45 | A Blessing Amidst Covid-19 - Karabo Rankapole

Karabo joins us from South Africa to share her story of courage amid a changing world. She gave birth on April 6th, 2020, during the COVID-19 restrictions, which changed their birth plan so abruptly and drastically that it would alter all of her best-made plans. When Karabo arrived at the hospital with her parents and awaiting her partner’s arrival. The door attendants simply stated, “This is where your journey ends, and hers begins.” They took her bags into the hospital, and while in labor, she separated from her loved ones to take on the task of giving birth to strangers in an unfamiliar space. She would later learn that her partner would be able to visit for one hour per day, but the visitation time would conflict with his work hours and the city’s newly implemented curfew to help reduce COVID-19 exposure. Every step further, she took into the hospital required a shift in her mind and spirit. She would come out of her labor delivery as a new being with tremendous strength, and her postpartum recovery continued to bring about change.