The mother of the triplets died last Friday of anaemia and heart failure. The family situation is not good. The father has another family and the auntie who was taking care now has her own three and three of her sister’s and is very interested in trying to get them to Crisis Nursery. The nurses and I have been caring for them this weekend. They are still hovering around 1100gm (2 pounds) but are taking formula from a the syringe quite well. We will find out today (Jenn is checking) if they can go to the Crisis Nursery.
Advertisement
We will take them!!
Medically speaking the mother’s condition was always a puzzle. When she came to deliver she was anemic and had to have a blood transfusion. She was fine for a week after delivery and was expressing milk for them and seemed okay. Then her hemoglobin dropped very low and and they gave her more blood but she just passed away. I don’t know anything about her spiritual condition. Her sister came back today which is a big thing for her. She left her own three children and the three older siblings of the triplets to come back and care for them.
We have a Kangaroo Mother Care room that is kept very warm and they keep the preemies skin to skin until they get to 2.5KG. These moms take it in their stride. They are absolutely amazing. Twins are very common. We have about two sets a month.
But most of them have family to help and this auntie is on her own of course but we will help her. There are a bunch of UK med students (mostly girls) who are very eager to help feed. I think the biggest challenge is for the care taker to wash (by hand) all the blankets, and nappies (bits of cloth).
The Crisis Nursery in Lilongwe, we hope, will take them when they are 2.5. The auntie says she wants that to happen. The nursery keeps kids up to two years. Then they can return to the village or be adopted by families in Lilongwe. Not sure if anyone has every adopted triplets. All we can do is wait and see.
Rebecca
Hi There,
Just stumbled across your blog – beautiful! Have you contacted the social welfare office? I am just home from Malawi after working in an orphanage there for 3 months.