Survival of the Fittest.

I thought Darwinism only had to do with lizards and turtles living in Ecuador. That was until today when one of the emergency medicine room doctors told me that it was futile to keep premature babies alive in Africa. He said that the only reason they survive in the United States (where we both hail from) is all the supportive care that they are given…and the services their parents can afford. He said babies with developmental problems here couldn’t survive, that it was “survival of the fittest” and “when was the last time I saw a child with mental retardation here?” When I told him I wanted to be a neonatologist who worked in developing countries he scoffed at me. “Maybe its best the babies just die.”

I can see where he is coming from. It’s true. There are limited resources here, and people are forced to make due with little. Yet I can’t help but say – HOW DARE YOU EMERGENCY ROOM DOCTOR! HOW DARE YOU TELL A YOUNG STUDENT THAT IT’S FUTILE TO FIGHT FOR HUMAN LIFE, NO MATTER HOW SMALL! WHERE IS YOUR COMPASSION MAN!

I’m sorry if somewhere along the lines you stopped believing in miracles…I’m sorry if it hurts you to see babies die every day, and now you think that its not worth saving them…I shouldn’t have yelled…I feel bad for you that you can no longer see that it’s worth it to improve neonatal care. That you think the only solution is money and to hell with ingenuity. That you don’t think these babies can be saved. I’m sorry you lost your faith in the perseverance of the human spirit, and in the resilience and love for each other these Ghanaian people show…especially a mother looking at her child. They want better care, they don’t want to see their people sick, they want the technology, they want their children to survive…and they don’t want us to lose faith in them…because they know our wealth and experience can help.

So I will be back as a neonatologist here…even if you think it won’t accomplish anything. Because I know you are wrong. I will work to find cost effective ways to save newborn lives…because I believe that’s its not just ventilators and expensive medications that can save…I believe in creativity and heart. I believe in these babies…and don’t you DARE tell me not to.