PULSE :: Providing Village Ambulances to Remote Communities in Uganda

 

 

Giving birth can be such an amazing experience but imagine if you were unable to have access to a hospital!  My pregnancy went really well (minus the 50 pounds I gained) and I had assumed my delivery would be without complications as well.  Boy, was I in for a surprise! In the summer of 2006 on July 28th  I was admitted into the hospital at 8:40 pm and within a half hour I was on the table having an emergency C-section due to a torn Placentia (how does that happened?). Yes, it was very dramatic and my little Kate had to stay in the NICU for 4 days for monitoring.  I completely understand that if we lived in another time and/or country without access to hospital care, we probably would not have made it.  I was fortunate that our hospital was so close but there are many women around the world who don’ t have this accessibility and do not receive the urgent care they need.  With childbirth you just never know how things will go and the PULSE ambulances are providing transportation to local hospital clinics if needed!

Each day, 800 moms die due to complications in pregnancy and childbirth. Many of these women live in villages in Uganda and die because they can’t get to a clinic. Imagine. Better yet, watch this video to understand the magnitude.

When I heard about a wonderful organization, PULSE, who has created ambulances for remote villages in Uganda, I wanted to see if we could help out!Pulse, a company building village transports that universally hook to the back of any bike or motor scooter, is working with health care organizations to supply Village Ambulances to remote communities.

Giving birth is a blessing, it shouldn’t be a death sentence.  We deliver our babies in clean birthing suites and these mothers can’t even get to a clinic.

Maria Bailey of Mom Talk Radio has a plan to purchase as many of these ambulances as she can – with our help!  I’ll let her explain about the 5 Trades Away plan:

“My plan is to trade my chopsticks up in order to get the highest value item I can obtain and then sell that item to purchase as many Village Ambulances I can for the mothers in Uganda. It’s a big goal for a small pair of chopsticks.”

 

That’s where we come in.

 

 

Here’s how you can participate:

1. Sign up to receive your pair of chopsticks to trade.
2. Look around your house, talk to friends, go to clients. Find things to trade.
   (You don’t have to wait for your chopsticks to arrive to begin trading. )
3. You can only trade 5 times and all trading ends on Friday May 1st at midnight.
4. Follow along on our Facebook page to compare your trades with everyone else trading.
5. Send a picture of your final item to Lauren@bsmmedia.com by Sunday, May 3rd at midnight.
6. Join us on Tuesday, May 5th at 8pm EST for an online auction and Twitter party where we will sell your item to benefit Village Ambulances. #5TradesAway
7. Send your 5th trade item to the winner (we ask you to cover the shipping) when we notify you on May 6th. Please note this is for US residents only.
8. Enjoy knowing your efforts have provided transport in Uganda for an expectant mother.

 

Images courtesy of Pulse website

 

So let’s help out and start trading lovely dandelion moms!  Check on our Facebook Page and see what is available to trade and/or start trading with your friends!  Look for this post as I will keep it Pinned to the top!  Make sure to sign up to get your chopsticks but you can start trading before you receive them.  Look around and see what you might have to trade and then ask friends to join in as well!  Send in your final item (you need to trade 5 times) to Lauren and make sure to join the online auction on Tuesday May 5th at 8pm EST!

 

Donations:

Thank you Jodi of Geek Club Books for donating a $25 Amazon Gift Card to be auctioned off!

Thank you little Kate for donating your Skylander’s Starter Kit for the Wii.

Thanks to the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity for donating a Chuck Jones Rocket-by-Baby framed lithograph!

 

TODAY is the day for the Auction!  Just ask to join the 5 Trades Away Facebook Page and join in the fun while helping women in Uganda!

 

 

Let’s see about getting more of these PULSE ambulances to the women and families who need them!

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