Tuesday, February 19, 2013

A note on giving pajamas

I just have to reiterate again how meaningful it was to give out the pajamas.  Dziwe explained to me again how they encourage mothers to keep their babies close to themselves during the day - especially skin to skin contact, to create warmth and to regulate hear beats.  At night, although mothers sleep with their babies, that contact is often interrupted, and sick babies can be kept alive through the warmth generated in footed pajamas.  In addition to that, I saw a child later outside of the clinic wearing the pajamas with her little flip flops, and the softness and warmth of these pajamas is such a relief from the rags that children wear.  Even though the temperature is mild and even quite warm, the coverage and comfort of pajamas is huge - it serves many purposes at once.

When I finished handing out some pajamas and putting them on children, a mother from the back of the pediatric ward started speaking, and Deo translated.  She told me that God will bless me for bringing these, and how happy they all were to receive them.  She said "You have made us so happy."  And then she said, "You will always be in our hearts, and God will bless you."  This brought tears to my eyes, and I told her that they are all in my heart and always will be.  It was such a special moment, and such a gift to me to be able to help others in such a tangible way thanks to the generosity of all of the amazing women here who have shared their pajamas and their hearts with women and children so far away.  It means so much, and now that I have been there I have seen it with my own eyes.

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