to RSVP, please email Kasa at kasa@afrikopop.com with the subject line “afrikoPOP With a Bump RSVP.”

For more information about milk donation, click here.