This heartwarming story serves as proof of the miracles that can happen when humans’ intelligence and compassion come together for the sake of saving someone’s life.
Meet Jameela
Jameela is an adorable baby gorilla who was recently born at the Fort Worth Zoo.
Unique Story
Jameela’s mom, Sekani, a 33-year-old gorilla, started showing unusual symptoms when she was pregnant with her and this led to the zoo’s medical team’s diagnosis that turned their hope into concern.
Desperate Decision
Associate Veterinarian Sarah Cannizzo said, “She started holding her head and that can be a sign of a headache in a gorilla,” and when Sekani started trembling, a distressing indication of pain, accompanied by bloodwork results that pointed to elevated protein levels, they decided to opt for an emergency cesarean section.
Dr. Jamie To The Rescue
Jamie Erwin is a board-certified OBGYN who has years of experience in human deliveries but none in the animal kingdom. She was asked to help with the deliver and admitted this was uncharted territory for her but she was very much willing to help out. She said, “Definitely a first for me. This is a once-in-a-lifetime I’m guessing.”
Only A Few Differences
Sekani was gently put under anesthesia and Dr. Jamie’s team began a surgery that’s surprisingly the same as human C-sections in almost every way. She said, “What was beautiful is that Sakani’s anatomy is exactly the same as my human patients. Very few differences.”
Welcome To The World
Eventually, Jameela was successfully delivered, a month premature but strong and kicking. This remarkable procedure not only saved baby Jameela’s life but also highlighted the importance of every birth within the endangered gorilla population.
Still Adjusting
In the following days, the zoo had been having a hard time fostering a maternal bond between Jameela and Sekani without the natural hormones triggered by natural birth so they made plans to introduce a surrogate gorilla mom to ensure that Jameela would grow up with the care and socialization she needs.
Strong Little Girl
Jameela, whose name means “beautiful” in Swahili, is a living testimony that wonders happen in the animal kingdom more often than we think. Associate Veterinarian Sarah Cannizzo said, “It’s a huge responsibility. They are critically endangered in the wild, so every birth matters. Every birth counts.”
Watch Jameela’s unique birth story in the video below.
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