{"id":34686,"date":"2014-04-22T09:28:31","date_gmt":"2014-04-22T13:28:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/staging.samaritanspurse.org\/?p=34686"},"modified":"2016-03-15T14:50:02","modified_gmt":"2016-03-15T18:50:02","slug":"restoring-the-joy-of-motherhood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.samaritanspurse.org\/es\/women\/restoring-the-joy-of-motherhood\/","title":{"rendered":"Restoring the Joy of Motherhood"},"content":{"rendered":" \r\n\t
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Restoring the Joy of Motherhood<\/h3><\/div>\r\n
\r\n \t\tGenerations of women in Cambodia have come to fear death during childbirth. An alarming number die or lose a child every year due to inadequate healthcare, poor nutrition, and a lack of proper education. Samaritan’s Purse is delivering hope to mothers in remote Cambodia through life-saving healthcare and the message of eternal salvation in Jesus Christ.<\/p> \r\n <\/div>\r\n
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Share “Restoring the Joy of Motherhood” with Your Friends<\/div>\r\n
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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Share\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Share\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Share\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Share\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Share\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n
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Sophie outside of her home in Choeng village.<\/div> \r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n

Contractions started at 3 a.m. Sophie’s husband, her parents, and traditional birth attendants gathered at her house for the delivery. By 12 p.m., no progress. The attendants insisted that the baby wasn\u2019t ready yet.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

Things began to look eerily similar to the previous year.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

In 2012, Sophie was pregnant with her first child. When it was time to give birth, she labored for many long hours at home before anyone recognized danger signs. Finally, the decision was made to take her to the nearest health center\u2014about two hours away. But by the time they arrived, it was too late.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

Sophie had lost her baby.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

Now in 2013, Sophie was attempting to give birth for the second time. While she continued to labor, Samaritan’s Purse staff arrived in the village to distribute supplementary food to malnourished children. We had been working with the mothers there to help improve nutrition and provide parenting training. Then we heard about Sophie.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

Our staff rushed her down pot-holed, red-dirt roads to the closest health center about 15 miles away.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\t\t

I felt so tired and had no more strength. <\/div>\r\n \r\n

During the painful journey, Sophie feared the worst.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

When she arrived, three doctors attended to her. They gave her an injection and an IV, and they fervently tried to save her child. Three times they attempted to pull the baby out. One doctor pulled so hard he fell down, and the baby finally came.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

Silence.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

\u201cI felt so tired and had no more strength.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \r\n

Sophie sat on a large wooden platform outside of her home in Choeng village, surrounded by a handful of friends and neighbors. She said having them there made it easier to talk about the tragedy. Samaritan’s Purse staff listened intently as the 22-year-old told her heartbreaking tale of losing two children in the past two years, her voice quivering. Behind her, a mother nursed a newborn.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

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