In the world’s largest refugee camp, a New Zealander you never met helped a mother and her baby survive.
Earlier this year, in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, a mother went into a long and dangerous labour.
Shirin* was 28 and experiencing prolonged labour, with reduced amniotic fluid putting her baby at risk of foetal distress.
Health workers at Save the Children’s new Maternal and Child Hospital recognised that she needed an emergency caesarean section.
Her baby, Noor*, was safely delivered.
Just one day old, Noor was the first baby born by caesarean section at the new hospital.
Mother and baby are now doing well.
A safe place to give birth
Not long ago, in this refugee settlement, there would have been almost nowhere safe for a mother in this situation to turn.
This time there was.
Save the Children’s new Maternal and Child Hospital has 59 beds and provides specialist care for refugees from Rohingya and women from host communities in Cox’s Bazar.
The hospital offers a range of essential services, including emergency newborn care and stabilisation, antenatal care, nutrition support and services for survivors of gender-based violence.
For mothers and babies like Shirin and Noor, having access to this specialist care can make all the difference when a pregnancy or birth becomes complicated.
Ward in the new Maternal and Child Hospital
A life-changing moment
Here is the part that may stay with you.
That hospital’s specialist care is supported by a donation from a New Zealander who decided to leave a gift to Save the Children in their Will.
They never saw the hospital.
They never met that mother.
But because of their foresight, a child took her first breath in safe hands.
For a mother in a place where access to healthcare can be incredibly difficult, having somewhere safe to give birth can mean everything.
Cox’s Bazar is home to a large Rohingya refugee population, including many children and families who have faced years of displacement and uncertainty.
Save the Children works alongside communities to support children and families with essential services, including healthcare, education and protection.
A gift that lives on
A gift in your Will is a quiet way to put your values to work for the next generation and beyond.
To protect children long into the future.
The New Zealander who left this gift may never know Shirin’s name. They may never know Noor’s name. They may never know what that child’s first moments looked like.
But their generosity helped make sure that, when a difficult birth became an emergency, skilled care was there.
