C-6 The First Time Being A Mother–part two–

–Everlasting Blossoms–

Ever since that moment she heard what her mother had said, Yu Wen would never let the baby out of her sight. She was afraid that her mother may stealthily exchanged her baby.

Dz Yun named their first born girl You Wen. “You” mines Young. Because it was a girl, she was the young Yu Wen.

You Wen, this premature baby was unusually small! At home everyone call her Syau Wen as a nickname, which means “Tiny little Wen”.

Syau Wen was born in a summer day in 1963. The weather was awfully hot. But Syau Wen’s body temperature was always low. There was no incubator at those days. From ” How to nourishing and bringing up a baby” Yu Wen learned how to keep her tiny baby warm and safe.

She put lots of unused new cotton on a piece of wood board rapped up with clean cloth. Before Yu Wen bundled Syau Wen up, she placed Syau Wen in between of two layers of unused cotton, then put the bundled baby on the rapped board.

Actually to put Syau Wen on a piece of board was not only could keep her warm, it kept her safe in one piece. Syau Wen was born before she was ready to come into the world, she was too fragile. It was very difficult to hold her in the arms. When you put this soft infant on the wooden board, You don’t have to worry about to twist, break or shake her poor skeletons! Syau Wen didn’t even know how to suck! Each time when Yu Wen was milking Syau Wen, she had to use a eye drop suction tube to suck some milk. Then open her baby’s mouth and drop one drop of milk at a time. Waited until that one drop was completed swallowed. If accidentally dropped two drops into Syau Wen’s mouth, it could chock Syau Wen and throw up all the milk. All the hard work was in vain.

From no experience at all only based on those two sets of books, Yu Wen made it. She and Syau Wen went through the most hot days in summer and bad hygienic condition. Even the doctors would not sure that a baby like Syau Wen could be survived. Syau Wen kept on growing safely. it was a miracle to Yu Wen. Her heart was fulled with thanksgivings to heaven and the people around her. On top of everything that Yu Wen’s worry was her baby could be exchanged by her mother. Many timed she woke up at mid night check to make sure if her “tiny old deity of longevity” was OK!

In those days smallpox was still passing around the world. All babies must get vaccine to avoid being affected by smallpox. Syau Wen did not get the vaccine until she was four months old due to her health condition.

Yu Wen kept her eyes on Syau Wen’s vaccine area ever since the cowpox planted on the little X cut on Syau Wen’s left arm. She watch the skin around the X turn red and swollen. Then it became a pustule. Until the pustule dried out. She saw the dry pustule starting to lift! What a relieve to Yu Wen. Because if the pustule popped before it dried out, where ever the pustule go, the area it touched will becoming a new vaccine. That means there will be more scars left on the skin,. It would look bad specially for a girl if she wears sleeveless. Now Syau Wen will have only one lovely round shaped scar on her arm.

But there was not much time for Yu Wen to be happy, because Syau Wen got measels! Yu Wen was shocked. Could her poor emaciated baby make it? Could Syau Wen be survived after she been abused by measles!?

With tears Yu Wen brought Syau Wen to the pediatrist.

Yu Wen almost fall unconscious when she heard what the doctor had said:「My good heavens! How could it be happened to this child?」 Yu Wen thought Syau Wen was going to die. She burst into cry.

“No! No! I’m sorry that I’ve scared you.” Quickly the Doctor said.”I’m just too excited! Being a doctor all these years, This was my second case. There may be one out of 10,000 babies will get it. It’s very rare. Which means the measles attacked the child when the dry pustule starting to lift. After the child recovered from measles, this child will be immunity against any kind of dermatosis all her life.”

“But during the measles period, we have to be extremely careful, this child is too fragile!”

Under the care of the doctor and the love of a mother, Syau Wen survived.

–To be continued–