Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Daisy Instead by Emily Dunnan


I arrived at the neighbor’s house late at night and rushed into the spacious backyard, where I found the tired mother in the final agonizing stage of labor. In the next few minutes, the tense atmosphere shattered, replaced by a whirl of activity. The baby fell to the ground, covered in dirt, unmoving. As it lay there, I hurriedly removed the bloody amniotic sac from its small face to allow it to breathe. Its damp body, white as new paper, shivered hard despite the warm summer night.

My mom dashed to the house for some soft towels. When she returned, we worked quickly to dry and warm the frail newborn. The baby girl’s shallow breaths became strained and wheezy; panicking, Mom urgently called a friend for instructions. Armed with new knowledge, we cleared the baby’s tiny nostrils, sterilized the umbilical cord area, and recorded her weight.

Back with her exhausted but joyful mother, the precious baby would not nurse. I left them alone together while I cleaned up the disgusting, gooey placenta. Soon after I completed my task, the adorable infant became an expert at nursing. I wanted to name this baby alpaca ‘Starlight’ because she was born under the stars; however her owners named her ‘Daisy’ instead. My first amazing experience birthing an alpaca showed me how much God sustains and cares for His creatures.

Second Autobiographical Incident 

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