Merceline O., 21

Merceline is the first-born child in her family. She is a partial orphan living with her single mother and younger brother in a two-roomed mud-walled house. Her mother relies on small-scale farming and occasional casual work to support the family, though the income is often insufficient. Despite these challenges, Merceline is a determined young girl who aspires to become a teacher in the future. Merceline initially felt unwell and suspected she had malaria, which prompted her to visit a nearby health centre. However, routine tests revealed that she was pregnant. With support and encouragement from her mother, she began attending antenatal care (ANC) clinics. Due to financial constraints, she often walked nearly two hours to access these services, managing to attend four ANC visits throughout her pregnancy. One Sunday, Merceline developed abdominal pain and sought care at a nearby health facility, where she was admitted for two days. She was later discharged after being informed that she was not yet due for delivery. However, upon returning home, her condition worsened as the pain intensified. She returned to the health centre, where her condition was reassessed, and she was urgently referred to Siaya County Referral Hospital for further management. At the referral hospital, she was evaluated and diagnosed with post-datism and prolonged active phase of labour. Due to the risk these conditions posed to both mother and baby, a decision was made to perform an emergency caesarean section to ensure a safe delivery. During her admission, a healthcare worker at the facility recognized her vulnerable social situation and informed her about Helpster Charity. She was guided through the process, and her case was enrolled in the program to support her medical care and ease the financial burden on her family.

Merceline was taken for an emergency caesarean surgery secondary to prolonged labour. The surgery was successful. In the post operation ward, she was administered plasil, tramadol , ceftriaxone among other drugs. Her catheter was removed, and ambulation was encouraged after her dressing was removed after 72 hrs. Her wound showed to be healing well, She was then eventually discharged on orals and a clinic date booked for her for review

Merceline presented with post-datism and a prolonged active phase of labour, both of which placed her and her baby at significant risk. The decision to proceed with an emergency caesarean section was timely and appropriate to prevent complications such as fetal distress, birth asphyxia, or uterine rupture. Post-operatively, Merceline is expected to recover well with proper medical care, including pain management, wound care, infection prevention, and nutritional support. Given her young age and socio-economic challenges, continued follow-up, counseling, and postnatal support will be important to ensure optimal recovery and well-being. The baby, delivered after a prolonged labour and post-datism, will require close monitoring to assess for any complications such as breathing difficulties or signs of distress. However, with timely intervention and appropriate neonatal care, the prognosis is generally good.