A resilient girl child:
Summer is here in Mainpat, it is visible in Patjhad and barren landscape, the next 2-3 months will be like this. A dry, barren land without any greenery. When we reach to Kuniya the Mainpat is like that dull afternoon in the summer, too quiet, almost empty and dry with only dry winds swirling in the hamlet.
We reached the clinic, where two of our team members were ready with some medicines and dressing material for home visit. They told me about a mother who recently brought to our clinic 4 days back. She was mother of a month-old preterm baby; she had developed breast abscess in both breasts (a painful condition) and was brough by our field worker in the clinic for treatment. An 18-year-old girl with young newborn, not uttering a word, not responding to any questions. She was started on treatment however did not follow up since her visit to the clinic.
She has been visited by our team 2-3 times for dressing and caring for newborn, however team could not convince her to come to the clinic. Nisha and Kelsang were ready today with little more determination that they will try to counsel and bring her to the clinic.
They visited and examined the mother and child. The abscess was slightly better; she had developed extensive scabies as well. However, the newborn was quite sick now. Due to poor feeding and premature birth child was already at risk. One and half month-old baby only weighing 1.6 Kg, dehydrated, cold hands and feet and in respiratory distress. Team sent a video to us it was clear that the child needed admission in highest facility for Newborn care. With lot of effort and counselling and asking her friend another adolescent to come with her, they were able to bring her to the clinic.
Once she reached, the team started working synchronously, one started weighing the child, one sat with mother, Fulmati our village worker took child her in own hands bringing the child for vital examination. Deepa and kamala started getting ready to put injections and canula and making bed ready for mother. Two of our team members went out to get something to eat for mother and friend. Abhijit examined the child and sat down to calculate doses and medicines.
Child was too sick and frail, rapidly breathing through his tiny chest, dehydrated and skin wrinkled due to prematurity, both hands and feet were edematous. I was looking at the child wondering how we will save this child. Wondering will it be possible? Child was given oxygen support through hood and given nebulization. In a few minutes Deepa was able to put cannula in that tiny body even with all the edemas. Child was started on treatment. Withing some time our tiny Jhopdi- clinic was turned into NICU.
I was looking at the child, and it was such tiny soul barely there in the wrapped-up clothes. child had three kajal bindis on forehead, one black dot in the middle, one carefully drawn chandbindi and another near ear and black threads in both feet and hands. Carefully covered in cotton cloth by mother. It showed that her mother loved her. The child was born out of wedlock at young age. The mother had no family support. I asked if child is girl or boy, Fulmati replied “Noni hai (It is a girl). In that whole scenario hearing this brought a smile on my face.
I have always read the stats that girl child at birth have more chance of survival it reflects in sex ratio at birth. Hoevere watching this tiny girl fighting for life reminded me of the fact of girls are resilient from birth and it brought a flaking hope in my mind. She did not stay in the clinic in the night and took her newborn home with promise to come next day. I did not have a heart to tell our team that it is difficult to save that child. But seeing all these women our nurses, our para worker and our field team who were persistent to bring her here. All women who were striving to support that mother and child.
In all the sadness it gave me hope that there are women who will be always there for women who come after us. Standing with love and care.
who knows the resilient girl may survive.
– Ashwini Mahajan