Flashback to my blog post from January of 2018:
“Underneath the blanket and the bili-light, is a baby girl who was born at 28 weeks and 6 days at 0.92 kg (2lbs). Her momma was pre-eclamptic/eclamptic (meaning she had high blood pressure that led to seizures during her pregnancy), so our OB Doctor chose to go ahead and deliver this little one! Truthfully, I am amazed that she is doing as well as she is so far..things can change very quickly with these little ones. We don't have ventilators (machines that support breathing) here, so we use CPAP (positive airway pressure) to supply oxygen and then lots and lots of prayers. Pray for us as we take care of her (and her momma who loves her so much) in the days ahead.”
Flashback to my blog post from March of 2018:
“Neo 6 was discharged from the hospital. It was so much fun to be the first nurse to take care of her and the one to send her home too! A week later I was able to meet with her and her momma at their clinic visit, she seemed to be progressing wonderfully. Later that week, however, my roommate/fellow nurse pulled me aside at church and told me that she needed to talk to me. She told me that "Neo 6 had been readmitted to the hospital and that she may not make it through the night. Honestly, I was devastated. My room-mate and I immediately got on our bikes and went up to the hospital. Most days, I find myself wishing that my French was better but this night I found myself sitting on the hospital floor with Neo 6's momma, so thankful that I could not speak much French because I knew that there was nothing that I could say to make this better. My friend and I sat with Neo 6's momma for 30 minutes with our hands on her shoulders and we just let her cry. After that we asked her momma if we could pray for Neo 6 and she said yes. So we prayed and then I told her mom that I would drop by again when I came in for work the next morning. We left soon after and I cried a little too.
Over the next few weeks I stopped by Neo 6's bed before and after every shift. Over those weeks, she regained her strength, started eating again, and I am so happy to report that she is now BACK AT HOME WITH HER MOMMA! Praise God for that.”
May 2019 after being back a Week:
Although not all stories end with a happy ending, this one does. Throughout the year I have gotten a few periodic updates from physicians and nurses here in Mango and I am happy to say that because of the grace of God and access to quality medical care, this sweet girl is THRIVING. Stories like this one allow me to continue to hold onto hope even in the midst of the bad days that are full of a lot of death and sometimes sheer exhaustion. With the help of Global Health Collaboration, I am able to serve at the Hospital of Hope for another month without having to worry about finances! This is a huge burden lifted and allows me to be even more focused on providing quality medical care to babies like this one.
Written by Megan Smith
2019 Global Health Collaboration Missions Scholarship Recipient
Working with World Medical Mission
Mango, Togo- Africa