Indonesian mother recounts emergency birth during 7.7-magnitude quake
As an earthquake tore apart homes, buildings and bridges in eastern Indonesia on Saturday, Maria Florida Nogo Kelen was giving birth to her daughter. The 39-year-old went in for emergency surgery during the quake that killed 68 people.
During a 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck eastern Indonesia, tearing apart homes, buildings, and bridges, Maria Florida Nogo Kelen gave birth to her daughter, Gempita. The 39-year-old mother endured the tremors and her declining health to deliver her fourth child. Despite the challenging circumstances, Maria expressed no fear as she underwent emergency surgery to safely bring her daughter into the world.
Her obstetrician, Yona Sara Pardede, stated that Maria's decision to give birth early was crucial to prevent a potential fatal seizure. The earthquake, the deadliest in Indonesia since 2022, claimed 54 lives across the East Nusa Tenggara province. Medical professionals, working in tents outside of damaged hospitals, treated the injured under difficult conditions, including aftershocks and a lack of basic medical equipment.
Gempita, born weighing just 1.3 kilograms, remained stable in an incubator placed on a patch of grass in a tent outdoors. Maria, who experienced a hemorrhage after giving birth, expressed her gratitude for the doctors' efforts, despite the collapsed room. Residents, afraid of aftershocks, sought shelter in evacuation tents, seeking clean water and food.
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