A Mother's Love, and Community's Care
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A Mother's Love, and Community's Care
When Ifrahim’s mother gave birth to her son three months early, he weighed only 3.9 lbs.
Within a few weeks, his weight dropped to just 2.8 lbs, and she feared for his health. But at FAME, she found more than medical care; she found a community of fellow mothers that stood beside her.
For three long months, her baby was lovingly cared for by our neonatal team—supported by oxygen, incubators and round-the-clock monitoring. Ifrahim’s mother never left his side. She held him through the incubator glass, whispered songs and words of encouragement and waited patiently for the moment she could carry him home in her arms.
Today, Ifrahim is thriving! His tiny frame now replaced by a joyful, energetic toddler weighing 20.2 lbs.
“Don’t be afraid if your baby is born early,” she says. “There are places like FAME that can help. Mothers are strong fighters. You don’t have to do this alone.”
Maternal and Pediatric Health at FAME: 2024 Highlights
FAME continues to strengthen pediatric and neonatal services with hands-on mentorship, targeted education and community outreach. In 2024, we welcomed Dr. Teddy to our pediatric team, bringing our total number of doctors on the team to five, and launched a weekly Pediatric Clinic Day to increase local access to child-focused care. Our neonatal services also expanded, adding three rooms and nine beds to create a “Zero Separation” environment, allowing premature infants to stay with their mothers to do Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC). NICU admissions rose to 247—up 31% from 2023—while maintaining great outcomes for our most fragile and vulnerable babies.
