HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!
PART 1:
meet THE TANZANIAN USAIN BOLT
Proud father, Benjamin.
Benjamin* was at work on a Tuesday evening, having been called in for a night shift. His 27-year-old wife was heavily pregnant with their second child. She had already missed her two due dates, one two weeks ago and the other four days ago. They joked often that the baby, who they already knew was their second boy, would never leave his mother’s tummy.
On this particular evening, he had insisted that she go stay with her mother, as he was worried about leaving her alone in case she went into labor. His wife had assured him that this being her second pregnancy, she would know in good time if the baby was ready to come. However, he insisted, and off she went to spend the night with her mother.
“At around 10:00 pm, I got a call from my mother-in-law. She sounded panicked and was hysterical on the phone. She said my wife had gone into labor and that I needed to get her to a hospital immediately.”
Benjamin quickly left work and went to pick up his wife. He knew that he had to bring her to FAME, as that's where she had been coming for all her prenatal clinics. FAME was only 18 miles away, and since he had his own car, he was confident that he would make it in time.
When Benjamin turned into the dirt road, his wife was screaming for him to drive faster. She knew that the baby’s birth was imminent. In this rush and in the darkness, Benjamin saw one of the sharp bumps a bit too late and hit it violently. The car came to an abrupt halt and would not start again.
“I was panicked, confused. I was in tears. I had a screaming wife in the car and it wouldn’t start. Luckily, my headlights still worked and I could see a bajaji [Autorickshaw] parked outside one of the roadside houses. I ran there and knocked on the door, and asked for the driver to come help get my wife to the hospital. Unfortunately, they told me the driver was not home and that nobody else in the home knew how to drive it.”
Confused and scared, Benjamin decided to carry his wife on his back and bring her to FAME.
“I knew that I had to get my wife to the hospital or something bad would happen. I told her I didn't get the bajaji driver, but that I was sure I could carry her to FAME as it wasn't so far. I lifted her from the car and tried to balance her on my arms.”
But this was not going to work.
Now, if you have been lucky enough to visit FAME, you will be familiar with the 1.2-mile stretch of dirt road to our hospital, An unpaved road with a hard surface that includes gravel and sharp bumps.
“Immediately I lifted her into my arms, she shouted PUT ME DOWN! PUT ME DOWN! I THINK THE BABY IS ALREADY HERE! I looked down to see the baby crowning.”
Benjamin lay his wife on the road and screamed for help. He could see the baby’s head and felt helpless about what to do. His screams woke the villagers up, and some rushed to help.
“I asked one of the women if she could look after my wife as I ran to FAME to get help. She said yes, so I left her there and sprinted to FAME. I’m proud to say I got there in less than four minutes!”
PART 2:
FAME’s Head Doctor, Gabriel Paul Kissima, who lives on FAME Campus
FAME’s Head Doctor Gabriel
“The way he sprinted to FAME to get help for his wife was incredible! I think he could give Usain Bolt, the greatest sprinter in the world, a run for his money! That’s why I call him the Tanzanian Usain Bolt!”
“I was on my sofa enjoying a cup of hot chocolate before bed when I heard knocking and shouting at my door. I opened the door to see the guards. They told me that there was an emergency, a woman was in labor down the road and she needed help.”
Without hesitation, Dr. Gabriel jumped into his car and asked the dad to join him, while the guards went to notify the nurses.
“We drove down the road. When we got to his wife, she had already given birth and the villagers had clamped the cord. But they were scared of cutting it, despite having a razor blade and a string ready. I have to give them credit though, they did a fantastic job.”
Shortly after, the two nurses arrived at the site from FAME’s maternity ward. They took charge of the situation, cut the umbilical cord, and they all came back to FAME.
Once at FAME, they put the baby in the incubator to warm him up as it was a very cold night in Karatu. The mother’s placenta was removed and her vitals taken. She was stable and okay!
“I want to say Thank you to FAME. The help you provided is invaluable and I am forever indebted to you for the generous and professional help. Special thanks to Dr. Gabriel who took his own car to help me without a second thought, and to the nurses who came and helped my wife. FAME is truly a 24-hour hospital and the quality of care does not deteriorate at night!”
Nurse Beatrice, posing with Dr. Frank
“It was all very sudden when we got the news of the roadside birth, but we are used to thinking on our feet and so we were not fazed. Our mission was to secure the health of mama and baby, and we succeeded! Kudos to the father for looking after his family, his efforts saved their lives.”
*While the patient’s name has been changed to protect privacy, permission was secured to share his photos and stories with FAME supporters, and to raise awareness of available medical care at FAME.