When 19-year-old Alice arrived at Nakaseke Hospital to give birth, dawn was just breaking. Despite her weariness, relief flooded her body. For the last week, Alice had been unwell – and it was more than the typical symptoms one feels during pregnancy.
With sore muscles and headaches, Alice had begun to suspect she had malaria.
When she went into premature labour while at home, Alice worried: if she wasn’t well herself, how would her baby be?
At the urgings of her family, Alice rushed to Nakaseke. And lucky she did: within minutes of her arrival at the hospital, staff hurried her to the labour ward.
There Alice welcomed a baby girl into the world. She was small, weighing only 1.4kg. Sadly, she’d been born with malaria. Alice’s daughter, who she named Robinah, was rushed to the Nakaseke special care baby unit (SCBU). Immediately, staff supported her to receive the anti-malarial medicine she needed to improve. They also helped Alice to feed Robinah while she waited for her breast milk to come in.
“The health workers were so committed and caring,” Alice says, reflecting on her experience at Nakaseke.
Robinah would spend the next month in the SCBU, growing and healing. By time of discharge, she weighed 1.8kg. Alice is grateful for the care she and Robinah received at Nakaseke Hospital.
As Alice recounts her story, Robinah is cradled in her arms, smiling up at her mother. Alice knows she has Nakaseke and its dedicated staff to thank for this gorgeous smile.
