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Babies Are Joy To Mommies But Not Always
Saturday, October 20, 2007
A few weeks ago I had a new patient - a cute little baby boy who was brought by her mother to the clinic because of colds. The boy was so cute I was not able to resist the temptation not to play with him while taking his vital signs. During my history taking I was able to elicit the fact that the parents were not married. The mother, in her twenties, only wished to have a child, and refused to be tied through marriage to any man, not even to the father of this cute little boy. She has a negative perception of marriage as she pointed out that it will only deter her plans of going abroad. "Why marry when I could have a baby without getting tied. Right now he has given me enormous happiness," she said.
Just a few days ago, a poor family whom we have always helped, informed us of their discovery of a baby boy under the mango tree near their home. The mango tree is situated near a water pump where the families in this community fetch their water. The youngest son of this family was fetching water when he saw a bloodied young woman coming from the mango tree, approached the water pump. This lead to their discovery of a cute baby boy with a huge stone on top of his chest, still with his placenta intact. They hurriedly brought home the boy and called on a midwife to help them with the child.
The news spread in the squatter area that the family found a baby boy. Several people came to buy the baby from the couple, with prices ranging from Php 5,000 to Php 50,000. With the financial situation that the family is in, they could have easily sold the child. But no, since the couple found joy with the child, they have decided to take care of him as their own. They have named him Christian.
When I learned of the story, my heart broke as always when it comes to stories like this. Since I still have some of my kids' old baby clothes and old feeding bottles, I decided to pack everything and brought them to the family together with some vitamins.
I finally saw the child. Oh, he is so cute. Apart from some bruises in the arms, he looks okay. What about you? What will you do when you are in the same situation? Will you keep the child?
What kind of mother who can do this to her child? She maybe young, abandoned, and financially incapable of raising him, but trying to kill your own baby is the making of a mentally incapacitated woman.
Amy, that is such a beautiful baby. To think he was left to die near the mango tree - with all the bugs, animals that would have gotten to him first had not he been discovered! To think I know of many childless couples who would give an arm to be blessed with a baby as beautiful as this boy. I hope he grows up healthy and happy.
Hi, megamom. Yes, nakakaiyak nga. The couple and their 3 kids see him as a blessing too. They would never exchange him for any monetary amount.
Hi, Geri. The mother didn't really care about the child because he even placed a big stone on his chest. Yes, hopefully he would grow up healthy.
Yes m.a.p., yes, so many families need help and this family is one of the many families we regularly extend an arm to.
Hi, christian. Yes he is lucky indeed as the family who found him are kindhearted people. I'm sure he will grow up God-fearing and an obedient child :)
Name: Amelyn R. Rafael,MD Home: San Fabian, Pangasinan, Philippines About Me: Family Physician, and Associate Professor (Clinical Anatomy and Medical Physiology) See my complete profile
Amy, this is such a nakakaiyak story! The child is so blessed to have been found by this couple. Thank you for sharing.