Be near, oh God

Troy & Wislene's daughter

Sunday morning Gidette showed up in labor.  Shortly after Gidette, Stephanie came in early labor too.

Gidette delivered a girl at 3pm on Sunday.  Stephanie waited till 6am on Monday morning to deliver her son. 

(What now feels like a week ago, rather than a day ago.)  

As soon as Stephanie was put to bed in the post partum area, Wislene showed up saying her water had broken.   

Wislene is a 45 year old mom of five, pregnant with her sixth.  The day flew by with lots of checking Wislene and other appointments happening at the Maternity Center.  

The story of Wislene's birth might need to be told later, after more time has passed and we've all slept a few nights. It was a surreal experience that requires some processing time. For everyone in the room and the ambulance it was one of the scariest hours ever. 

"Every so often I get a sense of God's nearness. Last night was one of those time. So grateful that the tiny baby sitting beside me has a mama still after an amazingly difficult postpartum hemorrhage." 
-Sarah Obermeyer  

Just a week after writing about the dangers of older moms of many having a postpartum hemorrhage, we had our first one last night around dinner time. 

As it became apparent that all the normal solutions to bleeding were not putting an end to Wislene's heavy bleeding, we called for the ambulance and began the trek to the Doctors Without Borders Maternity Hospital a few miles away. 

Edline

To those that donated to the 2009/2010 fund for the Heartline Ambulance -- that might not have felt tangible to you at the time -- it maybe felt even more intangible when after ordering the truck we didn't get it until many months later. 

I want all of you that helped buy that $60,000 truck to know that last night, while we fought our way through Port au Prince traffic with blood and sweat dripping everywhere, the purchase of that truck and the need for it felt incredibly tangible to each of us riding in it. 

With lights and sirens and oxygen and IV bags and a stretcher all being put to use, the evidence of your donation was more than concrete. 

Wislene's uterus had had enough already, she needed an emergency hysterectomy.  We are anxiously waiting to hear how she is this morning and will bring her baby to her in a few hours.  Her big baby girl spent the night at Heartline so that Wislene could rest after an enormous and life-threatening blood loss. 

Just when we thought our September babies were probably all here, the phone rang. Today Edline will be laboring. Her water broke around 9pm Monday night, she arrived to the Maternity Center shortly after the ambulance pulled back in for the night.  Edline is expecting a baby boy, her first child. She is 38 years old. She is such a smart, tough, precious lady. We're all asking God for a drama free day for her as she welcomes her son to the world later.  *Edit/Add - Edline's son is to be named Shane (not here yet). 

Be near, Oh God.