“Is the baby OK?” Laito's mother asked.

Laito, a young woman in South Sudan, was pregnant with her first child. When her contractions started, her mother called their neighbor to help her deliver. But the baby would not come.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong,” the neighbor replied. “In Gumuruk town, there might be MSF midwives who can help. But it’s many days walk from here.”

They had no choice but to start their journey on foot.

Laito and Chacha chance upon a stranger's home. © Ella Baron/MSF

Hungry and barely strong enough to stand after days without food, Laito fainted and needed time to rest. When they came to a deep river, they paid two men to help them get across, but they had no boat—only a plastic cloth to support Laito and her mother while the men swam.

“I thought the sheet would fold and we would fall,” her mother said. “Then the crocodiles would come. Or we’d just sink deeper and deeper until all three of us drowned. Laito was so afraid.”

Laito and Chacha cross a river on top of a plastic sheet. © Ella Baron/MSF

After two days, they arrived at the Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) clinic, only to find that Laito would need a C-section immediately. They would need to go to another MSF facility—but the river was too thick with weeds for boats to travel. That’s when MSF sent midwife Maria by helicopter to ensure Laito would get the care she needed for a safe delivery.

Laito and Chacha arrive at MSF clinic. © Ella Baron/MSF

With the support of MSF staff in Pibor, Laito gave birth to baby Maria, who she named after the midwife who provided care for her when she needed it most.

While extraordinary, Laito’s story is not at all uncommon in areas of South Sudan where infrastructure is limited, and mothers must go to great lengths to get even basic maternity care. Providing maternal health care is an integral part of how MSF addresses health inequities women face around the world.

Having access to medical assistance in childbirth makes a lifesaving difference for mothers and their children. In fact, 50 percent of maternal deaths occur during delivery or within 24 hours. MSF’s dedicated maternal health programs in more than 25 countries provide care to mothers and their children—giving women like Laito and babies like Maria a fighting chance.

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