Last week was my first week working in the clinic with the premature babies. We are able to help the premature babies better than the local hospital and usually the nurses work in this room and keep the ridiculously small and sick babies alive.
This week I worked in there, and all the babies are doing well. The two smallest are in the incubators, one being Eli who came about 2 weeks ago weighing just under 1kg. He's a strong little fella with lots of fight, and he loves getting taken out for cuddles.
Anyway the other night a baby came in at just before 6pm. He was WHITE which is apparantly not that abnormal for African babies, but it looked a little like those strange cats with no fur. Quite a scary sight.
His mother was with him, and the story goes that she had tried to abort him at 36 weeks (as most of you know this is not far of birth) this induced labour and she then gave birth to a live baby. She tried to abandom him but was seen and brought to us. So baby Jonathan was born in the morning and arrived with us in the evening. He was cold and sickly looking. His mother had not even cleaned up from the birth.
While we warmed the incubator and cleaned it (having just kicked out another baby who didn't need to be in the incubator as much as this one did) Rachel held him to warm him.
He was placed in the incubator and we watched him for a while, wondering how he was going to do.
At 7pm we finished out shift.
At 8pm Nicola went to feed him and noticed his heartrate dropping dramatically, she rushed him to hospital but he died.
Today we have his funeral.
It breaks me heart that his mother did this to him, that she thought it was her only way, it makes me cry that he was not wanted, yet many couples go childless and would have given anything to have this baby. If the mother waited and gave birth naturally and then abandoned him safely, then even that would have been better for this poor boy.
Now Jonathan is gone. He lived a day. It was so hard, I just wish there could have been another way.
So Its been a sad few days. I am not used to this death thing.
Bye for now
About Me
- Felicity Louise Hernandez
- I am a 26 year old from Melbourne Australia who is off on a crazy journey to live for 6 months in Uganda working at Watoto Bullrushes Babies home for children orphaned by aids. I will be bookending this trip with 6 weeks in Europe - totalling a trip of 9 months. I am so excited.
2 comments:
my dear chica Felicity
It is really touching and amazing to hear ur stories. I dont even find words to describe it.
I guess joy of the small kids mixed with sad stories. Gosh it makes me appreciate the kind of life i had as a baby.
and about the baby Jonathan..the fact that there are people like you who cry beacuse of his death means that he was loved..for that day..even if he wasnt cuddled.
But on the other hand it makes me think that at least he will be with God without experiencing the pain on the earth..with His loving everlating Father.
Love me
from Tunia
write me more if u hav a minute:)
ok we r missing u here...!~!!!!!
aww Felicity!
I thought I hadnt heard from you for awhile so i might come see what youve been up to, and im so sorry to hear about little Jonathan..
that is a heartbreaking story, and its even sadder when you think that it happens a lot throughout the world..it doesnt make sense and it seems very cruel that it happens to such defenceless little souls =(
I guess while there is sadness, you are helping increase the amount of happiness stories with all of your efforts..i hope that you bounce back from this and remember all of the little ones that have been saved and will live fulfilling lives because of your help!
anyway, miss you!
Laurissa
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