'Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men."'
-Luke 5:10
Just as I assumed my call
responsibilities a woman named Elis came to the obstetric ward in the
late afternoon. She was from a remote part of our province and had
been brought to Kudjip along with her “wasmeri” (or guardian)
after several days of difficult labor in deep jungle. Her water
broke some days before she came, but because of the difficult road,
she and her family could not get a car to bring her to the hospital.
When I examined her, it became obvious
that her baby had died some time ago and that her body was in shock
from an aggressive infection. The smell was unbelievable.
During the long hours of that evening,
she endured perhaps the most devastating delivery I have ever seen
and nearly bled to death. While I tried to stop the bleeding, nurses
around me poured intravenous fluid and oxytocin into the large veins
in both of her arms. She received blood transfusions overnight and
just about every medicine I could think of to fight the infection. I
honestly didn't believe she would see the dawn.
About five in the morning, another lady
was sent to Kudjip for a prolonged labor. Vero had been laboring
without much progress at a small health center and the nursing
officer there appropriately sent her to be taken care of at Kudjip.
When I arrived, her baby's heartbeat sounded strong but she was
struggling to deliver. After some coached efforts and a little
medicine to improve her contractions, she safely delivered a vigorous
healthy baby girl.
I checked on Elis, and discovered that
despite blood and antibiotics, she was still in shock with a
dangerously low blood pressure. I was afraid to clean out her
uterus, called a curettage, because her infected womb could rupture
if I did so and she would likely be killed in the process. Dr. Erin
arrived and assumed her care, packing the uterus and giving yet more
medicines and blood to keep her alive.
For Vero, her difficult labor was
recognized and she was appropriately and safely referred and
delivered at our hospital. For Elis, through not fault of her own,
the prolonged labor resulted in the death of her baby, and may yet
still claim her life as well.
Such is the nature of childbirth in
many of the remote parts of the world.
Some years ago, Kudjip hospital
partnered with Samaritan's Purse and New Tribes to conduct maternal
health education in Hewa, a remote mountainous jungle region
accessible only through planes and helicopters. Susan Kopf, a New
Tribes missionary and nurse, had been feeling the burden of the
mothers and babies dying there for years. After the visit, one of
the village women, Jennifer, became skilled at deliveries and has
since delivered over twenty babies in this remote jungle village.
(See the full story here)
Last week Jennifer, Susan and three
other Hewa ladies came to Kudjip to learn more about safely
delivering babies. For most of them, it was the first time they had
seen a permanent building. I had the wonderful privilege of teaching
them about obstructed labors and then showing them a normal delivery
in our maternity ward. These ladies will go back to their village
and apply what they have learned in an effort to stem the growing
numbers of young lives claimed in childbirth there.
“Give a man to fish, and you feed him
for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”
I have always had a burden for
teaching. I loved this opportunity to share some of the knowledge
and skills I use everyday for the ladies who come to Kudjip to have
their babies. But I'm even more excited that what I've done will go
into the jungles through these village birth attendants and, perhaps,
bring God's healing there and lead the lives of the Hewa people to
the one who can teach them to fish for men.
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UPDATE: Susan posted the following on Facebook shortly after these brave young women returned to their village.
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UPDATE: Susan posted the following on Facebook shortly after these brave young women returned to their village.
