On to the next assignment.

Elder Webb and I went to Fabella Hospital's Maternity and Neo-natal wards Thursday.

It was eye opening to say the least.  I had prepared myself to be upset by what I saw.  Those with whom we have spoken about Fabella have painted a dismal picture saying I would leave upset.  I must say I have been upset with what I have seen a number of times but not this time.

While the hospital is terribly over crowed and the staff is stretched to the limit I felt it was uplifting in some respects.  Yes, the beds had more than double occupancy, but the women and their babies seemed cared for.  No one was in distress.  The hospital was as clean as can be expected, except the toilets, but they have a different standard than we. It did not have that wretched institutional hospital smell.  The nurses were encouraging and would complement the mothers as we walked through a ward containing over hundred mothers and babies.  One side of the ward contained the well mothers and babies with normal vaginal births the other side contained babies and their mothers who had been compromised and had some sort of infection from the birth process.   There was also a section for Kangaroo care, which is being studied here.  This is a training hospital and they are monitoring the effects of skin to skin contact and babies development.  These woman had a maximum of 2 women per bed.  These beds are a little bigger than the hospital beds in the U.S. so things aren't as bad as they seem from that perspective. 

The Neo-natal unit was down stairs.  Dr Chris is head of the Neo-natal program.  She spent the entire afternoon with us touring the hospital and introducing us to the staff.  We are hoping to ease their burden in some way. They especially need respirator machines.  They have a few, but with hundreds born they cannot fill the need. Manual respirators cannot give a constant flow of oxygen and the babies suffer.  They have home made light boxes for the jaundice treatment. They work but not as efficiently.

In one of the neo-natal care rooms (of which there are many as this building was originally built as a prison in the late 1800's)  there were babies with sever problems. One little fellow had several birth defects including water on the brain, and it was leaking. His head was too big for him to move. His eyes were spaced wider than normal and he could follow people even though his head was laid to the side. His was crying and distraught, his little arms and legs stiff and flailing in unaided need.  I took his little foot in my hand and gently rubbed it.  He seemed to respond. I then put my fingers over his heart and said a little prayer asking the love of Jesus to comfort him. This may sound strange to some of you, but he seemed to understand and the stiffness left his body and he was calm, at least he was when we were in the room.  This little sole and I connected for just a few moments. It is God's love that comforted both of us. I think about this tiny one and wonder if he has been relieved of the burden of his body.  Fabella does not have the ability to care for these kinds of needs and no other hospital would accept him.  He will die before long, as the policy is to administer only humane care with water and some nutrients.  The parents cannot care for him.  They must choose which patients receive the available assistance.  It is a scramble each new day as to who will receive life giving care and who will struggle to survive.  Yet these doctors and nurse are dedicated loving people and do all in their power to help.  How difficult it is for all.

We visited the delivery room. The first time we went it was the end of the day and it was empty.  The second day we visited Fabella  all five beds were filled with mothers delivering babies.  There was a hustle and bustle of movement but not a single sound.  There is no medication given to ease delivery pain here and yet not a sound from any of the 5 women delivering.  It was an eerie silence.  They are a stoic people.

I think I am beginning to cushion myself or put up some sort of protective emotional barrier. I still feel like crying a lot, but If I had of visited this hospital right off the bat, when we first arrived, I would have been very upset.  This hospital is the last stop; many of these women have been to several hospitals, examined and turned away. The exams from previous hospital and the long rides on public transportation leave some women and babies compromised and they end up with infections or in distress.   The policy at Fabella is that no one is turned away.  

Fabella is a National Maternal and Newborn Hospital (government subsidized)

Dr.s Webb in ICU respiratory unit

and delivers between 18,000 and 23,000 babies a year. (down from previous years) The nurses and doctors here are dedicated people, many who could travel to other countries and collect large salaries yet they are intent on making a difference right here, and they are.

We just wanted to say we are so blessed.  We are blessed to have raised our family in the U.S......in Oregon.  We are blessed to have the gospel of Jesus Christ to know of his goodness and love for all God's children. To know He hears and answers our prayers.  We are blessed to be here to be shaken to our core so we realize how very blessed we are.

Love to all


Elder and Sister Webb,

I sent this picture to our pregnant daughter, all she could say was "Yikes, how do they ever sleep."

This is the maternity ward at Fabella Hospital

There are over one hundred mothers and babies in this room.  The first time we went to the hospital the room was relatively quiet, the second trip we made the weather was hot (no air conditioning) and there about 1/3 more people in the room.  It was not a quiet place.  How do they do it?   They just make do.

Delivery room

recovering from birth is a shared experience

These are the homemade photo-therapy machines that help but are not as potent as commercial ones.

Here Elder and Sister Webb meet with doctors to discuss the needs of the hospital

Kangaroo care is monitored.  These are smaller babies who need encouragement to survive.  They have had good results with the skin to skin therapy.  These mothers have way more space, I would do better as well.

many of these babies are on resporators

These babies are not twins, they just run out of space so they share.  It is impossible to keep things sterile.

 Elder and Sister Webb along with Heidi McSweeney and her father (specialist from SLC) saying good by to the staff of Fabella.  Far left is our partner Iris Gokeelao from East meets West.  Her foundation helps the church supply machines that are life giving and life changing and then follows up to make sure they are running properly.