What an adventure. All the sudden we pulled up into the hospital and it was over. We quickly got Mama out of the back of the tap tap and a male nurse was there to greet us. They walked her in and the was the last we saw of her. I thought we would be staying to perhaps give a report but she was wicked away. I sat in the front of the tap tap with Claudin. I thanked him for keeping us alive on the roads. He was so sweet. He told me he would never let anything happen to his Mama Jill. We drove back to MamaBaby in silence. I was praying for this Mama to have a safe delivery. I was also thankful that no one would have to call my husband to tell him I was thrown out the back of a speeding tap tap landing on a dead chicken strapped to the back of a motorcycle!
Later that evening we got word that soon after arriving at the hospital the baby crashed and they had to do an emergency C-section. Baby did not breathe at birth and they had to resuscitate her. She still was not breathing well so she was sent to the NICU. I was very thankful Mama was doing well and praying that in the end the baby would do alright.
The next morning we got a call and was told that baby was stable and Mama and Papa wanted me to come see them. Now I will be honest, one wild ride is my limit for any 24 hour period so I was not in a hurry to get back on another tap tap. So, we hired a taxi to take us. That ride was a much calmer ride for which I was grateful.
We got to the hospital and Mama was in a large OB ward. There were two rows of beds lined against each wall. There is no such thing as privacy. There was a chair by the side of each bed. There were several nurses sitting on chairs against the wall. In a Haitian hospital there is no food service. Your family has to bring you food. If there is no family then there is no food. When I think about all the complaints we as Americans make about hospital food it makes me ashamed. These Mama's have no food unless someone brings them some. Just stop and think about that for a moment.
So the Papa hugged me and thanked me for all my kindness the day before. He and Mama had decided that this little baby is going to take my name to honor my service to them. I was so shocked. Never in my wildest dreams would I think a baby would be named after me. I was truly humbled. They then asked if I would be the godmother to baby Jill. Not sure what that meant in Haiti so I asked the interpreter what that means exactly. Apparently if the parents die I am supposed to come and get baby Jill and finish raising her. So I am now a godmother. I will pray for a long life for both Mama and Papa! They had no clue how to spell Jill so they asked me to write it down. When it came time to pronounce it that became humorous. Baby Jill won't have her name spoken like it is the USA. It will sound more like "cheal"
One of the special things about MamaBaby is that if they are able, they will help with the hospital costs when we have to transfer a Mama. Claudia had given me essentially $200 American dollars to help with the bill. The Papa who is a student in the university has no money. You are not allowed to leave the hospital without paying the bill in full so he went to family members to scrape up enough money to get them out of the hospital. In all the bill was about $1200 dollars for the NICU, the surgical birth and hospital stay. I am proud to serve an organization that has a heart to serve. Even though MamaBaby could not pay the entire bill it sure helped and they were both grateful.
The day before I left to come back home baby Jill got out of the hospital. Papa brought both her and Mama to see me and say good bye. This is where it gets sad. I get to hold and hug the baby and Mama. I weigh baby and give her a good physical. I know how precious clean water is in Haiti so I go and get a cup and give Mama water. She gulps it down so I go and get another one and she gulps that down. Come to find out she had not had one bite of food in about 1 1/2 days. Five days earlier she has a C-section and she hasn't eaten in 36 hours. My heart just broke. I ran upstairs and found the last two packs of emergency rations I brought with me. A staff member had half her plate of food from lunch left so we brought that down and she scarfed that down, giving Papa some bites of the food. They were so grateful. Minus $5 to get home on I gave them the money I had left. It would feed them for a couple of days.
I felt so inadequate at this point. The needs are great in Haiti. If there ever was a day that I wish I had lots of money it would have been that day. I was overwhelmed with my inadequacy. Here is a very young family who can't afford to eat even once a day. It changes you. Does it change you my friend? Does the world look a little different now? There are real people starving or just getting by. Our lifestyle of an overabundance of food just seems unfair. Of course, life is not fair.
SO when you sit down tonight or tomorrow with a table laden with scrumptious food would you please pray for the Mama's and the Papa's and the baby Jill's in Haiti, and if you are so moved would you consider helping? MamaBaby is funded strictly by the generosity of Americans who want to help, one little starfish at a time. ALL the money donated goes to MamaBaby in Haiti. Not one dime stays in the United States. Most charitable groups can't claim a 100% rate of the money going directly to the mission. Think about it. Feel free to visit www.MamaBabyHaiti.org
Till next time.
Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the ground each morning Satan says, "Oh crud, she's up".