2011 CNN Hero of the Year Robin Lim
MANILA,
Philippines — You wouldn’t think it at first blush, but 2011 CNN Hero of the
Year Robin Lim has led a very colorful life.
After
all, who would think that this mild-mannered, long-haired, soft-spoken lady
that the Indonesians call Ibu Robin – “Mother Robin” – has delivered babies in
devastated areas such as Aceh after the 2004
Indian Ocean earthquake; offered free natal services to relatives and
friends as a “guerrilla midwife” in Baguio and the Cordilleras; and has won the
CNN Hero of the Year award for all of the work she’s done for maternal health?
But as
the Students and Campuses Bulletin quickly found at the launch of her novel
published by Anvil Publishing, “Butterfly People”, the Filipino-American Robin
Lim is indeed all that and more – a woman whose warm and loving personality
exists side by side with her strong convictions and inexhaustible energy.
This
energy and passion certainly isn’t something that is alien to the women in the
Lim family, which one finds out once they read the fictionalized accounts of
Robin’s life and her family’s history in “Butterfly People.” Her grandmother,
Vicenta Munar Lim, is an exceptional figure and a legendary hilot, a woman who
helped shaped a young Robin’s views on medicine and midwifery and made her into
the woman she is today.
“When I
walk down the street in Baguio and sometimes old people come up to me and they
say that I’m Vicenta’s granddaughter and that my grandmother brought them into
the world. My lola was always a big part of my life, and she always told me not
to trust doctors,” she recalls. “When I was pregnant with my first child I had
a doctor who I could call to come to my house and help me but I didn’t like him
because he seemed so creepy. Maybe it was my lola’s fault.”
This
conviction was strengthened even further in 1992 by the death of her younger
sister Catherine, who succumbed to complications from her third pregnancy. It
was an eye-opener for Robin, who saw that even the modern technologies that
America had at its fingertips could not save her beloved sister. It was then
that she decided to become a midwife.
That
decision would profoundly change the path that Robin would take. She would move
to Bali, Indonesia with her third husband William Hemmerle and their six
children to “reinvent their life”. She would sit down for — and pass — the
North American Registry of Midwives exam and become a certified professional
midwife. In 1994, she would start providing free health services for pregnant
women in Bali. By 2003, she would establish Yayaysan Bumi Sehat (Healthy Mother
Earth Foundation), a non-profit, village-based organization that offers
midwifery services to the poor. When the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake struck
Aceh, she would open another clinic there, and together the two clinics have
facilitated the birth of more than 5,000 babies. The project has also been to
other earthquake-struck areas such as Yogyakarta in 2006, Padang in 2009, and
Haiti in 2010.
Ibu
Robin talks about all this and more in this 60 Minutes interview -- from her
views on the connection between food, poverty, and maternal death rates; her
trust in traditional cultural medicine; and her belief that love is a nutrient
sorely lacking in today’s maternal healthcare. For this gentle warrior for
maternal health, the future is pregnant with possibilities. (Ronald S. Lim)
STUDENTS
AND CAMPUSES BULLETIN (SCB): You’ve been working for natural childbirth and
maternal healthcare for decades now. But what inspired you to be a midwife?
ROBIN
LIM (RL): I was a childbirth author when my sister died, and when that happened
I thought that it wasn’t enough and that I had to be a midwife. I had to go
back and study. At that point, I was already a mother to four kids.
I was
studying for the North American Boards for Midwives. I took the exams in Baguio.
It’s an eight hour exam and it’s brutal (laughs). You’re allowed five pencils.
If all of your pencils break, you fail. If you’re five minutes late, you fail,
and you pay the US$15,000 fee again. It’s the kind of exam you sweat bullets
for. And they don’t tell you how you do, they just say you pass or fail. I
emailed them after taking the exam but I don’t know whether I passed or failed.
But I did know that I was a better midwife after taking the exam. Of course,
within a few days they emailed me back asking why I was worried (laughs).
My
cousin Terry called me up right when I got home from the exam and his
daughter-in-law was having his grandchild. On that day that I took the exam, I
was also the midwife and steward to the world of his child. He’s a big boy now
(laughs). That to me was a sign that no matter what happened with the test,
pass or fail, it was all the same.
SCB:
What have you learned in your years as a midwife and advocate of maternal
health?
RL:
From the time I became a new mother myself, I realized that childbirth is a miracle,
no matter what happens. Even if someone ends up with a Caesarian, it’s still a
miracle. But childbirth needs to be based on three strong feet. If you stand on
one foot, you’ll fall down. If you stand on two feet, you’ll fall down when you
get tired. But when you stand on three legs, it’s really hard to knock you
down.
One leg
is that childbirth is a natural process, which is why I believe that the
midwifery model is the one that will save lives more than these high-tech
doctors. The other one is that you have to have a strong foot in the science of
medicine. Right now, women are dying in childbirth because they’re
hemorrhaging. While we speak, women are dying. In a span of 24 hours, 981 women
all over the world die from complications of pregnancy and child birth. It is
because of the food people eat. We don’t have nutritious food, especially for
the poor, and that brings us to the politics of food and death in childbirth.
SCB:
What went wrong?
RL: The
white rice that we have today, it no longer has the vitamins and minerals that
the body needs.The green revolution high yield rice changed our health in this
part of the world. I think it was supposed to end hunger but they didn’t think
about the side effects. One of the side effects is that this rice had to be
sprayed because it’s very susceptible to fungus and pests. When we started to
eat this white rice that had no nutritional value that’s when hemorrhage became
the leading cause of death after childbirth in Asia.
When I
was working in the Mountain Province in 1998 and 1999, as soon as the
communities started mono cropping, that’s when the women started to die in
childbirth. It was due to high blood pressure and hemorrhage. And their babies
were sickly. When you go up to Sagada, they were still eating red rice and the
people were healthy. They weren’t bleeding to death in childbirth and they
weren’t going to hospitals. They were still being delivered by hilots. Healthy,
perfect, and if you’re not in a hospital, who can sabotage breastfeeding?
Without
doctors, without hospitals, people safely gave birth. They were very
successful.
SCB:
Are you saying it’s not safe to give birth in the hospitals, in the hands of
doctors?
RL:
These OB-GYNs aren’t saving lives. They’ve actually driven the maternal mortality
rate in the United States up. My sister was a victim of that. She had an
OB-GYN, she had insurance, and she died during her third pregnancy. It was just
the fact that the doctors didn’t take their time to deal with the problem. It
wasn’t an insurmountable problem. She didn’t need to die, but she died. When
those kinds of things happen, it’s like a fulcrum in your life.
It’s a
human rights issue which really needs to be brought up. In the U.S. where they
spend the most on childbirth technology, they are number 50 in maternal
mortality. It’s safer to give birth in 49 other countries which spend less
money and have more woman-appropriate models and culture-appropriate models.
SCB:
What are the wrong things being done in the hospitals?
RL:
Clamping and cutting of the baby’s umbilical cord immediately after birth is
violence. The relationship you have with your mother is so fragile and
important. They need to be with each other. The mother is the center of the
baby’s universe. But if you take the baby away which makes the mother
hemorrhage, it makes no sense. Why would you do that?
If you
don’t clamp and cut the umbilical cord, the stem cells and all the blood goes
into the baby. That means the vessels in the brain are fully energized. The
baby will be more intelligent and is guaranteed to live a fuller life. Did you
know that the leading cause of marginal retardation in the world today is
newborn anemia caused by the immediate clamping and cutting of the umbilical
cord? All the research is against it. Even the World Health Organization
recommends against it but everyone does it.
SCB:
What else should mothers be aware of?
RL:
It’s the use of so much technology and medicines. According to a statistic in
the 70s, one out of a thousand children is autistic. In the U.S. today, it is
one in 88. What’s the cause? It’s routine ultrasound, routine vaccination of
children. I’m not against vaccines. I’m just saying that why are these people
making the vaccines allowed to use preservatives that are known carcinogens?
I’m sorry but you’re not going to shoot my children and grandchildren with
known carcinogens to prevent a disease. Those drug companies and manufacturers
need to be controlled.
Circumcisions
are also not a good thing to do. It’s horrible! It’s medically sanctioned,
sexual child abuse. You’re cutting over a thousand nerve endings. Everybody’s
brainwashed by the medical profession. The American Pediatric Association, they
came out with an official statement that circumcision was not recommended. Then
they reversed their decision. You know why? Multi-million dollar business. The
insurance companies pay for it. So they’re not going to deny their brothers
this big income. They’d rather hurt children than to deny the business of
medicine. For most women, going to the doctors mean they’re getting pre-natal
scare, not pre-natal care.
LOVE IS
THE MAIN INGREDIENT
SCB: So
this is why you think midwives are now more important than ever?
RL:
That’s why I say, put it back in the hands of the midwives. Midwifery is a
sacred profession. There’s nothing like it. None.
I’ve
started blogging for The Huffington Post and one of the commenters said that
midwifery was an outdated practice. My next blog post is going to be about that
comment. Doesn’t he realize how many women are dying in childbirth every day?
And if you remove midwives from the equation, the numbers of women dying are
going to be terrible.
SCB:
What do you do at the Yayasan Bumi Sehat childbirth clinic in Bali, Indonesia?
RL: The
Bumi Sehat was established to show a model of care that is run by women for
women. In Bumi Sehat, we have Hindu, Christian, and Catholic women who bring
their prayers and traditions with them. When the babies are being born we
actually sing hymns, we say mantras. When something is going wrong in
childbirth, I’m quietly asking Mother Mary to come and help. She’s been with me
in a very real way since I went into labor and became a mother. And I’m pretty
pragmatic. I don’t really talk about the spiritual stuff. But I do believe that
Mother Mary would help every woman in labor, every woman in childbirth. I would
say that everything came from my being a mother really young, and having a
really amazing childbirth which was a blessed experience. And I saw that other
women weren’t having it.
SCB:
Mothers turn to doctors for the anesthesia, to lessen the pain of childbirth...
RL: To
get the epidural, to have narcotics put into their central nervous system? I’m
against epidural because it’s putting in narcotics straight into your central
nervous system. And I know too many women who had profound side effects. The
other thing is, it crosses maternal placental barrier into the baby. If you
take pain medication during labor, your baby will be on narcotics at birth. I
don’t care what anyone else says, you can talk to the anesthesiologist and he
will admit it if he’s honest with you.
SCB: So
how do you reduce the pain in childbirth?
RL:
When you arrive at the Bumi Sehat clinic, the first thing that happens is
somebody hugs you like this. (Stands up, kisses and hugs an SCB writer)
SCB: So
the mother feels better already?
RL: At
our clinic, you’re loved, massaged, and hugged. You can bring your husband,
mother, aunt, sister and all 10 of your kids. You can bring your own music,
your incense, your aromatherapy. We give you food.
You
arrive in a hospital here, in the United States or in Indonesia and someone
says, “Where’s your check-up card? Where’s your baby stuff? Did you forget?”
Then she says to her colleague, “What an idiot.” If you’re denied love and
you’re immediately ridiculed, the flow of oxytocin — the hormone of love — is
cut. Childbirth becomes more difficult and painful.
SCB:
Who are the women that your clinics serve?
RL:
Mostly, what we have are women who beg on the streets and who come with their
hands empty. We try to fill them up from the heart. They’re having incredible
birth experiences even though they’re high risk. They’re not asking for pain
medication. The women who had pain medications in past pregnancies, are saying
it’s so much better to do it in the natural way. But again, you have to have
the main ingredient which is love. Without love, it’s like trying to cook
without vegetables, rice and meat.
SCB: So
naturally you also promote breastfeeding in your clinic...
RL:
Yes. Breastfeeding is a superpower! You see that baby growing fat and healthy.
There’s nothing to replace breastmilk. A baby in this part of the world is 300
times more likely to die in the first year of life if he doesn’t get mother’s
milk. But you can’t get money off it. Food conglomerates can’t become wealthy
by promoting breastfeeding.
Cory
Aquino was really monumental in advocating for breastfeeding, and it’s saved
Filipino babies’ lives until this day. She’s long gone, but her legacy lives
on. She even argued with the Bush administration who tried to force her to go
into free trade. But she really stood by it and the Philippines became the
leader in promoting breastfeeding in the world. This country was the first to
be most passionate in breastfeeding. That’s her courage. That’s why she’s my
heroine.
SCB:
What are the most heartwarming stories from these people that you’ve helped?
RL: A
woman who was giving birth was having a problem with her baby. As she got
closer and closer to giving birth, the baby’s heart rate went below normal. Normal
heart rate for a baby is 120 to 160. The baby is almost born but he’s dying.
Suddenly, one of my staff midwives looked around and said, “I love you.” I
always teach them that love is a nutrient, love can conquer all. And so we all
looked at her and said “I love you, I love you.” We all started sharing love
and looking at each other’s eyes. Then the baby’s heart rate went to normal. We
have stories like that, every week and every day at Bumi Sehat.
ON
BECOMING A CNN HERO
SCB:
Did you expect to win as a CNN Hero?
RL: Do
I look like I would even expect something? (Laughs) I don’t think so. But my
mother says the rosary every day for Bumi Sehat. And she says the rosary every
day for 11 weeks during that nomination period for the CNN Hero.
I also
didn’t expect to win by a landslide worldwide, especially in the U.S. All the
other heroes are amazing, wonderful people doing great work. I felt that
because they had an American following and the internet in America is very
fast, that they would of course win. But North America actually voted for us,
also Russia, Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines. Country after country,
everyone voted for us. And I don’t say me because really it’s not about me. I
don’t do this alone.
SCB:
Was the nomination a surprise for you?
RL:
Lots of people also nominated me. That was in February 2011.
At CNN,
one of the things that they do is to investigate you. So the first phone call
was like in the middle of the night. They don’t seem to have the time
difference thing.
They
said “Have you felt like a lack of privacy lately?” I said “Why would I feel
that?” “We have had a room full of interns investigating everything about your
life and your organization.” And I asked, “How do we do? They said, “Great.”
They knew all about me, how many times I’ve been married, the stuff that you
don’t usually talk about.
SCB:
How has the award helped advance your advocacy?
RL:
Well, now lots of doctors listen to me (laughs). It has done really good things
but it also means I have to go find another clinic this year. Our clinic is
falling apart and our lease is finished in three years. When you have
US$300,000 and you’re building a small hospital, you really need a million. Now
more people are helping us raise funds.
It’s a
personal dream of mine to put up similar clinics. There’s one that’s going to
open in Quezon City. I want one for Baguio. I think that the responsibility I
have now that I’m getting support is to make sure that we do something with
this opportunity.
NATURAL
STORYTELLER
SCB:
When did you first get the idea to write this novel?
RL: I
guess a natural side effect of being the child of a Filipina mother is natural
storytelling. I’ve been hearing stories from my aunts, since childhood. Those
stories are mostly true. They’d have a few drinks and cigarettes while sharing
the stories. My mother was a complete teetotaler, never smoked a cigarette in
her life. My aunts used to call her the Pope, and I felt lucky because she
really is one amazing mother, and still is. Although, I can’t take her on tour
with me, she hates my novel because the secrets of the family are out (laughs).
SCB:
Was it a conscious effort to have a lot of the pivotal things in the novel be
around pregnancies? Or did that come because of your work?
RL:
Everything that we become is inside of us. It’s inside of our souls before we
even arrive on this earth. It’s inside our physiology as we grow in our
mothers. Our mothers’ eggs were inside of our lolas’, and all of that going
back. It seems that all of my writing turns back on pregnancies, the
relationship between mother and child and older generations. It’s the central
theme of my life.
SCB:
What’s the most difficult thing about making the book?
RL: The
most difficult thing is my mother’s reaction (laughs). But the thing about
writing is that once you’ve written it, like the pain of childbirth, you forget
it. Afterwards, I’ll have a baby again tomorrow, whatever. For me, I gave birth
five times. I don’t remember it being painful. I remember the elation afterwards.
That’s the thing that I don’t forget, as well as the lifetime relationship with
the child.
RACHEL
C. BARAWID and RONALD S. LIM
