“I Lost Hope… But They Saved My Baby’s Life” – How EECC Helped Briana Breathe Again
“When my baby was born, I was so scared because she did not cry and looked very weak. I lost hope, thinking I might lose her. But the nurses acted so quickly”
When Anna went into labour at Vwawa District Hospital in Tanzania’s Southern Highlands, she expected the joy of meeting her firstborn. She delivered a baby girl, Briana, through a normal vaginal birth. But moments after delivery, that joy turned to fear.
Briana was silent. Her tiny body was limp. She was barely breathing, and her oxygen levels were critically low.
The nurse on duty, trained in Essential Emergency and Critical Care (EECC), immediately recognised the emergency and called for help while starting to assess Briana’s vital signs. A team gathered within moments. Chest compressions began, and her airway was suctioned to clear secretions. Her breathing was supported using a bag-valve-mask connected to the oxygen supply. Dextrose was given, and additional fluids started as resuscitation continued.
After ten intense minutes, Briana’s first cry rang through the ward. Her oxygen levels rose, her heart rate steadied, and colour returned to her face. She was transferred to the neonatology unit, placed on oxygen via nasal prongs, and closely monitored overnight.
By the next day, Briana could breathe on her own and breastfeed. On day three, both mother and baby went home healthy.
Baby Briana - recovering
“When the baby was born, she was in critical condition—floppy, not crying, and with very shallow breathing,” recalls the nurse. “Moments like this remind me why early recognition and prompt action in newborn care are so important. The EECC training has equipped us with the skills crucial in the successful resuscitation of this baby.”
Birth asphyxia is one of the leading causes of early newborn death, especially in low-resource settings. But with EECC—early recognition, airway suctioning, oxygen therapy, and simple equipment like the bag-valve-mask—lives can be saved.
Briana’s story is one of many showing how frontline health workers, equipped with the right skills, can turn a life-threatening emergency into a moment of hope.
This is EECC: recognising danger, acting fast, and giving every newborn a fighting chance