When Gary Higgins and other medical staff arrived at Quisqueya Chapel - Convoy of Hope’s main distribution point in Port-au-Prince - they learned that two women were in labor and needed immediate medical attention.
After assessing the situation Higgins and another team member, who is an OB/GYN doctor, concluded that one of the women needed a caesarean section and the other was several hours from delivering.
Help Convoy of Hope help the Haitian people.
“We knew she had issues and needed to give birth somewhere with more equipment then we had at our clinic so we found another clinic that said they could perform the c-section,” says Higgins, director of international projects for Convoy of Hope who is also a paramedic. “But when we arrived at the clinic they did not have the medical equipment to do such a procedure.”
Soon after arriving at the clinic the young woman went into labor and began bleeding internally. Despite Higgins and the other doctors best efforts she died. They performed CPR on the baby for several minutes but were unable to revive her.
“It’s a tough situation because you are hoping to bring life in the midst of all the tragedy and chaos and then it doesn’t work out that way,” says Higgins.
In Haiti, not much works out the way one plans. But there are rays of hope.
Since the earthquake struck Convoy of Hope has been able to distribute more than 300,000 meals. Another 1 million pounds of food are headed for Haiti from Convoy of Hope’s world distribution center.
“Corporations, organizations and individuals have stepped up in a major way to help us help Haiti,” says Hal Donaldson, president of Convoy of Hope. “We are very thankful for those who are trusting us to bring food, relief and supplies to the victims of the earthquake.”
The other pregnant woman did have her baby without any complications…Maybe in the midst of all the tragedy there is hope.
Expenses are mounting, please help us increase our response.
