The final days in Kalene were hectic to say the least. During our first week there were nearly no C-sections, where you would normally expect a few. The last couple of days certainly made up for it. The last evening in Kalene was the worst with 3 nearly back to back. By this time Dr Gill the orthopaedic surgeon who can also do C-sections and Dr Allen, the anaesthetist had left so it was Dad, me and the theatre assistant. The first one went fine with mother and baby doing well. The second C-section was a real emergency as the placental cord had prolapsed which causes reduced blood flow to the baby. The heart rate of the baby was very slow, less than 50 beats per minute where it should be above 120, and that was before we even got the baby out. The baby had no heart rate when he came out, and I was the only person there to do anything as the midwife hadn't shown up. I started getting the baby hand ventilated and as soon as he could dad came over to help me and start chest compressions, leaving the assistant to finish suturing. It seemed like a miracle that we got the heart started and beating at a normal rate. Unfortunately after nearly an hour of hand ventilating the baby he wasn't showing any signs of spontaneous movement or breathing so we had to make the hard call to let him go. He was probably deprived of oxygen for too long already and would have needed to go to an intensive care unit to even have a chance at surviving.
In Zambia the families don't want to hold or see their babies when they die, they just want someone to take them away. I found it so hard hearing that, that they would rather let their baby die on a table rather in their arms so I held him while he slipped away. I found that baby's death one of the most frustrating ones here. Unfortunately the training of the staff is not as comprehensive and no one really knew what to do with cord prolapse, how urgent it was to get the doctor in or how to do CPR on an infant when he came out heart not beating or not breathing. There really is a need for knowledgable people to train others in places like this so when these situations arise the chances for survival are better. The last C-section for the night went better and it was good to end on a positive note with a healthy baby and mother.
Leaving Africa
Saturday morning we got all packed up, said goodbye to the friends we had made and flew back to Lusaka. The next 4 days were a good break from what had been a crazy last week of working. On the Sunday we went to a local church which was very encouraging. It was the most clear explanation that Chris and I have heard of how when we are born again we can still fall into sin so we need to fight and work for holiness, but this does not determine our salvation. Philippians 2:13.
Sunday afternoon we got to explore the market, buy souvenirs, and we decided to go watch the Hobbit. Movies are a lot cheaper both in the Philippines and Zambia and it was a nice treat, although seeing the New Zealand landscapes did make me a bit homesick! Dad left that evening back to New Zealand and for the next 3 days chris and I just relaxed in Lusaka.
Holiday in Davao- Philippines
On Wednesday we were back on a plane again making the journey to Manila. 20 hours later we were in Manila and after another 6 we were finally in Davao where Chris spent 3 years of his childhood. We were exhausted after very little sleep but were delighted to have a welcoming party from Oasis Family Ministries, the organisation Chris' parents started up. Jet lag hit us a bit harder this time and we took a week to recover from the journey.
We spent about 2 weeks in Davao, having a bit of break, seeing places from Chris' childhood and meeting people from Oasis and other ministries. We got to do a skit for the children's and young adults Christmas party at Oasis which was lots of fun and it was really cool to meet the staff who were so wonderful to us during our stay. Christmas we spent on an island called Samal, 10min boat ride from Davao. Chris' parents very generously gave us a ticket to stay overnight at the resort for Christmas and it was such a nice break at the beach with the warm water, coral reefs and tropical fish to enjoy.
Us at Paradise Island for Christmas!
We also got to do another touristy activity on Chris' 24th birthday when we went to the crocodile park, which is more like a zoo with lots of different animals to see. The remainder of our time in Davao was pretty low key, spending lots of time just motor biking around and going to the malls where it was cool and air conditioned. We had a lot of adventures with the motorbike breaking down in the middle of traffic (and the traffic is pretty crazy in the Philippines) but had no accidents or injuries, and with a bit of prayer always managed to get back on the road pretty quickly.
Close one with a python!
Back to work
We are now in Manila on my second placement, enjoying the slightly cooler weather and the great hospitality of Dr Scott and Cindy Nelsen here. Clinics here run on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and are similar in structure to general practice in New Zealand. On the other 2 days I can join the staff at the local birthing clinic or the nurses who run a clinic on Thursday. We are really enjoying it here so far and in the next blog I will try and explain a bit more about what I am doing and how the clinics run etc. For us this a very exciting time as we are seeing if the Philippines may be a place where we serve long term.
Some prayer and praise points:
- Praise for safe travels and a good break in Davao
- Prayer for the Lord to show us whether Philippines is a long-term mission 'calling' for us!
- Pray that our hands would serve well and our actions testify to the love of our Lord Jesus!
No comments:
Post a Comment