When Michelle entered Bongolo Hospital, she sought care for her baby and herself, unaware of the journey that awaited her. The challenges were unexpected, but so too was the way the Lord met her in each one.
After a three-hour drive over dark, bumpy roads, “Michelle” and her baby arrived at Bongolo Hospital’s maternity ward. “Michelle” is a sixteen-year-old girl with no pre-natal care, and she did not know what to expect from her birth experience. Certainly not for her baby to come so early, or to be so small. At just over one kilogram (2 lb 6oz), her baby needed oxygen, a feeding tube, and a lot of support. Even after making it to Bongolo Hospital, her survival was not certain. Meanwhile, “Michelle” herself started having fevers, breast pain, and needed treatment for severe mastitis.
When the father of the baby wasn’t able to be there, “Michelle’s” mother stayed with her daughter and granddaughter, putting aside her other obligations at home to help. She was present to help with the baby’s feeding and served as support to other moms with premature babies in the department. It was a struggle to afford food for themselves each day, but they were committed to doing everything that was necessary for this new baby.
“Michelle” quickly recovered from her infection; her baby’s condition stabilized. Thankfully the baby started gaining weight, and at almost two months, she was nearing the two-kilogram goal she would need to reach to go home. “Michelle” and her mother were grateful for the care they had received, but eager to leave the hospital as soon as possible, to get back to their normal lives.
While waiting for the baby to gain her last few grams of weight, the midwives started to notice that “Michelle” looked ill again. She stayed in bed and seemed to be in pain whenever she had to get up to tend to the baby. After some questioning, she finally admitted having severe abdominal pain, fevers, and chills for the past few days. She hadn’t wanted to alert the medical personnel, for fear that she would be hospitalized again, collecting another bill to pay.
She had barely scraped together enough money to begin paying for her first hospitalization after several weeks and knew that another hospital bill would be financially devastating to her and her family. After an exam, a few labs, and an ultrasound, she was diagnosed with acute appendicitis.
Thanks to the benevolent fund, the hospital staff was able to reassure her that we would be able to treat her appendicitis for free and cover the remaining expenses for both her hospitalization and her baby’s.
A few days later, “Michelle” was well- recovered and pain-free. Her baby weighed 2100 grams and was thriving. At many hospitals in Gabon, where payment is required prior to treatment, “Michelle” and her baby could have had a very different outcome. Providing affordable, quality healthcare to mothers and their babies is the heartbeat of Christian Health Service Corps.
We are so grateful for the support of donors that allow us to express God’s love by caring for the vulnerable and showing in a practical way that their lives have value.
