Maternity hospital and other tidbits

Two blog posts in two days?! I know! There have been other (less exciting) things that have happened in the past month, and I thought I would update on these as well...

Trips to the maternity hospital:

The maternity hospital in Niamey is a hospital where most babies (that are NOT born in the bush) are born. I had been only once before and went again these last few weeks....a few times. It is quite the experience. Imagine the white hallways, smell of antiseptic and sterility of our hospitals at home. And then compare to the following pictures below:

People who are at the hospital for a family or friend will wash their things and hang them just about anywhere to dry

Next time you are tired of waiting in the waiting room at your doctor's office...be thankful it is not a hard, cement floor! Most of these people are not waiting for a doctor...they are just there. They are tending to someone at the hospital but have no where to go so will hunker down for days in the corridors (as the hospital rooms are usually VERY full of patients)

more laundry drying...and to the left...a moto washing station!

more people waiting

The visit to the hospital depicted in the the above pictures was for a joyous occasion. The birth of a healthy (though somewhat early) baby girl. My teammate has captured the whole story here Chantelle's blog.

Unfortunately, my more recent trip to the hospital was not as joyous of an occasion. The wife of the worker at our garden (he is actually the guard at the school that our friends have started in a neighbouring village) was suddenly taken to a local hospital as she had fainted. I am still very uncertain of the details, as the people here are not usually told what is happening, but she was 9 months pregnant (again, not sure of this detail) and ended up being induced into labour at this local hospital. Twins. After an arduous time, the first twin, a boy, was born. By this time, the mother was very tired and could not push out twin number two. A girl. We are told that this twin was killed in order for the mother to survive. Again, details are sketchy.  Baby boy is "in distress" and being kept in an incubator where only the dad is allowed to see him. He is on IV fluids and oxygen (taken off to be brought to mom to try to feed, but he did not open his mouth). He is 3 days old today and has not started feeding on his own. Mom's milk has not come in (since the baby has not yet been to the breast!). When I went to visit, I broke down after one look at the mother's face...the pain, hopelessness and despair was too much. The dad was very concerned at how long they needed to stay at the hospital, as each day meant more cost. I tried to explain that the baby's health needed to be stabilized before they could leave. I believe he understands, but it doesn't make it easier for him to get the money he needs to allow for the proper care of his wife and child. He has 6 other children at home. Please pray with us that Mom and baby would come through this healthy and well. Please also pray that we would be wise in how to help financially in this situation.

Yet-to-be-named baby boy

I will leave you with some lighter pictures. At the end of Ramadan last month, our family went to visit the village. Here is a picture of Jaelyn trying to teach the kids some numbers in French. She was quite the teacher and had quite the captivated audience!

We have some VERY exciting news...SHIN CUP RAMEN is now available in Niamey!!! This makes us SO happy!! They are quite pricey (almost $2 per cup) but makes for a quick meal. And oh-so-yummy!

One last fun picture...this is a picture I took when I went out jogging with a friend last week. It was a huge tank with a gun on it! You don't get to see this everyday! Who else gets to have that kind of adventure when out for a jog?!