In my last blog, I talked about being overwhelmed.
About needing time to myself. How I felt like I couldn’t help everyone that
needed something from me. I was feeling stretched to my limits. Well, a lot of
this had to do with school starting. School uniforms and school supplies were
being bought, students were registering in classes, and everything else in
between had been going on. For several kids in town, who are part of my
sponsorship program, I was able to buy or have donated what they needed to
start classes on time. Everything from shoes, notebooks, backpacks, uniforms
and pencils. Its safe to say the owner was very happy for my business that day.
One family, who is very dear to me, is Rebecca and
her 4 kids. Rebecca, 25 years old, is a single mother (father in and out of the
picture) trying to “raise” and “support” her children, all under the age of 8.
Rebecca has a few personal issues of her own which makes it hard for her to be
a “good” mother. Brayan, her 8 year old son, was in Kinder with me 3 years ago,
where I first met Rebecca and the family. I met her youngest daughter Juliana (who
was just one month old) my first week ever in Honduras. I love seeing the kids
grow up, especially in their first years, where they change the most. With
seeing them grow up, also comes a deep emotional connection.
As school was starting, I made my way to Rebeccas
house to check if she would send her kids to school this year. (Last year was
one excuse after another). She said yes but that her twins, Andrea and Royle didn’t
have birth certificates and without them, the couldn’t go. Why one would wait 7
years to get birth certificates for their kids, I will never understand. “Well,
lets get them then” I said, not knowing what I was getting myself into. So we
began our forever – almost impossible adventure of getting birth certificates. (read
about this process in a blog I posted 3 years ago http://katlyninhonduras.blogspot.com/2011/06/its-like-were-in-nyc.html
its after the tarantula story)
To make a long story short, one morning Rebecca
shows up at my house. She shows me the papers and copies she was able to gather
and asks me to keep them so they wouldn’t get lost. We start talking about
other things like how things are at home, her nonexistent boyfriend and her
pregnancy, then she pauses… “Catalina, would you like to have my baby?”
Would I like to have her unborn baby? My throat
closes up and Im speechless. She continues…”Because this is my 5th
child, I don’t work and I already have 4 children. I came to ask you because I don’t
know anyone else to ask.
I ended up telling her that I would love to take
her baby but that I don’t have a stable job or home. I explained to her that I
would help take care of the baby whenever she needed me and help with
food/medicine/whatever else, until she found a place for the baby. I would help
her through this process as well as to look for an orphanage or another option.
So we did. We visited an childrens home and talked
about options. I gave her advice as best I could but ultimately the final
decision was hers. Then the day came. Friday, March 7th, I get a
call at 4 am in the morning, “Catalina, Im in labor” I rush to Miladys house
where Rebecca had planned to give a home birth.
With pajamas still on and
camera ready to roll, we waited. And waited and waited. Finally 11:30 am came
around and Miladys recommended we go to the hospital in case there was a
complication. Rebecca was against the idea for fear of the hospital (here I
would be too, I don’t blame her)
We flagged down a taxi. Already two people in it
and Rebecca, myself and her cousin, Samantha were still to get in. No big deal.
Rebecca gets in the front seat and the taxi driver asks if her water will break
on his seat…haha….so the four of us get in the backseat piled like little kids.
On the way to La Ceiba, Rebecca continues her contractions. Seems like the taxi
ride is making them come faster. All I can think about is the internet article
Allison read about “How to give birth in a taxi” and just hoping that doesn’t happen.
We first arrive to get an ultrasound to make sure
the baby is okay. The technician is on lunch break, of course. She comes back
and everything shows up fine. It’s a baby boy! We pay the lady and grab a taxi
to head to the hospital. Rebeccas contractions are getting worse. First,
though, we had to stop by a farmacy and pick up nailpolish remover (apparently
if a C-section is necessary you cant have nail polish on). We finally get to
the emergency room and go in. No one is there to greet us or tell us where to
go. Rebecca has a strong contraction so she stops and I go ahead to figure out
where to go. Finally. Rebecca comes over and sits down in a chair where a
doctor begins to attend to her. I was told I needed to go register her. With
her id number just written down on a piece of paper I go to the register window
to wait in line. In front of me is a baby with a broken wrist and a makeshift
cast who just vomited all over the floor. Behind me is a construction worker
who looks like he cut half his hand with a machete and blood is dripping
everywhere. But there we all were, waiting in line to register before being
attended too. That’s finished and I go back to the nurse and Rebecca. Samantha
is on the floor on her hands and knees taking off Rebeccas nail polish as she
is contracting in the chair. The nurse gives me a list of supplies I have to go
buy. The hospital doesn’t have anything there, you have to go outside to a
little hut and buy the gloves, needles, test tubes, IVs and whatever else. Once
that is done I make my way through construction tape in the hospital to find
labor and delivery. Found! Rebecca is admitted. Now were given her blood sample
to take to the lab.
About 3 hours later we try to investigate Rebeccas
situation. No one came out to tell us she had given birth or that it was a good
delivery or anything. We caught her being transferred to recovery, wheeling
across the construction site hospital.
Here is where all the women stay overnight. In the
same bed as their baby. We didn’t know we were supposed to bring our own sheets
for Rebecca so she slept on the plastic mattress. See that window in the back?
Its broken, leading to the outside where its pouring down rain.
Here he is 18 days old! I got the entire morning
to love this little guy J
As for now, Rebecca has a great opportunity
working for an extended family member. She cleans and cooks for distant cousins
and is given a room for her and her kids. She no longer has to live in a
makeshift house of wood and tarp and worry about paying her $15 monthly rent.
Being in this new location, also gives her the benefits of having other people
around to help with her new baby. Samantha, has said she would like to take
care of the baby as well. For now, this seems like a good solution. I will also
be around to check on the kids and make sure things are running like they
should. Please keep Rebecca and her family in your prayers. She believes in
some weird things in regards to evil spirits that can harm her baby.
Unfortunately this is way too common here in El Porvenir, even affecting the
doctors in terms of prescribing medicine (ex. cant take until after the full
moon). Please pray that they will look to the Lord in times like this. Please
pray that she finds her worth as a mother and her importance in her kids lives.
