Triple the blessings!!
[youtube url=”vhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCtIEiM5Ts8″ width=”100%” height=”315″]
─ mother expecting twin get triplets
─ another successful triplet delivery under GPHC’s belt
DPI, Guyana, Saturday, April 13, 2019
Latifa Stephen, age 21, of Paradise on the East Coast of Demerara, checked in to the Georgetown Public Hospital around 10:00hrs on Friday, April 12, 2019, with the expectation of giving birth to twins. This was determined after she did an ultrasound at the Enterprise Health Centre on the East Coast of Demerara when she was seven months pregnant.
This was not her first pregnancy, in fact, it was her third as she was already a mother of two (a boy and a girl), ages 3 and 2 years old, respectively. At 33 weeks, Stephen’s delivery was to be considered a pre-term since it takes at least 37-40 weeks for a baby to be fully developed.
As the time for delivery drew near, the team on the afternoon shift at GPHC’s maternity unit was mobilised to ensure the successful the delivery of the expected triplets.
Stephen had a normal delivery with the first baby at 15:30hrs and the second at 15:31hrs. Both the midwife and mother thought the job was done but the midwife’s intuition led her to realise that there was a third baby and at 15:37hrs the third baby came, making it a triplet delivery. All three babies are boys.
Speaking with a Communication Officer of the Department of Public Information (DPI), Stephen said,“I was actually shocked; I couldn’t believe it… the ultrasound said twins so I thought was only twins.” She reflected that she cannot recall such cases in her genealogy hence the surprise.
The father of the children, Dillon Prince, an officer in the Guyana Police Force (GPF) stationed in Corentyne was eagerly awaiting the news of the successful delivery. However, he too was shocked to hear that he is now the father of triplets. The mother of the triplets, who is also a final year trainee teacher at the Cyril Potter College of Education, says she does not plan to have any more children.
The babies are currently under watch by specialised doctors of the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings was among the first of well-wishers to extend congratulations to the mother and seized a photo opportunity with her and the babies.
This is considered to be the first delivery of triplets at the hospital for 2019. Public support for this family is guaranteed as various sections of civil society and the business community have pledged to provide hampers while the government will aid the family through Ministries of Public Health and Social Protection.
Delicia Haynes
Images: Keno George