16- Years Old & Pregnant

Kay was 16 years old and pregnant. It was late at night and she had just drifted off to sleep. Silence had settled over her little village in rural Liberia. Suddenly, the sound of gunfire and screaming erupted, breaking the silence. Kay awoke, startled by the commotion outside her hut. She looked around to see her family members running in all directions. At once, she knew the rebels had chosen this night to attack her village. Kay had no choice, but to run, or become another victim of the rebels. Outside her hut, she found a friend. The two of them, hand-in-hand, ran as fast as they could away from the rebels. The trouble is, Kay's labor process started and she was becoming fatigued quickly. Each time Kay and her friend slowed to a stop and slipped into the shadow of darkness, they could hear their pursuer. They kept running, but continued to be followed. The labor pains were increasing and the baby started to crown. If the two stopped running, all three of them would be killed. But, the expecting mama could not run any longer. Finally, out of pure desperation, the friend grabbed the baby's head, which was now partially out, and pulled with all her strength. Piercing pain circulated throughout Kay's womb. Kay fought back the urge to scream and wail. Kay and her friend briefly looked at the new baby. The baby was dead, its neck had been broken while being pulled from Kay's womb. With heavy hearts, the two left the baby under a tree and kept running. At some point the two found a wheelbarrow and a very weak Kay, with incredible tissue damage to her womb, was pushed in a wheelbarrow to Ghana. Kay's traumatic labor process left her with a hole between her vaginal area and bladder. This hole caused her to constantly drip urine. Kay was ridiculed, told she smelled like "dead fish," and her life became very lonely and hopeless. Kay ended up in a refugee camp. Although life to this point had be traumatic for Kay, God had his hand upon her. Kay knew this and kept praying God would help her. She was selected for surgery on board the Mercy Ship a few years ago in Ghana. The surgery was helpful, but not as successful as hoped for. The damage to Kay's womb and bladder were extensive. Kay needed more surgical intervention, but the Mercy Ship had sailed on from Ghana. While Kay was on the ship in Ghana, a crew member named Shay participated in the "adopt-a-patient" program and befriended her. Shay would visit Kay on the ward, encouraging her, praying with her, listening to her, and loving her. When Kay was discharged from the ship, Shay continued to visit her in the refugee camp. Their friendship has continued throughout the years and the two have become " adopted mom and daughter." It is because of this relationship that Kay was able to come to the Mercy Ship again. Shay, Kay's adopted mama provided the funds for her to travel here. Kay reached Monrovia a few days before her scheduled operation and she was reunited with Shay. One day while Kay was out in town, she was confronted by a man that insisted he knew her. Kay told the man that was not possible, she had been gone from Liberia for seven years. The man persisted and said he knew her family. Kay could not believe that such a concept would be true because she thought all her family died in the war. But, a glimmer of hope sparked in Kay's heart and she followed the man to see if his claim was true. Indeed, it was! Kay was reunited with some of her brothers just a few weeks ago. She had thought they were all dead! She is being healed in more ways than she ever dreamed of. Kay just underwent another surgery on board the Mercy Ship. I had the honor of watching her surgery. Things are going well, no leaking urine. Kay is still on bed rest because of the extensive amount of work that was performed on her, but she never complains. In fact, any time I turn around in the ward, all I see is her sparkling eyes and glimmering smile. She bears the mark of one that has truly found hope and healing.