Baby on Board

When Priscilla James came to PNC 3 days following the birth of her son, Divine; She looked like every other mother in the clinic: physically exhausted and mentally drained, but with a content and satisfied smile as she held her newborn child. Underweight and small in stature, Divine was a premature baby who was delivered via emergency C-Section one month before expected. Surprisingly, Priscilla had been in ANC at the Witkoppen Health and Welfare Center the morning of her unsuspected emergency delivery. Suffering from Tourettes and high blood pressure, Priscilla came to the clinic to have her vitals monitored and evaluated. During the visit, however, she became dizzy and shortly passed out. As Priscilla recounts, Sister Thembi and Sister Eudora came to her assistance and immediately called for help, where she was promptly rushed to the hospital for emergency delivery. After one week in the hospital, mom and baby are both healthy and happy to finally be at home! Priscilla attributes her health, safety, and overall well-being to the staff here at Witkoppen. While she was attending ANC visits, Priscilla says that the information regarding motherhood, and the importance of a child’s health and testing have been invaluable for her as a mother. She acts as an advocate as she highlights the significance of disclosing one’s health and current state to the clinician, and how the friendly and welcoming staff at Witkoppen enabled her to do so. With a proud smile, I learn that she is educating her friends and family with all of the information she has learned and absorbed here at Witkoppen. It is remarkable that with a constant influx of patients, personal attention to each individual is never sacrificed, as Priscilla describes how she felt personally recognized and accounted for at every visit. In the wake of an unanticipated health scare and emergency delivery, the James family decided to name their son Divine, and profusely thanked everyone at Witkoppen for his health and well-being. Please refer to The Gift of Hope website http://www.giftofhopeusa.org/ to learn more about this organization dedicated to caring for women and children. This article was written by: Gift of Hope Liaison, Mary Beth Gadarowski. This photo was taken by: Mary Beth Gadarow