In April Joyful Motherhood nurses admitted 5 babies (including, four orphans (two were a set of twins), and one baby whose mother was not producing breast milk). Two women were admitted into the program due to severe postpartum infections. The team visited 215 women and babies in their communities and 558 tins of formula were distributed.
Baby Admission Story. Twenty-one year old Farao’s pregnancy was uneventful. The months passed quickly this time, as she now had a toddler to care for. Farao lived close to town in a bustling area which had its own maternity clinic, but her aunt worked at Bwaila, the District maternity hospital and they felt Bwaila would be a better safer place to deliver. Farao delivered there on April 19th. Her baby boy was healthy, the labor uncomplicated, and they were discharged the following day. Five days later she started feeling sick. Complaining of diarrhea, her family took her to the local clinic. From there she was referred (meaning she was told to go, her family would have to arrange transportation) to the regional maternity hospital. She died before they started the 30min trip. She was buried on April 25th. Her son turned one week old on the 26th. Her family will never know what caused her death. Because it was less than a week after delivery it was likely related to her hospital experience; possibly an infection picked up during delivery. Likely preventable. Another young woman gone and another baby orphaned. Her aunt is pictured above with her baby Moses.
Mother Admission Story. Three years ago Memory delivered her daughter without any complications. Now as an experienced mom at age 25 the labor with her son was long and difficult. After 24 hours in labor he was born by c-section and after three days they were both considered stable enough to return home. Two days later Memory noticed fluid draining from the surgical wound, she returned to the hospital, she was given antibiotics and sent home. When she arrived home, with her pills still untouched in a small paper bag, the wound ruptured. She returned to the hospital and from there was referred to the regional hospital. Clinicians opened her abdomen and washed out a significant amount of purulent matter. Her wound was left open and dressed daily. At some point it was discovered that she was severely anemic and that she had been bleeding internally. She returned to surgery for a third time and received three pints of blood. Joyful Motherhood nurses met her in the hospital, enrolled her and once she was discharged started their home visits.
