In 1963 I was a 22 year old student midwife, newly out of general nurse training.
Each time I held a newborn baby, announcing his or her arrival with a lusty cry, slowly turning pink as oxygen inflated the baby lungs, umbilical cord not yet cut, I marvelled at the miracle of birth.
There is nothing more innocent than a new life, barely 60 seconds old. This little one will only ever learn and absorb life from the immediate environment and those loved ones around him or her.
Love, hate, fear, compassion, joy, tolerance, terror – the whole gamut of the emotional spectrum is there for the taking.
In this 21st century, the global population is 8.5 billion souls and rising. Every single human being has arrived on our planet in exactly the same manner – naked and screaming – no matter colour, creed or culture.
So, what are the rights of each child?
In 1919 Eglantyne Jebb, ounded Save the Children in response to the shocking poverty and starvation in Europe following WW1.
In 1923 she laid down the 5 principles for The Declaration of the Rights of the Child.
- Food
- Shelter
- Healthcare
- Development
- Protection
In 1924 this was ratified by the League of Nations.
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child expanded on this with 54 articles covering civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. Sounds good. Lots of words.
Now it is 2026. We are a quarter of the way into the much heralded 21st century.
I have been nursing children now for many years, delivering babies in all sorts of environments.
How are we doing?
Not looking too good is it?
What happens to each new baby once the life giving umbilical cord is cut and that little one is now on his own.
Surely it is not beyond our wit to ensure that each new life is loved, protected, fed, kept safe from harm.
What has changed since I was that naive young midwife in 1963?
Well, I have aged 60 years, that’s for damn sure.
Save the Children is busier than ever, feeding, clothing, sheltering, protecting millions of children in so many areas; Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan the Middle East in turmoil and sadly within our own troubled society.
The core of this remarkable charity has always been the staunch, compassionate generosity of donors and volunteers who hear and action the words of Eglantyne Jebb and understand the need to protect our young ones – simply because it is the right thing to do.
The arenas of war change, as do uniforms, languages and terrain, but the damage done to children never ever changes.
Those striding the corridors of power must heed the cries of our young , whose hopes and dreams are being crushed underfoot. It is thanks to their political lack of vision, greed for power, oil and armaments – needing to have egos massaged regularly as they blunder on with their poorly thought out ‘solutions’.
Human beings are better than this. Every baby born deserves so much better than this.
Mothers deserve better than this.
‘Must try harder’ as my school report once said.
August 15th 1945 – the Japanese surrendered.
Numbers recorded can only be approximate. Many more casualties succumbed over the following months and years to burns, radiation sickness and various cancers.
On March 2025 the number of survivors – called hibakusha in Japan, numbered 100,000. Their average age is 86 years. I wonder what their thoughts were two weeks ago in this 80th year since their world changed when they were but little children.
Holocaust Memorial Day
Each year on January 27th, Holocaust survivors tell their story, in order that we never forget where blind hatreds, unchecked, can lead. This year I listened to Peter Lantos BEM, FMed Sci. This humble man, now in his late 80’s spoke quietly and eloquently about how as a child he and his mother survived the hell of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Typhoid was a big killer in the over crowded camps. His mother scrubbed him every day with cold water, outside in freezing temperatures. That was his enduring memory. But her loving diligence kept him free of disease and saved his life. He went on to study science and has done nothing but good with his life in research and medicine.
A small children’s choir sang a Hebrew lullaby for him; their ages between 7 – 10; Candles were lit and religious leaders representing 12 different faiths attended. It was deeply moving.
These dwindling survivors spend valuable hours telling their stories, focusing on schools and young people as they try to get the message out there. Never underestimate the danger of blind hatreds stemming from ignorance and bigotry.
Our shared humanity is a precious thing – like freedom – you only fully understand what it means when it is lost. Too late then.
There are a few children who come to mind and sit in my memory, as they all do.
Vietnam 1968
Ba, aged 10. Lost both legs as well as her mother and little sister when a helicopter gun ship attacked her village. Mischievious, full of fun, she helped look after some the younger war damaged children at our Save the Children Rehab Centre. In Qui Nhon.
Sidon, Lebanon 1985
Ahmed, aged 13. Sitting alone on some rubble. “ I do not think there is anywhere in this world for me. No one loves Palestinians.”
Thai/ Kampuchean border area 1979, camp for 42,000 displaced Cambodians
Vichuta aged 14 survived torture, famine and child soldier training during the brutal Khmer Rouge regime.
“Is this what my country has come to, “taking milk from strangers and saying goodbye to our children?” She was given asylum in Canada, gained a law degree. Set up her own charity which provides free legal aid and support to those women and children rescued from human traffickers. She does nothing but good since her survival, and thanks Save the Children every day for her life.
These are some of the many children who inspire me every day.
I often think of that 22 year old student of midwifery, back in 1963.
What would I say to her today?
I think I would quote Albert Einstein
“The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is more likely to find herself in places no one has been before”.