cryhaiti

Haitian society has a rich oral tradition that has given rise to hundreds of Kreyol proverbs and sayings containing a wisdom that is simple, without being simplistic. There is depth also, to Haiti's folktales. I will call them folk tales, and not old wives tales, as they are known in the part of the world I am from, because there are few old women in Haiti to propagate these beliefs. One of the newest arrivals to the NICU is 2 month old Steevenson. When I checked him over, the day he... Read Full Story

Wideline's father has dark, glowing skin and smiling eyes. Even in his deep grief, those eyes smiled on me, inviting me to talk with him, share with him. He was softly spoken and would not try to compete with the din of the generator close by. To hear him, I had to incline myself towards him. The exchange that followed was heartrendingly honest in its simplicity. 'The mother of my children, my first born children is seriously ill. She is so swollen her stomach is this big,' he told me... Read Full Story

Last night, my heart was aching for the baby girl I had lost. I was reflecting. Knowing that the signs of protein-energy malnutrition were so subtle in this infant that no-one, picked up on them, no-one, I still wished I'd listened to my gut. I remembered thinking Wideline's cheeks were full, the day I met her, although they didn't look puffy. As the days passed, she seemed to fill out. Looking back, I think her little body was slowly, very slowly filling up with fluid. We all thought she... Read Full Story

I have so many questions. There aren't answers for any of them. This morning, Wideline's blood pressure dropped. She went on to bleed innternally. Blood pured from her mouth and nose, and stopped breathing. I had been up until past mid-night, doing everything I thought might help. So much of  what I had done was painful for Wideline, but she still had a lot of fight in her body, and I felt I needed to respect that. Now I believed enough was enough. I told the NICU staff I didn't... Read Full Story

Last night, Wideline's face and feet began to swell. In the early  hours of the morning, her temperature dropped, and her body began to shut down. Later in the morning,  I wiped her face clean. Suddenly, her face was bloody. I examined her top to toe. The creases of her neck, behind her ears, her underarms, were raw and moist. It looked as though the baby had sustained second degree burns.  I was horrified. Utterly horrified. Our paediatrician diagnosed dermatitis of Kwashiorkor... Read Full Story

On Thursday morning, I went on a cleaning spree. As I worked at a slightly feverish pace, wiping down and organising NICU supplies, I felt the eyes of the NICU staff on me. The behaviour they were observing looked an awful lot like 'nesting.' 'You do know Susan, that now you've done all of this, God will send you a baby?' 'Of course I do,' I replied, in an even, matter-of-fact-tone 'He will send a baby very soon, just one, though. Not twins this time, and I need to be ready.' The next... Read Full Story

The witness, an Australian nurse, recently arrived in Haiti, was utterly overcome as she watched the young father, as strong as he was tender, cradling his only son, a tiny but growing infant in his large, powerful hands. Photo Courtesy of Katie MacGregor The Father's behaviour was like that of parents the world over. He undid the sleeper, counted ten fingers and ten toes, then  unfastened the diaper, and apparently finding everything in order, nodded his head. With tears streaming... Read Full Story

In the past week, three children from the big nursery were admitted to the NICU for short-term care. The first was17 month old Frantina. She had a pneumonia that did not respond to oral antibiotics. On IV antibiotics, this little lady soon recovered. The second child was Faland, a two-year-old girl, with chronic digestive problems. She developed severe, watery diarrhoea and wasn't able to tolerate Oral Rehydration Solution. She was on IV fluids for just a day. That was all it took to... Read Full Story

I have three photographs for you that were taken a few minutes ago. Do you recognise her? This is Bianka, with a double chin, a beautiful, healthy baby. Bianka has had no further seizures and she is smiling. I am hoping to see continued progress in her development. Most babies who suffer severe, life-threatening malnutrition have developmental delays as babies and learning difficulties later in life. Whether Bianka heals with or without 'scars', her life has been salvaged. She is... Read Full Story

As I wrapped up the week yesterday, I took stock. Alaine, was off of her nasal cannula. She'd had a sudden growth spurt, and was now stable without a constant flow of compressed air. We will continue to observe her carefully. The nannies will be pleased to do that. Alaine is ridiculously cute - her face is so round that I call her my cabbage patch doll. Her  eyes cross badly whenever she tries to focus on us. That only makes the Haitian staff all the more fond of her. 'You have to send a... Read Full Story