After 50,000th delivery, Bethlehem hospital shows hope-filled spirit of Advent

Dec. 2, 2010 - PRLog -- FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
Christine Schicker, 404-610-8871 or
CSchicker@MaximusMG.com

Just yards from Jesus’ historic birthplace, babies are delivered in safety this Christmas

WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 2, 2010 – Christians celebrate Advent as a time of waiting and expectation – waiting for the Christ child to be born once again in the hearts and homes of every believing family. But in the West Bank, where hope and safe facilities to deliver a baby are scarce commodities, a birthplace of security and a visible sign of the Christian presence in the Holy Land is sharing the Advent message in a very tangible way.

Only 500 yards from the traditional birthplace of Jesus Christ, expectant mothers arrive daily at a facility known as the “Birthplace of Hope.” For the past 20 years, Holy Family Hospital of Bethlehem, unlike the innkeeper of the first Christmas, has not turned any mother or baby away because “there is no room.” In October, doctors delivered the 50,000th baby born at the hospital since 1990.

“One of the most cherished gifts our Hospital provides to expectant families is a safe haven to deliver,” said Colleen Marotta, Executive Director of the Holy Family Hospital of Bethlehem Foundation. “Now that the whole world has entered Advent, it’s the perfect time to reflect on what the Hospital offers, the many services it provides to the mothers and children of this region, and discern how we can help them deliver even more babies and services in the years ahead.”

Holy Family Hospital has become the premiere maternity hospital and newborn critical care center in the Bethlehem region, serving neighboring towns and villages, four United Nations refugee camps, and Bedouin encampments in the Judean Desert.

After 20 years of operation:

•   Births have escalated from 1,000 annually to more than 3,000 – with more than 2,230 successful deliveries already this year.
•   Its outpatient clinics have grown from 3,600 consultations each year to more than 22,000.
•   Holy Family Hospital provides the region’s only neonatal intensive care unit, which saves the lives of more than 400 premature and low-birth-weight babies every year.
•   Nearly 90 midwives –the entire number working in all hospitals in the West Bank – received their training at Holy Family Hospital.
•   The hospital now offers mammography, laparoscopic surgery and Echo Doppler diagnosis services not found anywhere else in the region.

Marotta noted that one of the most precious ways anyone can share the blessings of Advent and Christmas is to help Holy Family Hospital continue to serve the mothers and babies. She notes that all of the services the Hospital provides are done without regard to race, religion or ability to pay. “This Advent, you can help support the costs of a healthy delivery in our Hospital,” she said, “It’s the support of those who are fortunate financially that gives hope to these families and demonstrates the Christian example.”

Marotta is available for interviews. Stunning pictures of the 50,000th baby are available. Please contact Christine Schicker at 404-610-8871 or by email at CSchicker@MaximusMG.com. To learn more about the hospital, the Order of Malta and the historic legacy of Holy Family Hospital, please visit www.BirthplaceofHope.org.