Stories. Lives. Hearts. Eyes. People.
Stories abound with people like Heidy's Mom and others who really don't care for there children - they use them or leave them. But today is a sweet faithful lady at our church who loves her children. And, Monday God blessed her and her husband with a new bundle.
Here's the story from earlier this week... and how you can be a blessing to this family.
- Mom and Alma visiting one afternoon.
Around 9pm this past Sunday we received a phone call asking if we could bring Alma (this mother) some pain killers. We had taken her to the Centro de Salud earlier that day and they had said all was well... only a few more days. We climbed the hill to their house to find she seemed to be in labor. As her contractions continued it was decided that she needed to go in then. They live on a high hill off the road and if she went fast into transition it would be hard to get her off the hill and into a vehicle.
She enter Centro de Salud by 10 pm. A normal medical clinic for Honduras... where all ladies labor in the same room, husbands can not pass the outside waiting area, food and drink must be carried in along with all other items that are needed for a birth, and so on. But it's life for them; they know no other way. (True words for third-world clinics and hospitals can't be found if you haven't seen one.)
- Malachi and Sismy playing Chess one evening.
She had been loosing amniotic fluid for a few days and now had labored all night dilating to 6cm. In the early morning we took them food. A bit later into the morning we received a call saying that the baby was in distress and she needed to be transported to the hospital in Comayagua (about an hour away). Sismy (her husband) asked if we could drive them down because an ambulance would be so expensive. But, how could we drive her an hour away when the baby was in distress and we knew the hospital's condition down there? Meanwhile, knowing the private hospital here was good, as we have now used it many times. So before we arrived at Centro de Salud Dad made the decision to take her to the private hospital here in town... the Lord would cover the costs. The baby was in danger, Comayagua so far, and the hospital there dangerous.
As we gathered her things and headed out for the car people asked her were she was going... she replied Comayagua, with a face full of pain. Peoples faces dropped... scared, worried, and sad expressions began to cross these other women and men's faces. They all knew what a transport to Comayagua meant... not good or safe. In fact, a lady Alma knew had problems last week when she went into labor and they transported her to Comayagua. The baby died on the way down the mountain and the mother died two days later in the hospital from infection... And this is not an uncommon story here.
When we reached the truck we explained our plan to take them to the private hospital - a place they didn't even know of. Relief covered them as we assured them we would see to the bills and take them to the private hospital.
They were entering a new world.
When Mom and I told Sismy he could enter with his wife, he shyly followed. Was this allowed? Could he enter with her? We told him to continue as they took her to a room to examine her... He shyly but happily followed again. They were both shocked... Who would have thought a husband could go in with his wife? Yes, I mean literally a new world. And It was so neat to witness them enjoy this.
- Sweet Baby Alma just hours after birth - Just Perfect!
The doctor's decision was to try pitocin for two hours and if that did not move things quickly they would have to do a C-section. Not much time could be taken. After they were settled in a room we had to run and attend to some other things. Praying all the way... and a hour and fifteen minutes later we received a call saying, "It's a girl!" The baby had been in much distress, but God was so good and she was born healthy; only needing oxygen for a couple of hours.
We spent the rest of the afternoon getting them food, settling bills, and buying meds and things they would need there, as we were leaving early the next morning for Tegucigalpa.
It was so neat to see them enjoying her. Together. The first hour. She weighed 7.6lbs at birth and has more hair then this picture gives credit.
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Please pray with us for this family as they continue to come to church and soak up God's Word. Also, we are making it available to you to help out with the all of the costs of the babies birth. First we will cover all the bills... and then if there is more money we will use it for them as there is some things they could use for the baby.
To Give - There is a paypal button here on my Dad's blog. (The paypal button is below the contact us form.) Just put a note with the donation or this code BabyAlma, so we will know it is for this purpose. If you would like to donate money through another avenue drop us an email and we can work something out.
Read follow up posts with more information on this family and their life - as well as many other topics on Jillianspilgrimage.wordpress.com.
