How a Mother Broke Tradition to Fight for her Son’s Life

Mercy Ships highlights the power of maternal instinct on Mother’s Day.

TOAMASINA, Madagascar: This Mother’s Day, Mercy Ships (https://MercyShips.org) highlights the extraordinary courage of mothers around the world through the story of Doxie, who defied deeply rooted cultural traditions in Madagascar to save her son.

In numerous African regions, cultural traditions dictate that new mothers remain bedbound for several weeks postpartum, receiving dedicated care as they recuperate. However, shortly after delivering her premature son Alfredo at seven months, Doxie elected to diverge from these deeply rooted practices. Despite experiencing significant fatigue and jeopardizing her own recovery, she courageously left her bed to seek immediate medical attention for her newborn.

“I was determined that day,” Doxie said. “I needed help for my baby.”

Her decision marked the beginning of a relentless fight for Alfredo’s life. Born at home with a bilateral cleft lip and palate, Alfredo faced challenges from his very first day of life. The condition made feeding extremely difficult, leaving him vulnerable and undernourished. Research shows (http://apo-opa.co/3RvAiqo) that up to 96% of children with cleft conditions in Madagascar suffer from malnutrition, often because feeding is so difficult in the early months of life.

Like many mothers confronted by unexpected medical obstacles, Doxie found herself balancing fear with fierce determination.

“When they showed me my baby, I was really surprised,” she recalls the first time she held Alfredo. “I didn’t expect that.”

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