The Determination of a Mother: Sana’s Story
Sana’s story is one of loss, of hope, of determination and of commitment.
This past summer, Sana was pregnant with twins. She was nearing her due date and was excited to welcome two more children into her family. Sana lives in a remote village that is an hour’s ride on a motorbike to the nearest hospital, the Bishop Joseph M. Sullivan Center for Health in Côtes-de-Fer. Her husband has a job working construction in Port-au-Prince and sends home money to support his family.
Sana and her family outside of their house
Late one evening Sana woke. She felt cramps and knew she was going into an early labor. At 3:00 in the morning she was able find transportation to the hospital. Sana climbed on the back of a motorbike, traveling on mountainous roads, in labor, with her unborn twins.
“I was in labor and I tried to reach the hospital by motorbike. When I first got on the road, I didn’t feel pain but as we went on the pain grew and grew. The babies came so fast. We had to stop, and I gave birth to my twins in someone’s house on the way. They were a boy and girl. I lost the boy.”
Sana was devastated but knew she had to seek care for her daughter. Later that same morning, Sana arrived at BJSH, now with her newborn daughter. The staff brought them in and ran tests and provided medical care to them both. Fortunately, they were both found to be good health, despite the loss she had just suffered.
When we saw Sana again, her daughter was not yet a month old. Sana was attending a meeting at the local savings and loan meeting, part of a CMMB initiative that promotes economic empowerment for women. Sana also took part in CMMB’s Mothers Club.
Sana and the MUSO microloan group
“I was so sad that I lost my son but I knew that I had other children to care for. I had to move forward. I had worked hard to save money so I could buy a cow to sell milk and beef. It took a lot of time but now I am making money. I can pay for my kids’ school and they have enough to eat and they are healthy. I enjoyed Mothers Club and it gave me a good education. I also can speak in front of other people now,
it gave me confidence and taught me how to speak well.”
“CMMB showed us the light.”
Sana is just one of thousands of women you have helped support in Haiti. They are proud women who suffer loss, but look for ways to continue to move forward. These women seek out opportunities and use them to help build better lives for themselves and their children.
From BJSH and the local health clinics to programs that teach and nurture a mother’s ability to provide for her family, CMMB helps provide opportunity where there was none.
CMMB community health workers in Haiti
When traveling through remote communities in Haiti, our community health workers and staff are welcomed with open arms and embraces. For over 100 years, through and well before the tragic earthquake of 2010, CMMB remains a constant presence so that when mothers like Sana need help and hope, we stand with them.