A young mother just showed up at our Birthing Center with her mother, “mother in law,” and a neighbor (mother is the one in the middle).
She just had these two babies in LaSousse, a village not far from us. Nixon, our Administrator, just called me and told me, to “Come quick! This young mother just had twins this afternoon at her house, and they were premature” (7 months). She said that “If we didn’t take them, she would leave them in the trash or on the road!” She made me so mad! The mother would not hold even hold the babies or try to nurse them! I told her, that if she would try to care for them, that God would help her.”
While looking at them, we knew they had to get to the baby hospital ASAP!! While waiting for the ambulance, we talked to her more. I told her that legally, we could not take them and that if she didn’t want them she would have to go through the Department of Social Services. The mom, just really made me so mad… she would not even hold them! I told her that “mother animals have more concern for their babies than she had!”
We gave the mother money to help her out, but, I told her she needed to go on birth control, otherwise, she would be back here in nine months! As we were talking to her, the little boy turned blue and stopped breathing. I told them they must take the baby, now, and go straight to the hospital so that they legally would be doing the right thing. The little girl seems healthy even though premature.
This was a very sad day. A missionary’s emotions can swing from tears, to anger, and back to tears… Sherry