Joyce's Joy: 30 Days of Love and Care in FAME’s NICU

Joyce and her baby

Joyce's Joy: 30 Days of Love and Care in FAME’s NICU

When Joyce arrived at FAME, she was 30 weeks pregnant and facing life-threatening complications from severe preeclampsia. Living 16 miles away, she had come to the right place at the right time. After an urgent evaluation, FAME’s Dr. Msuya determined that an emergency c-section was the only way to save both her life and her baby’s.

Her son was born small and fragile, and severely underweight. The next month was spent in FAME’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), cared for by a team of nurses and doctors who monitored his every breath. He spent 10 days in an incubator under close supervision. After those critical days, Joyce and her son transitioned to Kangaroo Mother Care, where she held her son skin-to-skin around the clock, helping him grow stronger until he reached the weight needed for discharge. After 30 days in FAME’s care, he was finally ready to go home, weighing 1.5 kg.

"I appreciate the encouragement from my husband, who was understandably worried about our son, and the exceptional service that FAME provides,” Joyce shared. “While at the Maternity ward, I felt and experienced love, care, unity, peace and friendly interactions with the doctors and nurses, which made a lasting impact on me."

Joyce’s story is one of many. Every day, FAME’s Maternity Center and NICU provide lifesaving care for mothers and babies in northern Tanzania. With more than 1,000 deliveries each year, FAME is a place of health and hope for families like Joyce’s, where compassionate care helps turn moments of fear into stories of joy.

Dr. Msuya checks on the baby's ongoing progress during a routine round at FAME Maternity Ward.