When a woman discovers she is pregnant, her mind begins to imagine the day she will finally hold her baby in her hands. It is a quiet hope that grows with every passing month, a picture of love, joy and new life that she carries long before the child is born.

For Eneless, a 37-year-old woman from Mwandi District, this dream had been broken four times through painful miscarriages. Each loss left her with heartbreak and hopelessness about whether she would ever experience the joy of motherhood.

“I had lost hope after so many miscarriages; I wondered if I would ever carry my baby in my arms” she recalls.

After becoming pregnant for a fifth time, Eneless made a routine visit to Lutaba Mini Hospital during a health outreach activity conducted through Access to Health Zambia’s (A2HealthZ) Children and Mothers Partnership (CHAMPS) Program. With support from CMMB – Healthier Lives Worldwide, A2HealthZ conducts maternal and child health outreach activities that bring essential healthcare services closer to communities, helping ensure that pregnant women receive timely care, are screened for potential complications, deliver safely at health facilities and receive support throughout the postnatal period.

It was during an outreach that a scan was conducted for Eneless, marking a turning point in her pregnancy journey. An ultrasound scan revealed that she had a shortened cervix, a condition that increases the risk of pregnancy loss and preterm birth.

The diagnosis helped health workers better understand the risks affecting her pregnancy. With the cause finally identified, health workers immediately referred Eneless to Mwandi Mission Hospital for closer monitoring and later to Livingstone General Hospital for specialized care.

However, in her seventh month of pregnancy, Eneless later returned to Mwandi Mission Hospital, where the health team made a crucial decision to accommodate her at the Mother’s Shelter within the Mwandi Mission Hospital premises.

A few days later, her condition became critical. The placenta detached prematurely and she began to bleed heavily. Fortunately, the situation was quickly detected through urgent clinical assessment using an ultrasound scanning machine.

The scan showed that the baby was in distress and required urgent intervention. Without wasting time, the medical team at Mwandi Mission Hospital proceeded with an emergency cesarean section to save both mother and child.

“I was very scared when they told me I had to go for a caesarean section, I just prayed that both my baby and I would be safe.”

The operation was successful and Eneless safely delivered a baby boy weighing 1.2 kilograms. Due to his low birth weight and need for specialized care, the newborn was admitted to the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit), where was closely monitored. His care was supported using a warmer/incubator system donated by Access to Medicines – CMMB, which helped regulate his body temperature and improve his chances of survival.

Thanks to timely detection, rapid medical intervention, and access to lifesaving ultrasound technology and neonatal care equipment, both Eneless and her baby recovered well. Today, they have been discharged from the hospital and are back home together. What could have become another tragic loss instead became a story of hope and the life-saving impact of health outreach activities in rural communities.

“I am grateful to God and the health workers who helped save me and my baby. After waiting for so many years, I finally have the chance to hold my baby in my arms and experience the joy of motherhood.”