Marilyn points out a little girl, waiting outside, who displays the typical symptoms of swollen legs and pigmented skin. The child maintains an open-mouthed whimper and fixes her eyes on us with a look of what can only be described as fear.
But a Fulani lady has just entered whose baby is not crying at all. The woman quietly sits, face downcast, and holds what looks like a little bundle of cloth. She says her name is Lai and she has come from a village 25km away. She gave birth to twins a month too early on her way to the clinic. Lai offers the bundle to us to reveal the tiniest baby I have ever seen. Baby Eve, 45 days old. Only one baby now.
Eve stays asleep as she is placed on the scales. 1.1 kilos. The average weight at birth for a baby here is 3 kilos. The nurse assures us that Eve will be OK as long as Lai stays at the clinic until the baby puts on enough weight. For a case like Eve, this can be some time, as the enriched milk formula gradually takes effect. This is Lai's third child and the temptation is great for her to head home to care for her family and cut her losses.
Lai and baby Eve are just one of hundreds of cases helped by the clinic here in Piela. This project is currently very low on funds. Would you pray for Marilyn and the other clinic staff as well as the many tiny patients treated here?
Read more: http://www.sim.org.au/index.php?axn=view&newsID=362