Friday, March 24, 2006

Iye Sowodie’s “Gladdie, Gladdie” Day!

Below you will find the story of Iye Sowodie from Sierra Leone. It's also on the website of Mercy Ships.

I'm doing a study on how to prevent the birth complication she suffered from. Not a pleasant topic, but I think you can bear this story, because it's all "gladdie, gladdie" in the end.

40-year-old Iye Sowodie is typical of ACFC (Aberdeen Clinic and Fistula Center) patients. Iye has given birth to five children during her life, two have since died. During Sierra Leone’s decade long civil war, Iye was captured by rebel soldiers. She was made to cook for the rebels and beaten when they didn’t like what she prepared.

Since the birth of her youngest child, 17 years ago, Iye has suffered from extreme incontinence. Not just a tiny trickle, but a steady stream day and night. Iye’s husband abandoned her because of the terrible smell and because she couldn’t bear him more children. She was left destitute and survived for a time by scrounging for whatever she could find in the jungle.

Iye recently learned about the Mercy Ships Fistula Clinic in Freetown, the capital city of Sierra Leone. She was told doctors there could make her dry and treatment was free. Iye’s surgery was successful and she spent two weeks on the ACFC ward recovering. One morning Iye was singing and a Mercy Ships staff member asked why. Mixing English and the local Creole Iye answered, “I’m gladdie, gladdie to God! I’m going home tomorrow dry!”

6 comments:

Luke said...

that's such a great testimony! thanks for putting it up, as I probably wouldn't have seen it on the mercy ship's site.

annegreet said...

Cool. (c:

ShackelMom said...

That is really a great thing they are doing! Was this problem really the result of birth injury or was it from abuse? Or do you know...

A friend of mine visited a clinic in Zaire where many women were have repair done after having been terribly abused by raiding soldiers. Either way, it is so good that people are having compassion on these dear ladies and helping them.

annegreet said...

About this particular lady, I don't know more than what you find in the article. Could well be that it was an 'ordinary' birth injury, since this is not uncommon in her part of the world. Often it happens because of a gap in the training of local midwifes or a lack of medical assistence at births.

ShackelMom said...

Okay, thanks for clarifying that! :-)

annegreet said...

Actually, as I'm learning more about this subject I'm shocked at how these birth injuries occur. Women are in labour for days sometimes, because there isn't the possibility of a C-section. They are often left with a stillborn child and life-long incontinence and social isolation. So horrible!