No Child Is Born To Die

When I stepped into the world of blogging nine months ago I could never have known what I was entering. Blogging is a community; parent blogging in Britain is even more so. I quickly discovered favourites and followed their blogs religiously. One of those is the amazing Christine from Thinly Spread. Initially the appeal was the fact that she, like me, is a primary school teacher by trade. I hankered after her Swallows and Amazons lifestyle. Then I realised that she is a strong and determined woman who will not stop until she's made a change.

A real change. Something that will mean that children stop dying before they have had a chance to live.

Several months ago, Chris went out to Mozambique with Save the Children UK to follow the Cold Trail, the route a vaccine takes from storage in the city to administration in a village hundreds of miles away. This trip was to show how essential the basic vaccines that we take for granted, must be given to the children in other countries who so desperately need them. It spearheaded a campaign to get the developing world to fund these vaccines. And it worked!

But now Chris and the voiceless need our help again, and who are we to refuse?

Can you imagine not having access to a healthcare worker? None at all? In Britain we moan that we have to wait for a week for a doctor's appointment, but what if you had to walk for that week to see the doctor? If you had to carry your child, who was so weak from illness, every step of the way? And what if when you got to the nurse or doctor it was too late?

On Tuesday Chris will attend the UN General Assembly in New York. She's going to pressure David Cameron to play his full part in solving the health worker crisis. She's done it before and she can do it again. We can help her.

This e-petition from Save The Children aims to have 60,000 signatures by that time. 42, 080 people have signed up so far. Please sign here.

Michelle from Mummy From The Heart and Gemma from Hello, It's Gemma have a blog-hop to help raise awareness of the need for healthcare workers. "Write your 100 words about a great health professional you have encountered in your life."

Here goes:

Two anaesthetists, two midwives, three nurses, a senior registrar, a consultant and a paediatrician ensured the safe, but traumatic birth of The Boy. His shoulder was stuck in my pubic bone and he couldn’t be delivered of his own volition. Twelve hours later, a paediatrician put him on an IV drip for an infection. At three weeks old, a First-Response paramedic brought him around from unconsciousness. Three doctors and four nurses were waiting for our ambulance attended by the two paramedics. I am alive because of them. My son is alive because of them. No Child is Born to Die.

I tag the following bloggers:

• Dia from Diary of a Lagos Mum 
• Fi from Childcare is Fun
• Tas from Not My Year Off
• Paula from Mummyvs.Work
• Karen from RevelInMe
• Kathryn from Crystal Jigsaw
• Alison from CSection Support
• SAHD from SAHD and Proud
• Corinne from Motherhood Journeys
• Tracey from White Lily Green
• Lexy from MammyWoo

Please either write the 100 words and link up to the blog-hop below. If you do nothing else, please sign the petition!