View across the Outer Harbour of Stornoway

Monday 19 January 2009

19 January

Although the highest of the winds have disappeared, the weather remains wild and windy in the islands. It prompted some unusual measures last night, when a woman gave birth to twins prematurely at 27 weeks in the Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway. A Royal Navy Sea King helicopter brought two consultants from Glasgow, but conditions were deemed too severe for the helicopter to take the babies and doctors back. So, the duty Hercules was scrambled from RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire to take them over to Glasgow, where they arrived at 7 am this morning. The babies are described as being in a very poorly condition; their mother remains in hospital here in Stornoway, but is expected to join them tomorrow.

President-elect Barack Obama will be sworn in tomorrow; a day after Martin Luther King day, which is today. MLK would have celebrated his 80th birthday today. He was assinated 40 years ago. Whether the election of a dark-skinned president goes some way towards realising King's dream is the object of many a person's hope in America, like I wrote yesterday. I hope it does.

6 comments:

  1. Many are off work here today and schools are closed due to MLK day but I'm working as always. Glad your weather has calmed a bit and I'll pray for those babies and their mother too.
    'On Ya'-ma

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  2. Will the Mother be taken to join her babies ??? ~ I did see this on the news this morning and I hoped you would mention it in your blog ~ I pray the babies will be OK ~ Ally x

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  3. Prayers going up for the babies and the Mom...hope she is able to be with them. We are hoping for the best with our new President...he has so much on his plate. Take care...Joyce

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  4. Believe it or not Guido I actually heard the Hercules fly over last night and it went through my mind that perhaps there was an emergency somehwere...low and behold I woke around 3am and heard the news that it had left Lynham and was on it's way up to Stornaway...I pray that the babies will survive at least till their parents get to Glasgow to be beside them.
    Glad that your storms left you without to much damage,
    Love Sybil xx

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  5. Awww...I hope the little babies do well and make it and Mom can get there to be with them.

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  6. I read this story from the link you left in FB. I hope the babies' conditions improve.

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