Regina delivered her fifth child in her family home three months ago. Sadly she got into obstructed labour and after three days of labour she delivered a dead child. She sustained a fistula to her bladder, leaking uncontrollably, smelling and ashamed. Tragically, her husband then died of a sudden illness. Bereaved, Regina also deteriorated with infections. She was losing weight and had lost a lot of blood. Her father collected some money to take her to the next village to be seen by the witch doctor. Our outreach team was in the area and fortuitously met her on the way, assessed and treated her, reassuring her that she could be cured at our Kivulini maternity hospital in Arusha. Her father, seeing her get better on the treatment from our staff, called the hospital and transport was arranged. It took six weeks for her to get strong enough to be operated on. Dr Mbise treated her expertly this week and she is well on her way to recovery.

(picture of Regina, new ward, Dr Tesha and Dr Mbise on the right)
www.barbaramayfoundation.com.au

#savethemothersavetheworld #safebirth #barbaramayfoundation #maternalhealth ...

Dr David McFarlane is a long-term volunteer with BMF. He recently spent a month in the Barbara May Maternity Hospital in the Afar desert giving Dr Omar a well-earned break, his first for close to three years.
Obstetric practice is difficult in such a remote region. Young Fatuma was on her third pregnancy - her last two deliveries tragically resulted in her babies being born dead after long obstructed labours. Now in labour for her third time it was clear that she was not going to be able to deliver normally and would need a Caesarean section. However, it took a long time to convince the family, but after some six hours of labour with no progress, and at risk of rupturing her uterus, they agreed, and a lovely health baby girl was delivered.

Learn more: www.barbaramayfoundation.com.au

#savethemothersavetheworld #safebirth #barbaramayfoundation #maternalhealth ...

Dr David McFarlane is a long-term volunteer with BMF. He recently spent a month in the Barbara May Maternity Hospital in the Afar desert giving Dr Omar a well-earned break, his first for close to three years.
Obstetric practice is difficult in such a remote region. Young Fatuma was on her third pregnancy - her last two deliveries tragically resulted in her babies being born dead after long obstructed labours. Now in labour for her third time it was clear that she was not going to be able to deliver normally and would need a Caesarean section. However, it took a long time to convince the family, but after some six hours of labour with no progress, and at risk of rupturing her uterus, they agreed, and a lovely health baby girl was delivered.

Learn more: www.barbaramayfoundation.com.au

#savethemothersavetheworld #safebirth #barbaramayfoundation #maternalhealth ...

Narok lives in a nomadic community on the South Sudan/Kenyan border. Eight-years-ago, while pregnant, she had to flee into Ethiopia to escape conflict. Alone in the bush, and after a three-day labour, Narok delivered a stillborn child and suffered severe birth-related injuries, sustaining fistula to her bladder and bowel. Weak, and in a critical condition, she found her way to a displaced peoples camp. Leaking urine and faeces Narok was later transferred to a hospital in Ethiopia. Sadly, they didn`t repair her bowel fistula and performed an operation called an ileal conduit, meaning that the urine was draining on the skin of her abdomen. Normally, special bags are fitted to ensure patients are kept dry. She was given a small supply of these bags and sent home. With the conflict settled, she was relieved to get home after a four year hiatus, but soon the bag supply ran out and not only was she leaking from her bowel, but also leaking urine from the opening onto her abdomen.
Narok was brought to our fistula camp in the Lutheran Hospital in Juba last year. We treated her bowel which is cured. Help was gained from the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA) in Sydney and a box full of the special bags sent to South Sudan. Narok now has plenty bags, is dry for the first in time in years and is now able to re-join her community (although she put on a stern face for the photo) with her freedom and dignity returned. Thanks RPA!

(Photos- prior to operation, DHL box arrived in Juba, Narok with some bags and new dress, Staff at RPA collecting urostomy bags)

www.barbaramayfoundation.com #savethemothersavetheworld #safebirth #barbaramayfoundation #maternalhealth #RPA #ethiopia #southsudan #africa #fistularepair ...

The Barbara May Foundation celebrates women from all over the world every day. We work with amazing women doctors and midwives, allied health workers, administrators and volunteers who quietly get on with their work diligently and professionally every day. Some, like Valerie Browning, work in incredibly difficult circumstances, constantly putting the needs of the women we care for in front of their own safety and comfort.
And every single day we are humbled at the incredible strength, resilience and calm our patients show as they face their own challenges in childbirth or dealing with birth-related injuries.
Today, on International Women’s Day, the world looks to the extraordinary role women play in the global landscape. We join in acknowledging this special day, and particularly want to say thank-you to our our team across Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, South Sudan, Australia and beyond, and the women we serve in Africa who have trusted us to bring their babies into the world, or return their health and dignity through fistula surgery. www.barbaramayfoundation.com #internationalwomensday #savethemothersavetheworld #africa #safebirth #fistularepair #africa ...