Expecting

This is Matty and Kelly Clarke, They are expecting their first baby together. How lovely! What can be more delightful, more special, more heart-warming than the birth of baby - especially a baby that is wanted  and will be very loved and cared for. They are expecting a little boy.

But this is where they live - a remote corner of southern Newfoundland in Canada:-

There are no roads to St Joseph's Island and the only way out is by boat. Confusingly, there is another St Joseph's Island over in Ontario and I thank Gillian in Canada for correcting me about this.

This is Kelly and Matty's house. They have been working on it for the past fourteen months - making improvements, adding rooms, insulating it. They have even created a small solar facility to satisfy their electricity needs.

Every week they vlog about their life on a heart-warming channel called "Skote Outdoors" . I have blogged about them before.

Currently, they are all alone on the island. Kelly is nine months pregnant and even as I write this blogpost the baby boy may have already been born. However, he was not with us last Sunday and like many other followers of "Skote Outdoors" I look forward to tomorrow's video in the fervent hope that an uncomplicated, healthy birth will have occurred and all will be just dandy.

But the new parents-to-be are far from assistance by medical professionals, including midwives and they are seventy miles from expert hospital care in St John's - the capital of Newfoundland.

Most of their vlog followers have been urging them to change their minds and seek modern medical care for the birth - hoping that nothing goes wrong but knowing for sure that tragedy could so easily happen in these circumstances.

Below, these comments are typical of what "Skote Outdoors" visitors have been saying for the last two or three weeks. You might recognise the author of the third comment:-

@worldtravelerxoxo1201  6 days ago

Kelly if you read this, from woman to woman, Virginian to Virginian, if you haven’t delivered by 42 weeks 0 days please go see a doctor and get checked out. Placenta failure / big baby (possible c section may be needed). I’m a mama of 3 and I tell you the first baby there is so much unknowns and with each pregnancy it can be completely different. I’m looking out for you and the baby. sending love and prayers

@gillyquilly 5 days ago

Kelly, when my water broke, and I went into labor with my firstborn 39 years ago, I thought it was going to go smoothly as my husband sped me to the hospital in the middle of the night. The doctor told us immediately that my daughter's blood pressure was dangerously low and that I needed an emergency C-section. I didn't get to see her until the next day in the nursery. She had an IV on the side of her head and was diagnosed with jaundice. Anything can go wrong; you just don't know, and you should be prepared. Love and prayers to you and Matty for a smooth and happy delivery.

@yorkshire pudding4431 4 days ago

I hope with all my heart that everything works out fine - a healthy little baby boy and happy, contented new parents. But-but-but it could all go so terribly wrong. There's no coming back from death and you owe it to that little boy to give him the best possible chance of life. People who take out fire insurance rarely have to cope with a fire but they know that it could happen and that is why they pay up.

⦿

I am not a praying person myself but if you are a praying person, may I request that you pray for Kelly Clarke, her husband and their baby boy. Dear God - May all be well - Amen.