It's my final few days in Tanzania and the experience I have had here is hard to put into words. It's been challenging, sad, rewarding and life changing - hopefully for those I have helped, and most definitely for myself! I can't say I have enjoyed my time here as enjoy is not really the word I would use, but I have currently not hated it. I wish I could have helped more, I see so many ways that things could be improved, even with no money - improved basic nursing skills and better knowledge could save so many lives. I wish I could stay for longer and focus on just helping one hospital at a time, I wish I could come return with my awesome team of midwives and implement change. As usual though even though I am on the other side of the world politics and cultural beliefs make change very difficult. I have however made some changes, educated many professionals and left my mark - no matter how small that maybe. I hope that the nurses and doctors I have taught will be able to put into practise the skills we have taught them and continue to save more and more lives.
I wanted to share with you a few stories of women and their babies I helped along my journey.
This baby was born by emergency caesarean, it's mother had pre-eclampsia. She had an eclamptic fit and her placenta abrupted. This baby was born in very poor condition and I helped resuscitate her. Despite being possible 4 weeks early she is pretty big. The white stuff on her face is vernix (this is normal in premie babies). I am unsure whet this baby got to see her mother or indeed what happened to her. I gave this baby a knitted white hat, pink cardigan and a pink jump suit. Thank you to who ever made or gave me these. xxx
This women has just given birth about 10 minutes ago. She is in the labour room and her baby also required a serious amount of resus. To her right is another women still in labour. She has just birthed her placenta and now she has to sit on this stool to breastfeed her baby. When she has finished she will go outside to the postnatal ward and share a bed with 2-3 other women. I gave this lady a yellow knitted hat, white cardigan and booties and a white jump suit.
This baby was born to a HIV positive mother. It has a high chance of having contracted HIV from it's mother. Yet he is as beautiful as any other baby and will be loved and cherished by his mother, like an other baby. I gave this baby a blue hat, cardigan and bootie's.
This is Fatuma, she gave birth to her beautiful 3.5kg baby who I also resuscitated. All I had left in my bag was a 00000 (tiny baby for poms) sized pink jump suit and a very small hat. Fatuma was so pleased with her gifts she was determined for the suit and hat to fit her baby girl. She squeezed her baby into this outfit it was so funny to watch, anyone would think it was made of gold! She was also amazed when I took her picture and showed it to her. I don't think she had ever seen a photo of herself. Thank you to my amazing sister who hit the charity shops and markets with her friend for baby clothes before I left and I believe she picked up this one on her way - you made this woman's day!!!
Thank you all for everything you gave - you all helped make someones day xxxx
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