CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Treasure Nsubuga Lwantale was 38 weeks pregnant when she noticed that her baby did not seem to be moving as vigorously as usual. Worried that something was wrong, Treasure and her husband went to their local hospital in Kampala, Uganda. The receptionist dismissed the mother’s concerns and she ended up waiting four hours to see a doctor. By the time she was seen and referred for an ultrasound, it was too late; the sonographer could not find a heartbeat.
Three days later, surrounded by women giving birth to living babies, Treasure delivered her stillborn son. A kind midwife dressed him in the baby clothes his mother had lovingly packed and the parents posed for their only family photo before their little boy, who they had named Mwezi, was taken away forever.
Treasure is angry at how poorly educated she was about the risks and warning signs in pregnancy.
About the author
Sophie Edwards
Sophie Edwards is a Devex Contributing Reporter covering global education, water and sanitation, and innovative financing, along with other topics. She has previously worked for NGOs, and the World Bank, and spent a number of years as a journalist for a regional newspaper in the U.K. She has a master's degree from the Institute of Development Studies and a bachelor's from Cambridge University.
