Guardian of lives: Omara Sánchez and her devotion to neonatology
With unwavering devotion, nurse Omara Sánchez continues overcoming barriers to caring for children in the neonatal ward.
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In the neonatal ward of the Dr. Juan Bruno Zayas General Hospital in Santiago de Cuba, nursing graduate Omara Sánchez Rodríguez is more than a head of service; she is a guardian of lives. With 36 years of experience and unwavering dedication, Omara has devoted herself completely to the delicate work of caring for the very young, those who are fighting for their first breaths of life.
Since 2019, Omara has been leading the hospital’s neonatology service. Over the past five years, she has faced significant challenges, including the obsolescence of the technology they work with. However, these obstacles have not been insurmountable barriers for Omara and her team.
“Despite the obsolete equipment, we have been successful in our work. We are proud of it,” Omara said.
Among the countless stories that have marked her career, two stand out with particular intensity. One is that of Rafael, a premature baby who defied the odds from the moment of his conception. “We had a premature baby, a precious foetus because it was from a mother who had never been able to get pregnant,” Omara shared. Despite multiple complications and a constant need for care, the team managed to save the child.
Another touching story involves a premature baby whose mother died during the postnatal period. Faced with this tragic situation, the father joined the team and learned how to care for and feed his child. “We taught the father how to give him milk, how to handle him. He also went down in the history of neonatology. Today, the father keeps in touch with us,” shared Omara. That is a tangible example of how the bond between medical staff and families goes beyond the hospital boundaries.
The arrival of an incubator, delivered by UNICEF Cuba, thanks to the support of the Spanish Committee for UNICEF and the contribution of the Government of Extremadura through the Extremadura Agency for International Development Cooperation (AEXCID), has been a turning point in the work of Omara and her team. “Now, with this incubator, our efforts are strengthened, and our capacity to provide better quality care has increased,” Omara stressed. The incubator has already made a difference in the lives of the babies they care for.
The project funded by the Junta de Extremadura facilitated the acquisition of 21 incubators and critical supplies for the health care of children in mother-and-child hospitals in the provinces of Pinar del Río, Mayabeque, Ciego de Ávila, Holguín, Granma and Santiago de Cuba.
For Omara, neonatology is not merely a profession; it is a vocation that has defined her life. “I tell my family that if I were born again, I would go back to nursing school, to dedicate myself to neonatology. This is a profession that I like very much because one gives oneself completely to the work. I give my life to it. I don't have a curfew at the hospital. When I am at home, at weekends, I call the ward. I worry about how everything is going because it’s my sense of belonging. I live for this speciality,” she confessed with passion.
Omara Sánchez, with her tireless dedication and love for the most vulnerable, embodies the unwavering commitment of neonatology professionals. Her story is an inspiration and a reminder of the vital importance of her work, where every small step makes the difference between fragility and resilience, between life and hope.
