Day 1
It's finally snowing! The white flakes settle gently on the dark street. The Christmas lights bathe the small English town in a warm glow. The sound of Christmas carols playing comes from somewhere. The smell of freshly baked biscuits and hot chocolate escapes the bakery as the door opens and Hope steps out. Three missed calls from an overseas number she doesn't recognise. Who could it be?
Here is a story for Christmas from Madagascar. We will be telling this story little by little each day until Christmas. The story actually lasted many days and we hope that by telling it little by little you might be able to enter into the anxiety and burden that the baby's parents and the staff felt during those days - and which patients and staff at the Good News Hospital feel every day.
Day 2
Hope strolls down the street and enjoys the white splendour. Snow, real snow - and in England, before Christmas! Her mobile phone rings again. The display shows the same unknown number. "Hello?" she answers. "Hi Hope, this is Dr. James from the Good News Hospital in Madagascar. Can you help us? We have a baby who just can't breathe on his own. We are running out of ideas." Of course, Hope will be glad to help. She worked as a paediatrician in the Good News Hospital herself some years ago. But, to go back to the beginning of the story... See you tomorrow.
Day 3
The shrivelled grass crunches under the feet of the small group moving across the dry rice field at dawn. They seem in a rush and are carrying a small bundle of cloth. Although the sun is only just sending its first rays across the fields in northern Madagascar, the men and women are drenched in sweat. An elderly lady, Mahlala, leads the group and urges the others to hurry. She holds the bundle of cloth tightly pressed to her chest like a precious treasure. See you tomorrow.
Day 4
The night had been long and exhausting. Mahlala had assisted her daughter Onisoa with the birth of her first child. It was not the first birth she had attended, but probably the most challenging. After many hours of pain and waiting, her grandson was finally born at midnight. The joy and relief were great at first, but quickly turned to concern when the women realised that the baby was struggling to breathe. They prayed to the ancestors, and made an offering to them – but did they hear? Did they care? Can they do anything? Mahlala and Onisoa weren’t sure. See you tomorrow.
Day 5
After a period of waiting and hoping, the baby was alive but his breathing remained rapid and strained, and soon he began to convulse. Mahlala wrapped her grandson in a cloth sheet, rounded up some family members and set off south. She feared the baby would not survive without medical/hospital care, something they don’t have in their remote village. With a heavy heart, Onisoa said goodbye to her newborn son. She was too weak for the walk to Mandritsara after the exhausting delivery. Desperate and sad, Onisoa was left alone in her hut. See you tomorrow.
Day 6
Shortly before noon, the group arrives at the Good News Hospital in Mandritsara. One look at the baby and it is clear to the nurses that there is no time to lose. Immediately, the weak baby, who is now barely conscious, is examined by a medical doctor. The doctor puts the boy on a machine to help him breathe (CPAP) and starts antibiotics and a medication to stop the convulsions. Mahlala does not leave her grandson's side. She yearns to hold him. But with all the tubes, that is not possible, so she stays close next to his bed. During the night the nurse offers to pray with the patients and their family members. Not prayer to the ancestors, but to the God they call Jesus. Onisoa accepts gladly – but can Jesus help? Mahlala doesn’t know. See you tomorrow.
Day 7
A baby needs milk, otherwise it will die of dehydration. In hot Madagascar in the middle of summer, that can happen quickly. Connected to a breathing support machine, however, breastfeeding is not possible, so the doctor puts in a feeding tube a short time later. This way the baby can receive breast milk. But from whom? His mother is still too weak for the walk to Mandritsara and his grandmother's youngest child is already ten years old. See you tomorrow.
Day 8
Fortunately, some midwives have babies of their own, so they are able to share some of their own milk for the little boy. Over the next day, the baby has fewer convulsions and is more alert. The medicine and the prayers from the doctors and nurses seem to be working and Mahlala is hopeful. If only his breathing would improve too! Every attempt to take her grandson off the breathing support results in him having long breathing pauses. The little one just can't manage to breathe on his own. See you tomorrow.
Day 9
Imagine giving birth to a baby (or becoming a father) and having to let it go to be treated in a hospital far away. Onisoa is worried sick about her child. As soon as she can face the journey, she sets off for Mandritsara. It takes half a day on foot, and she is still weak from the long birth. Two days after her son, she arrives at the Good News Hospital, just as the gospel service which is held in the ward every morning is taking place. A man is talking about someone called Jesus, who came to earth from heaven to bring people to God. Onisoa has never heard anything like this before. Mahlala takes her to the room. When Onisoa sees her little baby, she feels afraid. See you tomorrow.
Day 10
Motionless, Onisoa's son lies alone in the large bed. A tube comes from his nose, there is a mask over his mouth and various machines stand next to his bed. The doctor explains to her that her baby's condition has improved a little, but he still cannot breathe on his own. Onisoa's heart breaks. Instead of feeling joyful about the birth of her first child, she feels hopeless and lost. The doctor is planning to do a heart ultrasound that afternoon. Maybe that will bring clarity. See you tomorrow.
Day 11
Onisoa and Mahlala hold hands and stare transfixed at the screen of the ultrasound machine. Apart from some white and black outlines, they see nothing. The doctor tells them that there is nothing wrong with the baby's heart. He can't explain why the baby’s breathing isn’t improving. Mahlala and Onisoa's hopes are fading. The doctors are at a loss and don’t know what to do next. They pray for the baby and his family. Later, one of them has an idea: Hope. See you tomorrow.
Day 12
Far away in Christmassy England, Hope finishes her phone call. The experienced paediatrician thinks she knows what condition is afflicting the little baby at the Good News Hospital. She is happy to help the team in Mandritsara whose paediatrician is on home assignment at the moment. Hope has instructed the medical team to continue with the CPAP machine and to reduce it very slowly. The baby just needs more time to learn to breathe on its own. But - God willing - in time he will no longer need breathing support. Hope knows it is out of her hands now. She looks to the sky and prays. See you tomorrow.
Day 13
A few days later, the baby's father, Parany, arrives at the hospital. He is full of worry for his son. For the last few days he has been working as much as he can to earn the money needed for the treatment. Some friends and relatives have also lent him money. As long as Parany is in Mandritsara, he will not be able to work. However, it is worth it to be with his family, especially his seriously ill son. Somehow it will work out, won't it? See you tomorrow.
Day 14
A hospital stay is expensive, especially when it involves such intensive care. The fact that his son is in such a bad way weighs heavily on Parany. Unfortunately, the baby's condition has not improved in the last few days and so, with a heavy heart, the family decides to stop the treatment and return to their village. They simply do not have enough money to remain at the hospital. In despair, the family pack up their things and Parany removes the breathing support. See you tomorrow.
Day 15
The baby's breathing deteriorates immediately and stops completely for some time. The little boy is still unable to breathe on his own. If the family leaves the hospital now, he will probably die on the way home. A nurse enters the room and sees that the family is packing and the baby is no longer on the breathing support. See you tomorrow.
Day 16
After a discussion with the parents, the baby is put back on the machine to help him breathe and a doctor is called in. What should happen now? The baby is a bit better than when he arrived, but he still cannot breathe by himself. The situation seems hopeless, Mahlala and the parents are discouraged. Will they ever be able to take their baby home? Will he be able to recover? There is a poster on the wall of the room. It says “For God so loves the world that He gave His only Son…” Parany wonders what that means, and why the poster is there. See you tomorrow.
Day 17
The doctor carefully explains the diagnosis to the parents. A few more days on the CPAP and it could improve. Could. How firmly can the parents hope? They are in a difficult situation: neither father nor mother can earn money, as both are with their baby in hospital. It is not certain that their son will survive. What price are they able to pay for a chance of survival for their baby? See you tomorrow.
Day 18
The parents think: Where can they save to afford their son's treatment? Can they sell anything? Then relief: the doctors and nurses at the hospital have hope and are ready to stop the hospital bill and cover the cost of the remaining treatment from the Poor Fund, which supports the poorest patients with their hospital bills. They want to give the little boy the time he needs regardless of his parents' financial situation. A huge burden is lifted from the family’s shoulders. See you tomorrow.
Day 19
A few days pass, during which the parents and Mahlala stay at their baby's bedside. They stare at the posters with Bible verses on the walls for hours and only leave the room to prepare food, fetch water or use the toilet. At the little service each morning and evening, a story or words from the Bible are explained. Can what they are hearing help them, they wonder? Onisoa sleeps under her baby's bed, The other two have found sleeping quarters nearby. Slowly, very slowly, the baby's breathing improves. Now Parany can return to his village to work with a clear conscience. Maybe he will soon be able to bring his family home with him. See you tomorrow.
Day 20
The time has come: Onisoa's son needs less and less breathing support and can finally be taken off the machine. He is breathing! All by himself! Mahlala and Onisoa cry with joy and can hardly believe it. The young mother is happy to be able, finally, to breastfeed her son. For the past few weeks she had been expressing breast milk day and night to give through the feeding tube. She lovingly puts her baby to the breast, but... See you tomorrow.
Day 21
Despite many attempts, the little one does not manage to drink at the breast. The midwives and Mahlala try to help, but it just doesn't work. Onisoa is bitterly disappointed. The doctor tells her that her son's brain may have been damaged from the low oxygen during and after his birth, and that may be why he is unable to breastfeed. For now, Onisoa's son is being tube-fed again. Until tomorrow.
Day 22
With the help of the midwives, Onisoa tries to breastfeed her baby every few hours. After all, she cannot take her son back to her village with a feeding tube. Even using a bottle is out of the question - the family has no way to keep the bottles clean enough to be safe. And then suddenly it starts to work! Her son sucks hesitantly at first, then more and more greedily. Satisfied, he falls asleep and Onisoa is filled with relief. See you tomorrow.
Day 23
With every feed, the little one gains weight. This and the good news of Jesus' love that Onisoa and Mahlala hear every day in the hospital make the two women confident - not only for the next few days, but for their future as well. Onisoa's son was so close to death and has been given a second chance. The young mother couldn't be happier. See you tomorrow.
Day 24
The good news has also reached Parany in his village. When his loved ones are allowed to leave the hospital, he returns to accompany them home. They can hardly wait to introduce their healthy son to their village and tell their neighbours everything they heard in the hospital about Jesus, who came into this world as the Saviour for all people - including them! Just in time for Christmas, the young family sets off home full of happiness and hope. Merry Christmas!
Day 25
Postscript 1: This year's story for Christmas played out much like this in July 2023 at Good News Hospital in Mandritsara, Madagascar. Since then we have seen the boy for a check-up once. He was doing well; however, it is still difficult to assess how he will develop in the long term. But we are very confident and above all grateful that he was doing so well.
Please pray for the boy and his family, that not only may he thrive physically, but that he and his family may come to know and love the Lord Jesus.
Day 26
Postscript 2: The maternity unit at the Good News Hospital, where this boy was cared for, not only looks after women but also babies. Here they receive the highest level of care available for a very large population - no other hospital in a wide radius can provide this level of care for babies, such as CPAP or tube feeding. Here, the babies have the best chance of survival if they need such care in their early days of life.
Please pray for the hospital staff as they care for many similar patients every day. Pray that the Lord may give skill and wisdom and that they may faithfully share the message of God’s love in Jesus Christ.
Day 27
Postscript 3: Next year we plan to expand our maternity unit. This is urgently needed as we can no longer keep up with the ever-increasing number of patients. An expansion is urgently needed to offer all women and babies the best possible treatment and so that they may experience Jesus' love here. This expansion is financed entirely by donations. Would you like to support us? Here you can find more information www.mandritsara.org.uk/maternity. Thank you for following along.