1,802  
Babies 

1,000 Babies & Counting

Glory Reborn is so very excited to announce the arrival of Jeremei Sumarago born on April 15, 2007 at 1:20PM to Eliza and Teddy Sumarago. Jeremei is Glory Reborns 1,000th delivery! The very happy Sumarago family won the long awaited basket of baby goodies and the midwives had a celebration. This was the third baby boy for 24 year old Eliza who had a very normal labor and delivery. Leading up to baby 1,000 the Glory Reborn Staff were eager to see who would be the winner. Eliza couldnt have been a better example of the heart behind Glory Reborn. Eliza came to us in her 8th month of pregnancy. Though we do not regularly accept women beyond the 7th month of pregnancy, after discussing her case we decided to allow her to attend pre-natal care at Glory Reborn. Eliza had no job and her husband also was currently out of work. When Eliza arrived on Sunday morning in labor she was alone with no diaper bag or change of clothes for herself. As we admitted her for labor she began to tell us about her last few days. Her one year old, born April 2006, had been admitted into the hospital for convulsions and high fever. She herself was exhausted, hungry and covered with a skin infection from toes to arms. (Bacterial skin infections are quite common here due to poor living standards.) She was not exactly the mom that we had pictured for our 1,000 delivery. Stereotypically I think we all had in mind a happy couple who were eagerly awaiting their newborns arrival and here was Eliza, covered in rashes, all alone and with nothing. She most certainly was not as excited about this baby as the staff all was. But how perfect was this!?! How could we have a better representation of Glory Reborn for baby number 1,000 than Eliza?

She represented the very women that we came to reach. The poor, the hopeless, the exhausted, the lonely, the sick and of course the pregnant. She was the perfect mommy to receive a baby bath full of all kinds of wonderful baby stuff. She was the mommy that needed all the diapers, clothes, blankets, toys, nail cutters, bath soap, cotton, and outfits. She came with nothing and would leave with more than what two people could carry. I was honored to deliver baby 1,000. We prepared the basket for a baby girl as the ultrasound had stated and were shocked to see a baby boy gently welcomed into the hands of our intern and myself. It was a boy! Camera flashes we going off and midwives were clapping as Jeremei began to cry. He was the man of the hour! Even our security guard came up after to take a picture! Weighing in at 6.14 pounds Jeremei was healthy and ever so cute. Poor little guy got passed around for about a zillion pictures before and after his first bath and was dressed from head to toe in his new blue and white outfits. Eliza was so proud to have her baby and her new basket of goodies in the postpartum area with the other moms she was simply glowing! Her husband was eager to see the new little one and hear of the surprise they had won. How did we ever get to baby 1,000? It seemed like it went so fast. 1,000 healthy moms and babies delivered in our humble three bedroom apartment on Cabreros St. 1,000 deliveries without any clinical deaths. 1,000 little lives who will someday impact a nation. When the vision came to me to start a maternity clinic for the poor in Cebu 1,000 sounded impossible. To have baby 1,000 born into my hands was more than humbling and overwhelming. Hearing Jeremeis strong cry sounded more like the singing of angels to my ears. Tears and laughter and shouts of praise filled my heart and mouth. A vision that had been placed in my heart was now an overwhelming reality. We did it! Our amazing Filipino staff has helped us birth a 1,000 babies! What can I say but Praise the Lord for He is worthy to be praised!. Thank you for joining in the celebration of birthing a generation in Cebu, Philippines with us. We are eagerly awaiting to see the next batch of 1,000 and what Jesus will continue to do in and through us and Glory Reborn Org. Many, many, many thanks for your hearts that are reaching the Elizas and the Jeremeis of Cebu.

Current Expansion

As we have marked the milestone of delivering 1,000 babies, it is becoming clear to us that we are in desperate need of a bigger facility. The three bedroom apartment that we have utilized for the last three years has served us well, but it is time for Glory Reborn to expand its horizons. This year we will be starting a Capital fund that will go directly to helping Glory Reborn find a larger, more suitable facility. In the meantime, we are beginning to search for a larger facility that we can use. Ideally, we would like to find a place that we can lease to own. If you are interested in partnering with us in this aspect, please earmark your check Capital Fund and it will be allocated. Our goal is to provide the highest quality healthcare that we can, in the best facility available.
Tragically this month it has become more apparent than ever that something must be done in Cebu City. We have an ongoing relationship with the government hospital, which is supposed to cater to anyone in the city who cannot afford private medical care. They informed us this month, that along with the closing of their laboratory, x-ray, and general ward departments, that they will no longer be accepting women for normal delivery. They will only be accepting emergency cases. Our shock and dismay does not begin to cover what we are feeling, and we yet to have any clear answers from the government or the hospital administration regarding the reasons behind this shift. All we know is that the hospital is now referring all normal patients to our clinic! While we admire the flattery, we are a bit concerned about the healthcare problem that the city is facing, if indeed the government will continue to outsource its hospital operations! There seems to have never been a better time or place for Glory Reborn to be offering free care! Thank you for continuing to help us provide our patients with care, dignity, cleanliness, and the best medical service that they deserve!

Open Doors in Australia

We are eager to tell you about what has been happening at Glory Reborn and our connections with the Royal Hospital for Women in Australia. Several months ago David and Hilary just happened to meet an OB-GYN doctor in Cebu who was on a short trip and looking into the situation of women in Cebu City. By nothing short of Gods perfect timing John Eden, Hilary and David met for lunch and an instant connection was made. We spent the better half of the afternoon talking about women’s health in Cebu and how we felt the Lord was leading us in our ministry and clinic. An offer was made by John to come to Australia and speak at the hospital he is a part of. So, not knowing fully what we were getting into but trusting Gods plan David and I boarded a plane bound for Sydney. We were overwhelmed by the interest, hospitality and eagerness extended to us and Glory Reborn. After spending a few days at this amazing women’s hospital we were able to speak to the head of each department and the chief of hospital. We are now embarking on a dream of mine to have a funded research project on the STD and HIV rate of infected mothers in Cebu City. As there is no accurate or current data available, we will be meeting with the head of the Philippine Dept. of Health this April to verify and coordinate with local information and laboratories to further our studies. I am hopeful that knowing these statistics will in fact not just improve the lives of Filipino women but save lives. Over the last year of testing the women of Glory Reborn for such infections and working with our local OB-GYN we have seen a drastic improvement in the number of healthy babies we are delivering with less complications in pregnancy and a dramatic decrease in our pre-term deliveries. I am excited at what further research will reveal and how it will affect not just the women of Cebu but the women of the Philippines. We are so grateful that just a simple meeting at a mall in Cebu would turn into an opportunity to have a research project take place at Glory Reborn. We also want to thank John and Barbara Eden for their hospitality and touring of Sydney. Thanks!