Heroic team completes emergency C-section during Indonesian earthquake

A 39-year-old Indonesian woman and her new baby are recovering after doctors performed an emergency c-section to save the woman's life during a 7.7 magnitude earthquake.

Key Takeaways:

An Indonesian woman and her child are recovering after doctors performed an emergency c-section done at eight months gestation to save her life during a major earthquake.
Doctors heroically continued performing the procedure by flashlight as the room crumbled around them.
Both mother and baby survived and are recovering.

The Details:

Thumbnail for Indonesian mother 'grateful' after emergency birth during quake

Maria Florida Nogo Kelen was eight months pregnant with her fourth child when doctors determined they needed to deliver her baby by c-section, or Maria risked a fatal seizure.

As the procedure was underway, a massive earthquake shook the hospital in Nagao, Indonesia. As the room began to collapse around them, doctors didn't hesitate, continuing the procedure by flashlight.

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"It was a great emergency, even if the quake didn't go on for long," Maria said from her recovery bed, now located in a tent. "The doctors who performed it were miraculous, and they fought so hard. Thank you, doctors and nurses."

Zoom In:

Maria also noted that during the surgery, she remained strong for her kids. "During the surgery, I was not afraid," she said. "I had to be healthy for my kids."

Maria's doctor, Yona Sara Pardede, admitted to being scared, but says she "didn't have much choice."

“As humans we were afraid. The surgery was difficult as she was a small baby," Pardede told Reuters. "I ask God, 'Please help us.' We don't even have a ventilator."

Maria named her daughter Gempita, which means "earthquake." The little girl weighed under three pounds at birth, and is currently being cared for in an incubator.

Though Maria experienced severe hemorrhaging after birth, she is also recovering.

The Bottom Line:

The doctors' dedication to caring for Maria and Gempita despite the obvious dangers around them is a true testament to the care and sacrifice of many medical professionals.

“I’m very thankful that while the staff left their families at home, they did not abandon us, and kept taking care of me,” Maria said.

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