“Touch, a mother’s touch. Yes! Now only that can save both of them.” The gynaecologist, Dr. Nisha pronounced the last resort that she could think of, when all other efforts didn’t seem to show any improvement in the premature baby, who was facing breathing difficulties along with other health hazards. It was lying helplessly in the incubator, struggling to stay alive and was completely at her mercy.
Her colleague, an insensitive doctor, smirked in mockery at her suggestion. “Dr. Nisha, are you crazy? This boy has been in the incubator for fifteen days. He was born in 37 weeks and weighed under four pounds. When all our medication and facilities couldn’t help him, what miracle will his mother’s touch do? I think you should inform the family, not to keep any false hopes.”
“Absolutely not!” This was Dr. Nisha's immediate, angry reaction, but she quickly composed herself before giving lucid arguments to her ignorant teammate. “Doctor, I presume you haven’t heard of KMC; ‘Kangaroo Mother Care’. There is nothing as powerful as a mother's love. Their continuous skin-to-skin contact and mother’s milk is the best treatment for a child. Anyway, if you have given up all hopes, there’s no harm in trying KMC, is there?”
This predicament was occurring in an inadequate hospital, in a small village near Bhavnagar. Jiya, the seventeen year old young mother of this preterm infant was a victim of child marriage like many other unfortunate daughters of the village. She was lying in the adjacent general ward; frightened, weak and in a lot of pain. Her equally young and anxious husband, Jaisal, was sitting next to her and Jiya held his hand apprehensively, “How is my boy? Where is he? I want to see him. It’s been two weeks now. Please Jaisal, do something!"
Without displaying his own fears, Jaisal tried to console his agitated wife, “Jiya, have patience. The doctors are trying their best to save our baby.”
Jiya was not to be circumvented, she shook her head vigorously and whined, “You can’t simply sit here and wait. Go and find out what’s happening.”
Only to pacify his wife, Jaisal stood up to make inquiries. Hardly had he walked two steps, when they saw Dr. Nisha coming towards them, with a baby in her hands. Its thin and fragile body was wrapped in a comforter. She placed the boy in the crook of Jiya’s arm and smiled at her. Instantly Jiya cocooned the little one in her warmth and glanced at the doctor with confusion in her eyes. Nisha began to explain, “Jiya, Jaisal, as you know, your baby was born premature and is very weak. Unfortunately he is not responding to our treatment. But it is scientifically proven that a mother’s touch can act as a healing process for the child. So along with medicine, we want you to keep your baby close to you. The nurses will assist, but you will play the major role, Jiya. Try to feed him your milk, talk to your baby, cajole and cuddle him, show a lot of tender loving care, and hopefully his health will improve. It will help ease your pain as well. Got it?”
At first Jiya and Jaisal did not believe Nisha. However, what choice did they have? Thus they started doing everything that her doctor suggested. If not for anything, it made the young couple immensely sentimental to hold their baby close to them. Jiya kept her boy on her chest, where they could both hear each other’s heartbeat. Overwhelmed with emotions and eyes filled with tears, in her uttermost soft and gentle voice, she began to whisper loving words in her baby’s ears. “Babbu, you are our first child. We have named you Jeevan. Did you like your name? You are our life Babbu. We love you soooo much. There’s a lot that we want to do with you and show you. Get well soon Bachcha, then we can go home!”
Jaisal followed suit, but he prayed harder for the wellbeing of both his wife and son.
The first sign of miracle was seen after two days, when Jeevan was on Jiya’s chest. Jiya was holding his thin hand, suddenly his tiny digits closed around her finger and he slowly opened his delicate orbs. Tears of joy soaked the couple as they witnessed magic evolve in front of their own eyes.
After that there was no looking back. The development may have been slow, but it was sureshot progress. Gradually Jeevan’s health improved. 25 days later, Jiya and Jaisal took their son home. The couple who had lost all hopes, couldn’t stop thanking Dr. Nisha. They also understood the value of a mother’s touch and how significant it was in reviving a child’s very life itself.
Shamim Merchant
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