I was so looking forward to writing you a heart warming update on the patients in my last blog and then this afternoon happened. I don’t have the energy right now to share all the details of my adventure from the visit to the premie that was born a week and a half ago, but I will do my best. I shared this story on facebook yesterday, so sorry if it is a repeat for you. The last part is my afternoon.
Yesterday after work, Sophie, the nurse that helped with the baby, and I headed out on her motorcycle with a piece of paper with the patient’s name and the name of her neighborhood. We were told go that way and just keep asking where to go. So we did. The first guy we asked said “It is that way, but it is far, probably three, four or five kilometers.” The next guy pointed us in the same direction and said, “It is close, probably 20 kilometers.” They agreed on the direction so we were off. We were in the back roads of the mountain range above the Rift Valley. It was absolutely beautiful. Farms, small creeks, cows, sheep, goats, donkeys, traditional homes… it was everything you think of in the middle of no where.
The language spoken was no longer Amharic, but Wolaittinya. “Lo-oh” is hello, so we rode along and said our lo-ohs and asked for directions. We arrived at one home and the lady suggested that she would ride on the back of the bike with Sophie and show her. So they rode off and I started walking with about 10 other people. A father of five children, some of his kids and some of the neighbor kids accompanied me across the pastures and hills to her home. There were no roads, not even foot paths. We finally arrived at the house
and the family was just delighted to see us. Traditionally, they name their babies seven days after birth. They named him Tamrat, which means Miracle. So we got to see the little miracle. He was doing well and gaining weight. Praise be to God. The ride back was almost as crazy. We went through another town, crossing paths with hundreds of peoples and animals headed home from the market, swarming bees and almost ran out of gas (thank goodness for a reserve tank!).
This afternoon, I walked into the lab and saw a woman holding a baby. The baby looked blue, so I started asking questions. She was born today. I ran to the ICU to get a pulse oximeter. They didn’t have one, so I ran to OB and got ours. The baby’s pulse ox was 50% and she was cold. I immediately grabbed her and ran to the ICU, where I knew they had oxygen, and told her mom to follow me. Of course, the heater was still not working, so they ran to OB to get a heater. I got the work up going, started her IV, antibiotics and prayed. She wasn’t even 34 degrees celcius. Once everything was going I heard her story.
She had been found on the side of the road about 4-5 hours earlier. No clothes, no blanket. Just naked on the side of the road. Her umbilical cord was tied in a knot, so she wouldn’t bleed out. The police had called one of the orphanages in town and the lady who I thought was his mother was really a nanny from there. One of the practices here is that if a woman does not want her baby, she will leave it in a field or along the road for the hyenas to eat. It is better for her to say the hyena ate my baby than for her to say she killed it. For this little girl, the hyenas weren’t the ones to happen upon her, so she had a chance. Her back was covered in scratches from the rocks that she had been laying in. Her right thigh had a large scrape covering about a forth of it. Both of her heels were covered in cuts from her kicking. And her elbow creases had remnants of the pebbled road she had been left on. The nanny had named her Holy. Everyones last name here is their father’s first name. Since they didn’t know who the dad was, her last name was where she was found, the highway. So her name was Holy Highway. At first she was improving, but I could never get her pulse ox over 81%. Then it slowly started dropping. There was nothing more I knew to do. When I knew she was going to meet Jesus, I unplugged all the cords and sang to her. I sang “Jesus Loves You” and “Holy, Holy, Holy”. I couldn’t sing half the time, so I just hummed and hoped that she would feel some love from this sinful earth we live in. I am so glad she is in the arms of God now. She is experiencing the greatest of all loves.
Steph,
WOW!!! What a week. I am sitting at my desk, crying, but praising the Lord that Holy had you there to take care of her in her last minutes on this earth. I am also praising the Lord that she was able to meet Jesus with an angel sent to her to sing her into the gates of heaven. Praying for you in your journey right now.
Kathryn
Oh, Steph, how your story made me cry! Bless you!
Bless you, Steph, as God speaks to you through your experiences. You are such a faithful servant.
Love,
Jane
Stephanie,
I am left weeping at the way that earthly tragedy and heavenly glory can be found in the same story! Holy Highway is experiencing love and acceptance she never knew on the earth. Thank you and may God continue to hold your hand and your heart!
Hi Stephanie,
I am Amanda’s friend from work. I met you on her birthday two years ago. She has been sharing your blog with me and I think it is incrediable. Keep up the good work. You are amazing.
Stephanie
Bless you and the work you are doing! You are truly wonderful.
Beautiful story Stephanie. You’re seeing the beautiful life that God breathed into us, in a way that so many Americans miss. THank you beautiful girl, for loving that baby into heaven. Yes… a Holy, Holy event. You are loved hon!
Steph,
Ditto to what your mom said. Couldn’t say it any better!!!!
Love you,
Aunt Vicki
i always look forward to reading your updates. I am so thankful God put you in all the right places lately to love and comfort those babies. It is very sad and difficult. But keep your faith strong because you are doing amazing things in His name. He will give you strength.
Thinking of you, Shana
you are amazing…there arent even words.
wow. only God knows the impact that little life had in it’s short time in this life. how joyful that she is with Jesus!
Stephanie – i don’t know what to say – my heart breaks when I read these stories. If it didn’t then something would be wrong. You are the hands and feet of Jesus. I can’t wait to meet her someday! You are not only blessing the people you touch in Etheopia but you are blessing all of us when we read how God is using you.
love, Diane
There are no words for what I feel. Thank you for what you do!
What a story Steph. Thank u for trying to help Holy & then to sing sweet songs to her until she met our Savior. U are an awesome person.
Oh Steph. I love you and my heart is overwhelmed right now with the reality of such a lost world and how God has placed you right in the middle of the lives of people who desperately need the love of Jesus. I think of the verse, “I was hungry and you fed me, naked and you clothed me……caring for the least of these, you care for me.” You have loved more than one baby until they were welcomed into heaven. Those precious children will be some of the first to greet and thank you when heaven becomes your home. With love and unbelievable admiration, Mom.
Oh Steph, You are amazing. I pray each day that you have the strength to continue to good work. I also pray that the govenment of Ethiopia realized what you have to offer and continues to allow you to be the asset you are to Soddo. You are incredible and I am so proud of you
Linda
PTL for you Steph for the work you are doing. I couldn’t imagine doing what you are doing day in and day out. The world needs special people like you. I started to cry and I had to look away for a minute. May God be watching over you and your fellow doctors/nurses.
Stephanie ~ My heart is breaking and rejoicing…all at the same time. What a sad but wonderful thing that God would use you to shower Holy Highway with tenderness, love, dignity, and worship as she was ushered into Glory! Never underestimate the incredible ministry you are already having among the people of Ethiopia!!!!
Stephanie, what an incredible story. My heart is so touched by your love for the people God has brought your way. I am so glad that you are there and seeing those precious people into heaven with Jesus. May God bless you in a very special way. We love you.
Ohh steph. I will start praying that God will provide a way for me to come lend a helping hand. Although I am not sure my heart will handle it. God bless
Thank you for keeping us updated Steph. Sorry for the continued pain and suffering that you are seeing, but I know you are there for a reason. A calling is so much more important than a job. Keep up the Good Work!
Stephanie,
Thank you so much for all that you are able to do there. The fact that this precious little girl (and others like her) was just left laying on the side of the road is just heartbreaking! It amazes me the strength that you, Mark and Allison have in your ability to do all that you are doing there. I truly beliieve that God has put you all right where you are needed the most. What a blessing to be able to comfort little Holy as she entered into Heaven to meet her true Father.
Please keep up the good work, as dificult as I know it must be. God Bless you all.
Steph-
I am truly touched by what you are doing over there.
It makes my daily “struggles” seem so meaningless!
Thanks for sharing–love u
Steph, I don’t know how you do it.
What a sweet angel. As I read your post, I wonder why. Why did she have to suffer like that in her newborn life? Sometimes it is hard to remember that God has a plan for each one of us. I’m so sad reading that. Love you Steph.
Hello Stephanie
I just found your blog and have been reading thru it quickly, just getting as much in as fast as I can…I will go back and reread again, slowly..
This post had both my husband and I weeping. Beautiful little girl, safe withJesus. I can’t tell you how much it meant to us, to read of you holding her and singing her into Jesus’ arms.
Our precious little son, Jotham, was born in the Wolayta area and moved from the orphanage there into Addis…he was 9 months old and died not quite two weeks ago before we could go and bring him home to us. He, too, is safe now in the arms of Jesus, but our hearts broke at the thought of him alone and sick and scared…this post filled our hearts with hope that he, too, was maybe held and sung to and safe. Thank you for posting…Our family will be following your blog and praying for you! Darci
Darci,
I am so sorry for you loss of Jotham. God has given us such a gift by showing us how he cares for the little children and to know that he is showering them with love in Heaven. I too will be praying for your broken hearts.
I keeep coming back to read this post . I am a adoptive mom of a beautiful little girl from Ethiopia. She is now 3 but we found out about her she was 21 days old. She was found at about 5 days old with her umbilical cord still attatched , she also have a big scratch on the back of her neck . Now its a scar but I always wonder about what happen to her. Reading this post just breaks my heart .
I am so happy that baby Holly had her last minutes on earth with you holing and singing to her .