One mother gave birth in the SEWA Rural Hospital in the Aanjoli village of Gujarat, which receives support from Share & Care. The child was underweight, so she was admitted to the Sick Newborn Care Unit. Once she had begun growing more normally, the baby and mother were sent home. Hospital staff checked in regularly with them, but when the baby was 16 months old, they became unable to get in contact with the mother. Worrying for their safety, hospital staff tried for three months to locate the mother and child. When they found them, the child’s condition was severe. The child was suffering from severe anemia and malnutrition, pneumonia, and convulsions, and the mother was suffering from depression due to her husband’s alcoholism, abuse, and neglect. Hospital staffers were able to transfer the mother and child to a healthcare facility, provide treatment, and monitor them both until they were stable. The mother and child are both safe and healthy now, and through their compassion and dedication, the hospital staff members were able to save their lives.
