The triplets were premature, each weighing less than 4 pounds and were too small to maintain their normal body temperature. They surely would not survive without proper medical attention. With no advanced health center in the area, doctors advised the parents to take the tiny newborns to the best neonatal unit in Afghanistan.
The father and mother traveled on treacherous mountain roads for 10 hours to reach AMOR’s Afshar Hospital with their precious babies wrapped in the blankets they could find.
Upon arrival at Afshar, the triplets were rushed into urgent care by Dr. Amarkhail, the pediatrician in charge of the Neonatal Nursery that night. Immediately, the neonatal team placed the tiny triplets on a warming table and started them on supplemental oxygen. Antibiotics were given, blood was drawn and within a few hours the tiny triplets were stable and fast asleep. During the following week, the newborns received the life-saving care they needed. They gained weight day by day, becoming healthier and stronger.
Mom was so happy and grateful for the care given to her newborns that she made one final request of Dr. Amarkhail. She wanted him to name her tiny triplets! Dr. Amarkhail felt honored and named the first baby boy Abdul Basir, the baby girl Nazifa, and the second baby boy was named Abdul Ghafoor, after Dr. Amarkhail’s own first name.
How grateful Mom and Dad were that they had access to a safe place where their tiny newborns were given the gift of life!
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