Through the rural mountainous roads of the Jaji District in Afghanistan, 25-year-old Halima is making her 124-mile journey to Afshar Hospital in Kabul Afghanistan.

Halima can’t hear those passing her by because she is deaf and unable to speak. At 28 weeks pregnant with twins, Halima’s delivery is considered to be high risk so she is traveling to Afshar Hospital where they have the lifesaving equipment necessary for her twins to survive.

Halima’s fragile twin infants were born weighing just a little over three pounds each. Soon after they were born they developed Respiratory Distress Syndrome, a common occurrence in premature newborns. AMOR’s neonatal nursery provided the tiny twins with the high quality of care Halima had heard about, and they received the treatment they needed with oxygen concentrators and incubators. The infant incubators were essential in preventing the tiny twins from developing hypothermia by keeping them warm.

If you have ever been to a hospital you will notice the mass amount of medical equipment that is in a patient room, the hallways or an office. These tools are used by doctors and nurses to save lives. Funding provided by the Karen Woo Foundation allowed us to purchase incubators, an oxygen concentrator and radiant warmers for Afshar Hospital. These tools seem so basic, placed in every hospital in the United States. We often don’t realize there is a lack of access to these lifesaving tools in other countries such as Afghanistan.

“The Karen Woo Foundation is inspired by Dr. Karen Woo, who worked on projects in Afghanistan. The foundation is a grant-giving Charity, focusing on supporting projects in Afghanistan that provide healthcare to communities with no access to even basic medical provision.

Our staff at Afshar Hospital are so thankful for essential equipment, such as radiant warmers. They realize how important this equipment is in helping newborns survive past their first few days of life. Without even the most basic healthcare tools, many infants die, contributing to the high infant mortality rate of Afghanistan.

After 12 days, Halima’s twin babies gained weight and recovered well in their incubators. Though Halima can’t hear her babies cry or verbally say thank you, her facial expression shows how grateful she is for the health and safety of her twins. She is thankful for the lifesaving staff at Afshar Hospital, for AMOR and for all those who have contributed to AMOR. Halima can now enjoy her children, watching them grow in a healthy community.

Together, we are building healthy communities worldwide! Thank you for your support!