Cleramene and Esnel, a young couple in their mid-twenties, arrived at HAS on December 23, following the birth of their triplets. Having triplets is a momentous event that most women in 2021, would have been making special preparations for, months prior to their arrival. Cleramene, who never made any OB-GYN visits during her pregnancy, was unaware of her impending multiple birth, until she started pushing with the help of her husband and a friend who’s an unofficial midwife, when two more babies followed the first. Her babies were born at home, in the early hours of December 23rd, at 2:00am. After such an arduous task, the new mother fell asleep along with the babies’ father.
It wasn’t until later in the morning around 5:00am, when Esnel noted that the babies looked small, and he and Cleramene decided that perhaps it would be wise to have them checked out by a doctor at HAS. The couple then undertook the short fifteen-minute walk to the hospital, with their three NICU babies, Esnel holding two, while Cleramene, who was still recuperating from giving birth, held the third.
This story, while it may sound unfathomable, is unfortunately too common in rural Haiti, where HAS is located. In fact, the couple also has a set of 4-year-old twins, which Cleramene delivered at home, also unaware that two babies were on the way at the time.
All three babies, two girls and one boy, were quickly incubated, and given the urgent care they needed in order to survive. When we met them on March 10, 2022, the boy, Mackenly, was already out of the incubator and in fine spirits, while his two sisters, Leana and Marie Christine were still incubated, but fully expected to be released within the next few days. The parents sleep in the hospital so that they may see their babies daily and feed and hold them.
Couples such as Cleramene and Esnel are a clear indicator of the need for awareness for women in rural areas to visit our affiliated clinics throughout their pregnancies for regular checkups. Cleramene was lucky enough to have all three of her babies survive in the NICU, but other women, sometimes are not so lucky. Your donations can help women get the healthcare they need!
Give a meaningful gift to help care for a mother in Haiti!
$90 supports 3 days of work for a midwife
$250 funds the cost of laboratory supplies for a week
$500 provides materials and supplies for high-risk obstetrics services for 5 days
$1,000 funds four Cesarean section surgeries
$2,500 funds 6 months’ wages for an HAS community health nurse
A monthly sustaining gift in any amount ensures a steady stream of support to help mothers and children every day!