A Good News Story from Haut Limbe

First Baby Born at Ebenezer Clinic, Haut-Limbe - by Tammi Biggs

Judeline Almonor gave birth at 12:05 a.m. on Dec. 9, 2010. Not only is this baby boy the first baby ever to be born at the Ebenezer Clinic, it is being coined as the first “cholera baby.” Judeline, from Limbe, came in to the clinic on Dec. 8 with cholera. While being treated, she started experiencing back pain. Judeline, already mother of two, was asked if she felt like she was going to have the baby. She calmly replied, “Yes.”

Dr. Manno had her moved to a separate area for her privacy. By this point, Judeline was experiencing contractions 2-3 minutes apart and was dilated to 6 cm. “You would have never known it, though, because she hardly made a sound!” Nurse Travis commented.

Nurse Travis described the next few minutes as follows: “We went to grab a birthing kit. When I got back, I lifted the sheet, saw water and the baby was crowning. In the next moment, I was catching the baby! It was that fast.”

Elio, a young man serving as a translator at the Cholera Center said, “The mom was so strong. She didn’t even make a noise. We just looked and ‘she spit the baby out!’” (A common Haitian expression)

The baby has a good set of lungs and seems to be a healthy eater. There is little chance that the baby will contract cholera and steps have been taken to reduce this risk.

In the midst of so much sickness and even death, it is a welcomed gift of God to be able to share in the joy of new life as we celebrate the birth of this beautiful baby boy.