Quintuplets in Uganda

About a month ago a friend of one of the Suubi Ladies had quintuplets (5 babies) at the Jinja Hospital. It’s been in all the papers and on TV; actually I was on the News bringing her some things for the babies. The mother, Dorothy, had no idea she was carrying 5 children, so as you can imagine she and her husband were a little shocked! She had 4 girls and 1 boy. They are so cute! All of them were just a little under 2 pounds, and surprisingly healthy. I have been bringing Dorothy food (there is no cafeteria at the hospital here or even a refrigerator to keep a supply)… So I am at the hospital about 5 days a week now to bring food and help feed and bath the babies. Dorothy and the babies are going to be in the hospital for about 1 more month. About 2 weeks ago the fifth baby died. It was horrible, I got there one day and she wasn’t doing very well and had had a cough that week. The day before when I was there she had been doing much better, but that day her breathing was not quite right. I had brought another girl, Katie, with me and I sent her to go find a doctor or nurse while I stayed with the baby. Dorothy gave her to me because she did not know what to do (like I did). I have very little, if any, medical knowledge but I unwrapped her and just started to look her over the best I could. Her belly was really tight and her breathing was slow, so was her heart rate (or at least it felt like it to me). I did know that she needed to be on oxygen but there was none to be had. Her breathing kept getting slower and slower, and then her breathing stopped completely. I had no idea what to do, I was afraid CPR would just crush her. She was just so little, not even 2 pounds. By the time Katie got back 10 minutes later (with no doctor) she had already died in my arms. Katie and I declared her dead. Not a single doctor or nurse had come when we left 45 minutes later. No one knows why she died; I guess that Jesus wanted that baby with Him. The infuriating thing is that Katie ran around that hospital for 10 minutes and could not find a doctor, or even a nurse anywhere. In Mulago, the hospital known for the most births, an average of 60 babies are born daily. Out of those 60, 10-die every day - because it seems that no one really cares.

I know that many of you were concerned about all the rioting in Kenya. Although we are only about 100 miles from the Kenyan border that distance seems greater in Africa than in the States. For almost a week, there was no gas to be had in Jinja as all gas in Uganda comes from Kenya and they weren’t letting any across the border. Fortunately for me, the Light Gives Heat van is a diesel and the diesel comes across the border in an underground pipeline. It was available at the equivalent of 5 US dollars! Things have settled down a bit and although the border is still closed, they are allowing gas truck to leave and life has returned to normal here.

All around things here are fairly normal, or as normal as they can be when you live in Uganda. The day Lindsay left, two volunteers moved into the house for a couple of weeks so it continues to be lively here. I’m not sure when I will be coming home. I need to stay through at least the first part of April so that I can continue my work here until I can turn them over to someone else.