Twins

This story started a long time ago already, but with all that's been happening at the clinic the last while, I guess we missed blogging about it.  I thought we had, but I can't find a post on it.  So if we did and I'm repeating, sorry!

Toward the end of March this small undernourished but very pregnant looking lady came to clinic.  She had been to the clinic a few times before but hadn't done well with prenatal check-ups, and now she was showing signs of pre-eclampsia.  At this point as near as we could tell she was around 7-8 months pregnant.  After trying to get her pre-eclampsia under control with no success, we decided to send her out to T-Goave.  We were also concerned because she was measuring larger than she should have been for 7-8 months and was suggesting premature labor.  All this combined made it pretty urgent to get her out to T-Goave.

As normal, days past, and we knew no more of her.  Then a week after we sent her out to our surprise Mama, and Babies show up!  Our sneaking suspicion of twins had been true, and she had safely delivered the babies in T-Goave.  Although premature, they had survived.  They were a boy, Deyei, 5 lbs 2 oz and a girl, Deunia, 4lbs 2oz.  By the time they came to the clinic at about 5 days old, they both had badly infected umbilical cords, and Mama still had high blood pressure with a lot of edema.  They spent 5 days at our clinic as we treated them and watched to see if things would start looking up or turn worse.  Upon arrival, they were all in critical condition.  I have to admit, it's a little scary to treat teeny, tiny babies who should be in the NICU in a small mountain clinic.  Mama wasn't responding well to the blood pressure treatments either.  Finally after maxing her out on the meds, she leveled out.

Here is Deunia when she first arrived

And here is Deyei

Carolle feeding both babies

The mother, Carolle, didn't have enough milk either so we put them partially on our Nourishing the Needy program.  After being hospitalized for 5 days, I sent them off with a bit of fear and trembling.  Would they take good care of preemies?  Would the mother keep up on her meds or be careless and still die from pre-eclampsia?

It was April 7th when I sent them home with an appointment to come back April 15th.  Just this past Sunday, April 21st, I told Rhoda that it was nearly a week past their appointment and I was concerned that the twins hadn't made it.  You can only imagine my excitement when on Mon, someone came to my room at the clinic and told me the twins had come!  Carolle, was looking much better, and the twins were doing well.  Deyei now weighs 6lbs 1.5oz, and Deunia 4lbs 8oz.  Carolle always says that Deyei is fussier.  I tell her that she needs to make sure Deunia gets enough too even if she doesn't complain as much.  :-)  It seemed like they were taking good care of them as we found them clean and in good health.

All of the nurses, Carolle, and the babies when they returned for their check-up this week.  

Do pray for them.  Taking care of such fragile babies in this land is no small task.  Carolle really appreciated the care she received here, but I don't know that she is a Christian.  I'm glad they could find good healthcare, but most of all pray that she would be willing to let the Great Physician direct her life.






There has been a lot of other things going on at the clinic that got missed in the busyness of the cholera surge so I could help but at least drop a picture on of one of the other babies born at the clinic lately.

                                                         Baby with her happy mama