Belinda is a young lady in Ghana who gave birth to a little baby boy in late
September. She is staying temporarily with her mother in a small village outside of
Accra, the capitol city, while her husband Benjamin remains in Accra itself, living
in a poor neighborhood in the beach area.
Belinda had some complications at birth and spent a few days in hospital. She was
soon released but the baby has been struggling. He is very weak and was having
great difficulty breathing. Last week the baby was taken back to the hospital for
further treatment. He was taken home but we have just learned that he is again in
the hospital receiving an emergency transfusion. We have very limited specific
information because it is all passed through Belinda and her mother to John and
then to us, so inevitably we are hearing what John understands of what Belinda
understands of what the doctors tell her. But obviously this news is concerning.
A few days ago we were finally able to make it possible for Benjamin to visit his
wife and see his newborn son for the first time. He sent John some photos and we
thought you might like to see them.
We are always proud to help a lady through the challenges and dangers of childbirth
and we rejoice that a new child is brought into the family of humankind. Africa is
an especially difficult and dangerous place for newborn babies and their mothers
and in every case where we have helped women through childbirth the babies have
needed extra help in the first few weeks and months of their lives simply to
survive. Our original intention is to provide emergency help for people in need to
get them through the hard times and then hope that they can carry on their lives
afterward. But babies are not something you help bring into the world and then just
walk away from them. To say, "I don't have to raise someone else's kid" is a
violation of our common humanity. We will never do that.
In all honesty we did not intend to take on this level of responsibility for
Belinda, Benjamin, and their little baby boy. Benjamin came to John's attention
when he risked his life to save a person from drowning on the beach at Accra. He
later brought his pregnant wife to John asking for help. They were simply too poor
to pay for the medical care that a pregnant woman needs and deserves. We always try
to help if we can and this young couple seemed especially deserving. This has
turned into a continuing responsibility but it is one we are glad to take on, to
the extent that our limited resources allow.
Right now we are very concerned that the little boy make it through. We welcome all
prayers and positive thoughts and meditations that he do well.
