Willa Ashenfelter and Irene Aukongak, Part 1, Transcript Section 7

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Willa Ashenfelter and Irene Aukongak, Part 1
Transcript Section 7

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KAREN: Irene, what about you, do you remember the first baby you delivered?

IRENE: Yeah, I remembered my first baby. How many babies did I deliver. But I always -- I always had one of the elders, like Ida Boone, that's Rita's grandma, I always sent for her and she would be there rubbing the hand or, you know, rubbing the tummy, you know, always there to give me support.

I think her -- the first baby I delivered was there in the '40s.

WILLA: It could be.

IRENE: It could be now. Lots of kids, some of them got married, I've got all my grandchildren.

So -- but there was one baby that was being born real early. I don't know how many months she was -- was being born. And I was across at camp. Someone went across and got me so I had to go to that person. And they never call my alternate.

So I went to that house and checked that lady, you know. And she was in labor and she was early. And she was drinking.

And I stayed with her, checked her. After I checked her real good, I called the doctor because she was too early. And it ended up the baby was born -- I mean, the head came -- the foot came out and I tried to do like how we learned, but the baby was already.

It was really sad. Sad for me. I was real sad. Because she -- he would -- it was a boy.

And I didn't know what else to do, but I delivered him -- I had hot stuff ready, like, if it's born, I would put the blanket and the baby up against the hot water bag or something, covered.

First time I delivered a real preemie. I think if he was just born at the hospital, he might have made it. So.

It's kind of hard but I talked to the parents and...

KAREN: And how do you -- how do you cope with those hard moments like that?

IRENE: Well, I -- I give the family support and we support each other.

Of course, I was out -- you know, after things happened, it seemed like I always break down. After I'm kind of tough during the emergencies or something, and after things are -- after they are over with, I just -- seemed like all the health aides would just break down and talk to each other.

Most of the time, like, we always pray and I always lead them. Prayer helps. I used to pray before I deliver babies that things would go right. Because little babies are so important.