Tapiwa

We got the call last week but had no room in the Nursery for another baby. Yesterday we discharged Moses, so today Augustine, Anna & I went to pick up Tapiwa.

Tapiwa (pronounced Taweepa) was born 2 weeks ago. Her mother bled to death as a complication from a retained placenta. Her aunt fed Tapiwa raw cow’s milk from a cup to keep her alive.

With Augustine at the wheel, we drove one hour on a paved road and an additional 1 ½ hours on a dusty, rutted, unbelievably rough, dirt road to get to her village. While Anna interviewed the family (in Tumbuka) for information about Tapiwa’s birth, I was handed the baby.

The unbelievably tiny Tapiwa was wrapped in a piece of cloth. She had no clothing or diaper on, just the cloth. I took her to our Toyota Land Cruiser, laid her on the back seat, and started cleaning her with baby wipes before I dressed her. The sun was beating down and there was no breeze. It was really hot. I could feel the sweat running in rivulets down my back. Tapiwa barely cried as I washed and dressed her. This was the first diaper she had ever had on. A black string was wrapped around her left wrist “to protect her from worms”. I put her in a tiny shirt and wrapped her in a clean receiving blanket.

At least 40 children crowded around the vehicle watching me. A muzungu (white person/ghost) like me is still a novelty in northern Malawi. Two adult village women were also especially interested in watching. As my audience looked on, I poured hot water, then 3 scoops of formula powder, then cold water from our thermos jugs, into a baby bottle. The powder dissolved easily as I shook it. I put the nipple in Tapiwa’s mouth, but she wouldn’t suck. She just slept. No amount of prodding helped. No amount of undressing, jostling, or nudging made her feed. After 20 minutes the rest of the staff returned and we set out for home.

An hour back down the rutted road we stopped at a market to buy vegetables and I tried feeding Tapwipa again. This time she took 40 ml. of formula with a strong interest in it. Yes!! Back to sleep until we arrived home.

At the nursery, she weighed in at 3 lbs 12 oz. Tiny! But she looks like a survivor. Malawian babies have stamina and fortitude I wouldn’t have believed possible. Tapiwa means “gift”. We will do our best to care for this gift from God until she can return to her village strong and healthy, within a year or so.