Supporting Women through Crisis Pregnancy

Leakana came to MH almost at term. She was an amiable, fun loving, simple woman with a big personality. She was also a sex worker, addicted to drugs, HIV positive, and clearly stated that she did not want to change her life. Her boyfriend and the father of the baby was abusive and also her pimp, but she loved him and said she could not live without him no matter now abusive he was. She wanted MH to help pay for her delivery and that was all.

Leakana went into labor the day before Christmas. Staff were at a Christmas party and rushed to the hospital to see her. Leakana didn’t have money to deliver her baby and her baby needed to be on ART for six weeks to prevent HIV transmission. He also needed to be on formula instead of breast milk. She was given a choice. If she agreed to stay in a shelter for 6 weeks while her baby could receive consistent ART (decreasing his chances of contracting HIV) then MH would agree to pay for her delivery and provide her with formula. Leakana cried and cried. She only wanted money for delivery. She didn’t want to go into a shelter or come into MH program, be she reluctantly agreed to stay in the shelter so her baby received ATR and formula feeding. He was born on Christmas day.

MH reached out to her family but they wanted nothing to do with Leakana. She had been verbally and emotionally abusive to them, even stealing from them. They wanted no more of her. They didn’t want to take any responsibility for the situation she was in. Her mom was especially angry with her because Leakana had already sold her first baby.

Staff continued to work with the family, counseling them and reaching out to them. They also counseled Leakana as well. They helped her bond with her baby and taught her about responsibility as a mom. Eventually, through perseverance staff slowly repaired the relationship between Leakana and her mom. Leakana’s mom did not fully trust her yet so didn’t invite Leakana to live in her home, but invited her to live close in their community and paid for her to rent a room. Grandma got to know the baby and began to love him. She also started to forgive Leakana. After time passed, she invited Leakana to move into her home.  

But Leakana really struggled to remain out of the sex industry and away from her abusive partner, so she ran away with her him, taking her baby with her. MH staff feared for the baby’s safety so tracked her down. They found her in a drug den high on drugs. Her partner had left her so she wanted to move home. Once again staff worked to repair Leakana’s relationship with her family. But once again she ran away. This time she left her baby. Staff asked the family if they wanted to raise the baby or if they wanted MH to find another family to raise the baby. MH would continue providing formula for the baby. The baby’s first HIV test showed that he was HIV negative, but nothing is conclusive until a later test is done when the baby is 1 ½ years old. Leakana’s sister was not sure about what decision to make. She cared for her nephew but wasn’t sure if she could raise a baby who was HIV positive. She asked for some time to make the decision and started to raise the baby in the meantime. She soon fell in love with him as if he were her own. Staff asked her again if she wanted to raise the baby or put him with another family. This time she had an answer. She would raise and love him whether he was HIV positive or not.

The tests of the baby’s final, conclusive viral load just came back. He is HIV negative! The family is so happy. They would have loved him no matter the test results but they rejoice that he can live a long, healthy life. Even if Leakana has not been reconciled to her family, she has called to say that she knows her sister will be a good mom to her baby and love him like her own. She is happy that he will grow up in a loving home.

We hope that one day Leakana will make the decisions to leave her life and return home.

Never underestimate the resiliency and determination some women have to become loving, responsible mothers. When women first come to Mother’s Heart, sometimes we have trouble picturing them ever being able to parent a baby. We have hope always but even we can underestimate what some women will draw on to change their lives.

Like many young rural women, Konika arrived in Phnom Penh at thirteen years old to work as a domestic servant in the home of a distant relative. The cultural expectation for Konika is that she will help with the family income and maybe her siblings can have a chance at education.

While there, her relative attempted to rape her.

For Konika this is equivalent to personal failure. Unmarried with possible loss of virginity leaves her without social status or value. This is virtually a ticket into the sex industry. Konika ran away and began work in a Phnom Penh red light area. Fellow sex workers usually help out by getting you started on yama, a euphoric methamphetamine that makes you more productive and helps you cope with unpleasant clients and long hours. It is also chronically addictive, suppresses appetite and withdrawal induces severe depression (Barrett, 2006).

Konika’s life became a pursuit of money to feed her habit and support her boyfriend. In and out of NGOs, different work places, and women’s shelters, Konika could cling to nothing strong enough to help her fight addiction and all that goes with life in sex work.

It was when she found out she was four months pregnant that change really began - not immediate or fast but it was there. She now had someone to live for. Konika found a shelter, returned to work, and connected with Mother’s Heart.

Trust did not come easily to Konika. Because of her previous haphazard interaction with NGOs, she automatically mistrusted Mother’s Heart staff. She gave most of her salary to her boyfriend and occasionally relapsed into drug use. Sick and malnourished, disinterested in taking medicine, Konika would fall asleep at counseling sessions. Yet the farther along she got in her pregnancy, the harder she tried.

It was at delivery that Konika really changed. A tiny, utterly dependent baby provided the way for Konika to trust, accept love and open up to Mother’s Heart staff. She came to see how others had tried to help her and that she was receiving true unconditional help now.

Drug use had impaired Konika’s memory and comprehension. An NGO graciously offered a trial period of vocational training in the hope that Konika could understand instructions and complete tasks. She did it. She passed her trial period and is now in full time training.

Konika has been transformed. So sullen and unresponsive to begin with she is an engaging young woman who gets along well with others, cares for herself and diligently cares for the baby who allowed her to discover the power of hope.

Barrett, M. E. (2006). Nature and Scope of Substance Use among Survivors of Exploitation in Cambodia: An Assessment. Phnom Penh: The Asia Foundation.