Meet Bravin: Our Tiniest Miracle

Dorcas was out in the field one afternoon, tending to her cows, when the contractions began. She climbed onto the back of a motorbike, the only transport available in her rural village, as the pains grew more intense. Along the bumpy hour-long ride to the nearest hospital, she had to ask the driver to stop—she was delivering.

On the side of the road, at just 25 weeks gestation, Dorcas gave birth to a baby far too small to survive. By the time she reached the facility, the baby had tragically passed.

But Dorcas wasn’t done delivering. As the nurse examined her, another contraction came—and another baby was born. Then another. And another.

“I must have ten babies in here!” she remembers saying, stunned. She ended up delivering four extremely premature babies. Knowing this was far beyond their capacity, the clinic sent Dorcas by ambulance to Kapsowar Mission Hospital an hour and a half away. Only one oxygen tank was available, so just one baby received oxygen on the drive.

By the time they arrived, another baby had passed. By day two, the third baby, who had not received oxygen on the journey, also passed.

But one tiny fighter remained—fragile, but alive.

His name is Bravin. He weighed 1.8lbs.

For the next several weeks, Dorcas sat day after day at Bravin’s bedside in our newborn unit. Our doctors and nurses adjusted medications, monitored his oxygen, and celebrated every gram he gained. Each morning brought new hope.

But behind Dorcas’ brave face, there was heartbreak.

During her pregnancy, she and her husband separated. He refused to offer support and never came to visit. She had moved back in with her parents before her delivery, and was struggling trying to care for her three-year-old twins while now fighting to keep her newborn alive. The $30 insurance premium she owed for her hospital stay felt like a mountain. One day, our doctors found her crying quietly in the NBU—overwhelmed, and unable to afford even a pack of diapers.

Thanks to our Patient Assistance Fund, our social work team rallied around Dorcas—covering her insurance, providing diapers and needed supplies. These small, practical gifts lifted a tremendous weight off her shoulders.

*Jack rounding on baby Bravin in our newborn unit*

*Bravin the week he is ready to be discharged from the hospital*

Miraculously, after 80 days - over 11 weeks - in our care, Dorcas and Bravin went home. Born at just 25 weeks and weighing 1.8 lbs, Bravin is now the youngest baby to ever leave our newborn unit alive.

Their story holds the paradox of the joy and sorrow we carry daily in places like Kapsowar—the heartbreak of loss, and the miracle of life. But their journey isn’t over.

Two weeks after discharge, Dorcas returned for Bravin’s check-up—and this time, she wasn’t just met with doctors and charts. Our team had planned a celebration. They threw a big party in honor of Dorcas, Bravin, and the other moms in our newborn unit who fight day after day for their little ones. There was lunch, cake, and so much joy. It was a chance to pause and celebrate the miracles—like Bravin—and the mothers whose strength and love make those miracles possible.

*Gladys, our nursing director, praying with Dorcas and other recents moms from our newborn unit*

*Taking time to celebrate the wins in our newborn unit with all who made it possible!*

And the support hasn’t stopped there. With no help from her husband, Dorcas is carrying a heavy load on her own. Through our social work team, we’re walking alongside her as she rebuilds. She’s been given maize seeds and fertilizer to cultivate her family’s land—an important step toward providing for Bravin and her twins in a sustainable way.

Because for moms like Dorcas, healing isn’t just in the hospital—it’s in the hope of what comes next. None of this would be possible without the generosity of our donors—thank you for standing with mothers like Dorcas and helping us bring hope, healing, and a future to families in need.

Liam’s Story