Midwives support fundraiser for women's health

What follows is a personal account of an exceptional story written by Mater midwife Anne-Marie Judd from the Women's Health Unit at Mater Private Hospital Redland.

When it all began—Mater I mean—the Sisters of Mercy were known as the "walking nuns" because they went out and identified areas of need and provided care for Ireland's underprivileged. They did this right under the noses of their wealthy neighbours in Baggot Street and made no apologies for supporting the sick and needy.

On 20 October, more than a century later, I had the pleasure of seeing Mater's Mission in action in a similarly humble yet profound way.

Imagine you are a woman living in a poor, third world country. You have just given birth to a stillborn child after four days (yes, four DAYS) in labour. Naturally, you are devastated. You are also exhausted and the environment in which you live, you will probably suffer the added insult of a vaginal fistula.

A vaginal fistula most often occurs between the bladder and the vagina, causing a perpetual leak of urine as a result of poor obstetric care during labour and childbirth. If the baby is too big for the mother to deliver normally, the baby's head presses against the pelvic bones and eventually cuts off the blood supply to the bladder and a hole develops. Usually the baby dies and often the mother too.

Your fistula causes immense physical torment. You will be totally incontinent and probably rejected by your family and community. You will be forced to live a life of solitude with urine constantly dribbling down your leg. Imagine starving yourself in the hope of stemming the flow of excretions.

Now imagine wishing you were one of the "lucky" ones who died during childbirth??

That is the life of many women in Africa and hundreds of thousands throughout the world whose access to quality health care is all but nonexistent. That's where exceptional people step in.

Dr Judith Goh is a visiting Urogynaecologist at Mater Private Hospital Redland. In January 2006, Dr Goh will fly out to Liberia to conduct the relatively simple surgery that will revolutionise the lives of many women. She will save them from being outcast to once again being an accepted member of society.

The work of Dr Judith Goh is both courageous and admirable. She should be commended for her passion and commitment to aiding the plight of these underprivileged women. She is not, however, alone.

On the evening of the 20th of October, more than a century after Baggot Street, I attended a fundraiser in support of Dr Goh and learned that fistular repairs cost approximately $300  to $400. I also learned that three extremely dedicated Mater midwives Karen Wallace, Karen Johnstone and Karyn Wilson had worked tirelessly to organise the event.

All three of these exceptional people should be proud of their efforts and commitment. It was a privilege and honour to attend such an inspirational evening, particularly given that it was organised by Mater midwives off their own bat. It made me very proud to be known as a Mater midwife.

The evening was inspirational and humbling on many levels. It highlighted the passion and commitment of a few who are willing to work so hard to assist many. It showed that people will work together to solve injustice. It showed that after more than one hundred years, Mater's Mission is alive and well in Mater people.

We'll be covering Dr Goh's story in future editions of Scope. If you would like to donate to the fistula fund, please contact Karen Wallace on +61 7 3163 6190. Thanks to Anne-Marie Judd and Lysanda Hollands for their assistance in developing this article.