Out of 6 women who were interned on Manus and became pregnant there, 3 lost their babies. Here is the story of one Mother who was ill at the time she was removed from the island and whose baby was born just a few days ago: A Happy Ending for Rani By Maggie On Friday I received a phone call from Rani’s concerned husband Arun. Rani was at the Hospital for a routine appointment when the staff became concerned with Rani’s health and decided to induce the baby two weeks early. I cannot thank the people behind the scenes enough for allowing me to be Rani’s support person. Everything was confirmed in a short period of time allowing me to be at the hospital for the birth of Rani’s baby. It was Rani’s first child, she was scared, worried and really needed a friendly face and some motherly advice. That she chose me for this honor was a humbling experience. Arun had rung me to say “the baby is coming”, so my partner and I rushed to the Hospital hoping to get there in time. When we arrived we found that Rani was only in the very early stages of labor. We greeted each other with a hug and she held my hand as we talked about what would happen over the coming hours. After confirmation from the medical staff that the birth was a long way off we left Rani and Arun late on Friday night, caught a few hours sleep and returned early on Saturday. Things began to happen, then stopped and started again and again. Under the watchful eyes of the midwives Rani slowly progressed. Throughout Friday night Arun had sat at her bedside listening as four new babies arrived and although very concerned for Rani he joked about when was it his turn to hear his own baby. To pass the time we started making bets on what time the baby would arrive, none of us came close. It was not an easy labor but we finally got there at around 10.30pm that night. A perfect but very tiny little girl came into the world. The pediatrician checked the baby and gave her the all clear. Mum and Dad were so happy and relieved that they finally had the long awaited child. Dad was so overwhelmed he had to sit down to nurse the baby and he chatted away to her. As soon as Rani was able she was given the baby to nurse and that baby did not need to be given any assistance she took to feeding immediately - one very feisty and determined young lady. I was overwhelmed by the relief I saw in both Rani and Arun’s faces. After so many months of fear and uncertainty they had a beautiful healthy baby, a truly miraculous baby who survived exposure to toxic chemicals on Manus Island and the relentless pressure that her mother was under for every moment of her pregnancy. I have no doubt that without the support of the health team in Inverbrackie and the dedicated staff at the Adelaide Womens and Childrens Hospital there would have been a tragedy not a miracle. What remains foremost in my mind from that wonderful day was Arun’s comment “If Rani had stayed on Manus Island I would have lost my wife and my child”.
Posted on: Mon, 07 Oct 2013 13:20:40 +0000
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