Bondye-- mwen pa kapab fè anko!

I have been at a four births since being in Haiti and without exception, all of these women when they are nearing transition yell out, "Bondye-- mwen pa kapab fè anko!" (God, I can't do this anymore!)

Today as I was out checking on Francette (the lady who does laundry for the orphanage), I saw the Haitian Red Cross attempting to rescue someone who was trapped and still alive under a collapsed cement building. (And had been for 2 days.)

As I stood there listening, I heard people around me talking. Her first child was taken out from the rubble and was dead and lying in a body bag right in front of me. She wailed and wailed because of the death of her child.

But she sat there, clinging to her husband for support because she knew she still had a living child under the rubble. The rescue went on for a while. The smell of death made everyone cover their faces until someone finally brought out a jug of formaldehyde and started splashing it all over the body bag.


We waited and waited while people continued to dig. After some time had passed they were passing water in as they'd apparently found the person and were getting them water. More time passed... and while the rescue continued, the child died.



When they came out with the news that the child died the mother wailed and wailed and wailed, "Bondye! Mwen pa kapab fè anko!" In my mind, images of women delivering their babies flashed through my mind in a slideshow... "Bondye... Mwen pa kapab fè anko! Mwen pa kapab fè anko! Mwen pa kapab fè anko!"


And I realized as I was standing there that every time a woman said that during labor I knew she was wrong. I knew she could. I knew she was in pain but it would pass and it would be totally worth it. Today, my heart sunk as I realized this woman who was in such pain today was in a pain that would never pass...