A Navigating Link
One afternoon in the fall of 2017, our medical facility received 4 patients that had just been involved in a motorcycle accident. Two of those injured were a lady and her young adolescent daughter. Upon examination we discovered that the girl was pregnant, and so began our relationship with this tenacious family- a determined and protective mom, a 13 year old girl dealing with the aftermath of a horrific assault and whose petite, young body was not yet ready for the demands of bringing another human into the world, and an unborn baby whose survival was uncertain.
We immediately began prenatal care for this young teen, whom we’ll call Miss E, and began the conversations with her mother, Mama S, about where they might go for high-risk pregnancy care and eventual delivery. Their options in Haiti were very limited and the facilities were all far away from their home. Mama S was unable to relocate with Miss E to another city in Haiti to be closer to a specialist as she had several other young kids at home to care for.
As Miss E continued to come for prenatal care, she began to develop early signs of preeclampsia, a dangerous pregnancy complication involving high blood pressure that can cause damage to the mother’s internal organs, seizures, and fetal growth restriction if not controlled. It can be fatal to both mom and baby. We continued our search for a physician and facility for her and treated with the appropriate oral medications, but her preeclampsia continued to worsen. After reaching out to a long-time medical missionary in Haiti, we were connected with a physician at the children’s hospital in Port-au-Prince. He agreed to accept Miss E and assume care of these pediatric patients- both mom and baby.
At the hospital, Miss E’s preeclampsia was medically managed for nearly two weeks, meaning her preterm baby was able to spend valuable time growing inside. However, her condition worsened and the decision was made that the baby must be delivered to preserve Miss E’s health and life. Still weeks away from her due date, we knew the outcome for her baby was not certain.
Baby Girl T entered the world 10-12 weeks early weighing 2lb.7oz. Under oxygen and nutritional support she remained hospitalized for 4 weeks. Against all odds in Haiti, this tiny fighter SURVIVED and young Miss E recovered from the perilous effects of a pregnancy in one so young. Even with the supportive start in the hospital, Baby Girl T was discharged with virtually no home care support and weighing much less than an NICU graduate in a more developed healthcare system would have been.
When Miss E, Baby Girl T, and Mama S arrived at clinic after returning home, we still had a big challenge to support this family in keeping this little one healthy and growing. For many weeks we had the family come in for frequent weight checks and assessment. During this time we were able to help provide infant formula as needed and continuous education concerning care of a premature infant and preventing illness in one so fragile. By God’s grace, she was able to avoid illness and steadily gain weight in those critical first months of her life. Our medical facility was also able to provide Baby Girl T’s routine infant vaccinations, other preventive care, and support to this family as they courageously adjusted to new family dynamics and began to heal after the traumatic experiences of the previous year.
These days Baby Girl T is no longer a baby. Little T is a 3 year old healthy girl attending preschool in our village. Miss E is a typical, healthy teen. Mama S is still the dedicated hero-momma that we met three and a half years ago. She has assumed the role of primary caregiver for Little T and is raising a little girl who is loved well.
While our medical facility wasn’t able to meet the higher-level obstetrical and neonatal care this family needed during a season of their lives, it is gratifying to have been a small link in the chain of the healthcare needs of this family. Navigating the healthcare system in Haiti is not for the easily discouraged. It can be frustrating and at times feel hopeless. One’s best efforts might still result in a patient being sent away from a hospital without any resolution or answers to their illness. We are forever thankful that this wasn’t the case this time; we are all too aware of how close they were to a much more heartbreaking outcome. Only God knows the future for these three amazing ladies, but we are humbled to have played a very small role in realizing their present.
