Baby Sao
In early May Helen (and Dave) received an urgent phone call. “’Ellen you mus’ ‘ep me! I go for die. Las week di police tek me to Kenema. Den say if I no pay de money for me operation dis Friday I go prison. DO YA please ‘ep me. I go DIE!”
Baby Sao is an intelligent woman of about 35 with six children. At the end of last year her seventh delivery went on for days, ending with a rush to hospital 30 miles away to save her life. Her elderly widowed father (as her husband is demented and she had no siblings) organised transport, blood donors and borrowed £140 (half an annual working wage) for the Caesarean section.
The operation saved the life of Baby Sao and her baby, but there was no money for drugs and her abdominal wound became terribly infected. After several weeks she was taken home to die, leaking urine from a wound the size of a plate.
At just that time the Mercy Ships 12-seater vehicle that drives round the country picking up patients stopped in her village. Tom French, the nurse looked at her and he and Francis, the driver put her in the truck, and brought her to Freetown. Dr Dave found her desperately ill. Her abdomen was widely open and he could pass a probe ten inches inside her. He prescribed strong antibiotics and changes of dressings three times a day. Over the next six weeks in the hospital her wound gradually closed and wonderfully, the urine flow ceased. She was back from death a second time.
The baby became the darling of the hospital. In time Baby Sao got involved in the patient rehab activities which Helen helps run. As she had learnt simple reading and numbers from her school-going children Helen trained her to operate a telephone business from her home. At last she was discharged, taking her baby, a large black phone and a charger.
Five months later the man who had financed her operation came up and said. “You are making big money from that telephone, so you can pay back your loan.” She replied, “But I have only earned a small amount (£30), and I am feeding 9 people.” He said, “Pay me in full or I will ask the police to charge you.” The man was within his rights to ask for the money back, but didn’t understand the circumstances. The police came and said, “You have four days to pay the full amount. If not you go to jail.”
So Baby Sao called and told us the news. Helen then told Florence (see lady in blue), the hospital counsellor, with whom she works closely. Florence said “My sister is the senior officer at that same police centre!” She called her sister and had the whole story confirmed; also that if the man pressed charges Baby Sao would be in prison indefinitely. She would have no one to feed her and might die and orphan her 7 children.
Dave & Helen had funds from UK to pay the bill, but how to transport it safely to Kenema 300 miles away? Florence offered, and that week-end spent 20 hours in a rickety minibus on bumpy roads to deliver the money to the creditor. Baby Sao’s life was saved for the third time!
Baby Sao is an intelligent woman of about 35 with six children. At the end of last year her seventh delivery went on for days, ending with a rush to hospital 30 miles away to save her life. Her elderly widowed father (as her husband is demented and she had no siblings) organised transport, blood donors and borrowed £140 (half an annual working wage) for the Caesarean section.
The operation saved the life of Baby Sao and her baby, but there was no money for drugs and her abdominal wound became terribly infected. After several weeks she was taken home to die, leaking urine from a wound the size of a plate.
At just that time the Mercy Ships 12-seater vehicle that drives round the country picking up patients stopped in her village. Tom French, the nurse looked at her and he and Francis, the driver put her in the truck, and brought her to Freetown. Dr Dave found her desperately ill. Her abdomen was widely open and he could pass a probe ten inches inside her. He prescribed strong antibiotics and changes of dressings three times a day. Over the next six weeks in the hospital her wound gradually closed and wonderfully, the urine flow ceased. She was back from death a second time.
The baby became the darling of the hospital. In time Baby Sao got involved in the patient rehab activities which Helen helps run. As she had learnt simple reading and numbers from her school-going children Helen trained her to operate a telephone business from her home. At last she was discharged, taking her baby, a large black phone and a charger.
Five months later the man who had financed her operation came up and said. “You are making big money from that telephone, so you can pay back your loan.” She replied, “But I have only earned a small amount (£30), and I am feeding 9 people.” He said, “Pay me in full or I will ask the police to charge you.” The man was within his rights to ask for the money back, but didn’t understand the circumstances. The police came and said, “You have four days to pay the full amount. If not you go to jail.”
So Baby Sao called and told us the news. Helen then told Florence (see lady in blue), the hospital counsellor, with whom she works closely. Florence said “My sister is the senior officer at that same police centre!” She called her sister and had the whole story confirmed; also that if the man pressed charges Baby Sao would be in prison indefinitely. She would have no one to feed her and might die and orphan her 7 children.
Dave & Helen had funds from UK to pay the bill, but how to transport it safely to Kenema 300 miles away? Florence offered, and that week-end spent 20 hours in a rickety minibus on bumpy roads to deliver the money to the creditor. Baby Sao’s life was saved for the third time!
posted by Dave & Helen Lyth @ 17:35
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