the facts of life, and death

FACT: Most of the dangerous places to be a less-than-five year old child are in Africa. FACT: Though Africa represents about 15% of the world's population, more than half of all childhood deaths occur here. FACT: Almost all of these deaths are preventable with good maternity and neonatal care, a few antibiotics, clean water, mosquito nets. FACT: Jesus cares about the least of these. Hard to remember sometimes in the thick of it, like at 3 am this morning when I was awakened to assist with the anticipated delivery of an extremely premature baby. He came out mottled and stiff, dead for some hours. Which is sad enough, only this was this mom's third pregnancy, third C-section, and third dead baby. FACT: The infants cry out for justice, God is listening, and that's why some of us end up where we do. I think there's room for thousands of more pediatricians in Africa. Come.