Baby Sawong reaches 100 days of living
The Sydney Children’s Hospital marked a deeply emotional milestone early this morning, celebrating baby Sawong’s 100 days of life.
Sawong is the surviving twin of the conjoined twin boys born at the rural Braun Hospital in Finschhafen.
The twins, a rare unique case were swiftly medevacked by Manolos Aviation’s MAMA Medevac team to Angau General Hospital in Lae, then to Port Moresby General Hospital, before being transferred to Australia for the highly complex and ultimately successful separation surgery.
That surgery saved Sawong’s life but at a heartbreaking cost. His twin brother, baby Tom did not survive, giving Sawong the chance to live.
Standing by the twins and their parents throughout the entire journey was MAMA Medevac’s Chief Executive Officer, Captain Jurgen Ruh.
Captain Ruh told NBC News that the Sydney hospital marked Sawong’s 100 days with a simple but touching celebration, with a frozen cheesecake offered, where the twin’s mother, Fatima Kevin given the honor of cutting it.
“What a great day it is, another milestone for strong Sawong, she turned 100 days today and the Sydney Children’s Hospital celebrated with her. The next 100 days will be much easier,” captain Ruh said.
Captain Ruh expressed gratitude to the hospital for recognizing not only Sawong’s fight for life, but also the dedication of the medical staff who were also part of her journey every step of the way till today.
From his close communication with the hospital and the twins’ parents, Captain Ruh confirmed that Sawong has reached another critical medical breakthrough.
Last Monday, January 12, the plastic surgeons successfully closed her stomach once they had enough stretched skin to seal the opening.
Reassuring well-wishers, Captain Ruh added that the tubes and hoses seen around the baby are part of routine monitoring to support her breathing.
“Don’t worry about all the hoses, they’re just helping Sawong breathe and giving her lungs a little extra pressure. Sometimes she smiles and those are the best smiles on earth,” Captain Ruh proudly commented.
"I'm glad we trusted captain Ruh who assisted us to go the extra mile to today," she said.
"I cuddle and talk to her, and I know she will grow better. Thank you, Captain Jurgen Ruh and Manolos Aviation," Sawong’s mother expressed.
Baby Sawong has a specialist 24-hour Neonatal Nurse assigned to be within meters of her, closely observing her vital signs and one Neonatal Doctor in the ward, who's on call no further than 50 meters away from her.
It’s been one hundred days on as baby Sawong continues to fight, carrying with her the love, sacrifice and strength that brought her from a rural hospital in Finschhafen district of Morobe to Sydney.
