Help Us Build the Baby Jared Bridge

Samarie is a mother of five, but only one of her children is alive today. If her community had access to basic health care, this would not be the case.

Samarie lives in the village of Mengamenau in the remote highlands of Papua New Guinea. There is no health care worker in her village, and between her village and the closest medical aid post flows the mighty Yuat River. Without a safe way to cross this river, the people of Mengamenau cannot reliably access any medical treatment.

A bridge built across the Yuat River would save lives. It would allow people from Mengamenau to safely cross the Yuat River, giving them the opportunity to access basic health care. Over the past few years, twelve people have lost their lives trying to cross this river. This bridge will allow the local people to cross the Yuat River safely, giving them access to life-saving medical care.

Samarie's Story

On March 22, 2024, Samarie gave birth to twins in her home village. Her first twin, baby Sanda, was delivered without complication. However, when the second twin, baby Jared, was born, his placenta was retained in Samarie's uterus. Her village recognized the severity of this situation, and began calling for help. The community health worker in the neighbouring village of Mengau wanted to come and help, but could not because he was unable to cross the Yuat River.

After many calls for help and much prayer, three days later a plane from Mission Aviation Fellowship was able to pick Samarie and her twins up, transferring them to the nearest hospital. This truly felt like a miracle; this was the first time a plane had landed in the village of Mengamenau in many years. Samarie arrived at the Kompiam District Hospital in serious medical condition. Samarie had lost a lot of blood, and was septic from the retained and now rotting placenta. Even more significantly, baby Jared was exposed to this infection because he was still attached to Samarie by his umbilical cord.

Despite the hospital staff's best efforts, baby Jared died from this infection on his fifth day of life. Samarie recovered, but continues to deeply mourn the passing of her son. Samarie spent several days admitted to Kompiam District Hospital, where she graciously shared her story (along with and through her mother-in-law, Yabame, who acted as her translator and accompanied her to Kompiam). Samarie and Yabame spoke openly about the need for a bridge across the Yuat River, and reflected on the positive and vast impact a simple bridge would have for their community.

Samarie, baby Sanda, and Yabame returned safely to Mengamenau on April 18, 2024. Within only a few weeks of their arrival home, baby Sanda became sick with a respiratory illness. Because there was no bridge, they could not seek medical treatment. A week later, baby Sanda died.

The immense grief of losing a child is not unfamiliar to Samarie. She is a mother of five, but only one of her children is alive today. This is the result of her lack of access to health care services. We believe that if there had have been a bridge across the Yuat River, babies Jared and Sanda would both be alive today.

This short film tells Samarie's story, sharing the heartbreaking loss of her twins. It demonstrates the immense need for a bridge across the Yuat River. We encourage you to watch this video, and to reflect on how you can show love to Samarie and her village. We ask you to donate, to pray, and to share this story with those around you.

We ask you to help us build this bridge.

For more information, visit the Baby Jared Bridge website.

This bridge will be built by AT Projects, a construction company based out of Goroka, Papua New Guinea. AT Projects specializes in engaging with rural communities to increase their quality of life through building projects such as this. This project is supported by several not-for-profit organizations, including Kompiam District Hospital, Enga Baptist Union, and AT Projects.

For updates, follow us on Facebook or Instagram at @babyjaredbridge