Furaha recounts the harrowing experience of Salama’s birth. “One evening I was having a lot of abdominal pain. Since I was alone, I went to my uncle for help and he took me to the health center. I was bleeding and losing a lot of blood.” At just eight months pregnant, Furaha knew it was too soon to have her baby.
At the Medical Teams health clinic, a midwife examined Furaha and found that she was in premature labor. She was also diagnosed with umbilical cord prolapse – an uncommon but potentially fatal emergency. During labor and delivery, this dangerous condition can result in a loss of oxygen to the baby, and long-term harm or death for the unborn child.
“The nurses tried to give me fluids, but I was just getting worse,” she explains. “It was a very scary moment. I thought I will not survive. I am dying. My biggest worry was my children. The children would suffer greatly. I told the midwife, I am only eight months pregnant, I am already bleeding, my baby has already died. Please help me. The nurse said she would do everything in her power to help me.”
Critically ill and in pain, Furaha was in and out of consciousness. She was rushed by ambulance to the Medical Teams operating room. There, a skilled surgeon quickly performed an emergency C-section.
Read more about Furaha’s story on our blog: https://www.medicalteams.org/blog/the-story-of-furaha-aline/
