The Tragic Story of Yasmine, and the Children She Left Behind
Mother’s Day 2019
This is the true story of what happens when a child loses their mother, and a husband loses his wife and the mother of their children. Abdi, aged 49, had been married to his wife, Yasmine, for 20 years, when she tragically died while giving birth to their tenth child, who also died during childbirth.
PROVIDE VITAL MATERNITY CARE
This is a story of tragedy, but together we can stop this from happening ever again. With our new Fragile Lives appeal, we will support women like Yasmine so that they get all the medical care they deserve, to give birth safely to happy, healthy babies.
Abdi says they were living a good life together; Yasmine had a great character and they had developed a really good understanding of one another.
His wife was just 41 years old when she passed away.
Almost all their children were delivered at the hospital apart from the first and final delivery. They intended to deliver at the hospital but it all happened so quickly, and there was no time to get to the hospital.
On the morning of Yasmine’s delivery, she collapsed. Abdi took her to the clinic who said her HP was very low and she needed a blood transfusion, so she would need to be referred to the hospital.
They offered an ambulance for 12,000 but there was just no way that Abdi’s family could afford that much, so he tried to arrange a taxi for half the cost.
He brought her home and began to make arrangements for the taxi. However while he was still making arrangements, she went into labour and delivered the baby which was stillborn. She was bleeding excessively and died soon after.
It was too late for the taxi.
All the children were home and witnessed her death, apart from one child, who was at school. If you ask the younger kids where their mother is, they say she is in the hospital. He has had to explain that she has died.
The older children cried for a week. The younger children would see them, and it would make them cry, too.
Abdi told us, “I can’t describe how I was feeling. She gave me 9 beautiful children and raised them, and cared for me.”
He used to go to the bush and look after cattle, or go to Garissa town for work. But for the past year he has been unable to leave his children, so he has been stuck in this village.
“Now I am their mother. She used to make my bed. So now when I wake up it’s an instant reminder that she isn’t with me anymore.
It is always better to deliver in the hospital. They can remove blood clots and provide painkillers.”
In 2005, Yasmine had a very similar condition and needed a blood transfusion.
At that time there was an ambulance available immediately. On the way she went into a coma, and on arrival she was given oxygen and had a blood transfusion with 3 pints of blood immediately. In the morning she was fine. Later she had another blood transfusion of 5 pints of blood. She was fine and brought back home. She had a follow up check-up later on which confirmed she had completely recovered.
If you get immediate care, it can save your life.
“The mother-child bond is enough to sustain them. They glow and are happy. Now I bathe them, apply lotion and soap but they still look dull. I can never do what she used to do for them.”
We will be working in Wajjr, Kenya, with funding from the UK government, to provide mothers with essential home delivery kits, as well as access to healthcare and medicine through our Mobile Screening Services and Nutrition Support Centre – so that we can make sure that women like Yasmine survive during childbirth and go on to live happy, healthy lives with their children.
This Mother’s Day, you can help us to honour and care for our mothers from around the world.
Donate before June 9th to our Fragile Lives Appeal in Pakistan, and the UK Government will match your donation pound for pound to save lives in Kenya, helping to make double the difference to mothers like Yasmine, and their babies.
SUNDAY 31 MAR 2019
