Benji's Story

The last time I wrote I had no idea that I would be going into the hospital the very next day, and that when I came home I would be joined by Walter Benjamin. I woke up on the morning of September 27th, throwing up and having contractions. Back to the hospital we went and they determined I had some sort of infection that was causing the onset of my contractions. I was readmitted and at only 34 weeks, 7th day I would be medicated to keep baby in for as long as possible.

September 30, 2010
Paul and I have been married for four years, I couldn't wait for him to come to the hospital, so that I could tell him how much I loved him and how happy he made me. He had gone home the night before to stay with Zeke, and had to go to the farms before he could come and see me. The doctor had come in and informed me that today they would stop giving me the medicine that was stopping my contractions. I would not be receiving the next dose at 4 PM and my contractions would start getting worse. We were going to have a baby and possibly on our four year anniversary.

I was watching Friends and any other show I could get in English. Little did I know every other channel was showing an attack that was taking place across the street from the hospital where I was staying. I heard something that sounded like a fight outside of my hospital window and went to look. A man was hitting another man in the face and then turned and hit the woman that was accompanying the victim as well. And, ,people were yelling. I noticed that the woman in the room next to me was watching out the window as well. All of a sudden I saw people walking up the street with bright green banners shouting for President Rafael Correa.

Immediately, I sent Paul a message to call me and decided maybe I should watch a little TV in Spanish. I changed the channel to see complete chaos and my phone rang at the same time. Paul said that the President had been kidnapped and that he was on his way to me. He asked if I was ok and how things were around me. "I am fine and there seems to be protesting outside," I responded. Paul then explained that everything was taking place across the street. "Where is Zeke?!?!" I began to panic as I realized what this could mean. Not to worry, Paul had turned around from his trip to the farm and gone straight to get Zeke as soon as he heard the first report on the radio. The kidnapping of a president in this country could mean complete and utter chaos, the closing of roads, lack of security and Paul was well aware of this.

In a matter of minutes the streets filled with protesters, people coming to rescue the president. He had been attacked at the Police Headquarters across the street from the hospital where I was staying. He was then taken to the Police Hospital, which was on the same property as the Headquarters, but facing the other side of the street. He was barricaded in the hospital by the National Police and was not able to escape. People, everyday citizens, supporters of Correa were marching to his rescue. They were throwing rocks and bottles at the police who were blocking the presidents exit. And, the police attacked. All of a sudden there were people running back, away from something. Tear gas. The police were shooting tear gas grenades at the people to keep them away from the hospital...at close range. The grenades were hitting the people in the arms, legs, torsos, and I was watching it from my window. People were choking, falling to the ground and others were bringing them water once the smoke cleared. I turned on the T.V. and started searching the internet (thank God I brought my laptop with me) and the images were disturbing. I had met the president about a year before and he is a handsome man, who is always smiling. The pictures I saw were of a man in great distress, who had been betrayed by people who he had given so much too. I cried at the look on his face in the images, he was choking on tear gas and had a look of pure terror in his eyes. I made sure to tell my parents before they saw it themselves on the news, as I didn't want them to freak out. They were able to see the protesters via Skype out of my hospital window, however I couldn't keep the windows open much longer because the smoke began to come into the hospital.

The resident doctor came back in and informed me that I would be taking the medicine to control my contractions at 4 PM because the hospital was on lockdown. No one in and no one out. My doctor would not be able to enter the hospital if I did, in fact go into labor. I used her phone to call Paul and tell him that he would not be allowed to enter the hospital. He was just down the street from the hospital and said that the roads were closed, and that there were no police anywhere on the streets. He said that he would call me and check on me periodically. I could hear in his voice that he felt helpless. I let him know that I was okay and that I thought it would be safer anyways if he and Zeke were in the valley where things were calmer. He agreed and headed back home.

Nurses came suddenly, and started putting wet sheets in the window sills to stop the smoke from coming in. The police were getting closer to the back of the hospital and that meant the grenades were being shot closer to where we were. The street just behind my window was at first where people would run to escape the tear gas and cops. Now it had become a trap. The police had closed in on both ends of the street and there was a mass of people trapped between two barricades of weapon wielding police officers. The people were trying to climb the fence and enter the hospital in order to escape the police and tore down part of the fence. My nurse Irina and I were watching out of my window. The police were telling the people to move and were herding them onto the cross street through a small opening and then started shooting tear gas at them. All of a sudden a tear gas grenade landed under my window and another one under the window two rooms down. Nurse Irina and I turned and ran for the door. She ran down the hall to get help and telling people to come out of their rooms and into the hall. Smoke was coming in through our windows (they are not sealed like at home). She came back with a mask for me and then started handing them out to other patients. We had to wait for about 20 minutes for the smoke to clear out of our rooms before we were allowed back in.

While we waited outside of our rooms things outside calmed down. My eyes burned from the small amount of smoke that had entered my room. I went back in my room once the smell had dissipated and turned my attention back to the news. Things outside were quiet and I felt relieved for some peace. My throat, nose and ears burned, I kept coughing. I couldn't imagine how the president must have felt, having one of those grenades explode in his face. Finally, it was quiet.

However, Correa was still trapped in the Police Hospital and the country was standing still. There were no police out on the streets. It had gotten dark and there was no sense of security. Anyone that was at the hospital would be sleeping there, and the main reason they couldn't leave is because there was fear that they would be robbed. Two banks had been robbed, stores had been robbed. There were no police to stop the bad guys. They had abandoned their posts and left the people to feel helpless.

Suddenly, I heard heavy gunfire. Since it was dark I couldn't see anything out of my window and was a little scared to get close as I didn't know exactly where the police hospital was in relation to my hospital room. The news was showing that the Ecuadorian military was trying to rescue the president and that the police were retaliating. They didn't want anyone to take Correa away from them. They were waiting on him to fold and give in on the decision he had made to change the promotion time from five to seven years, that there would no longer be metals given at the promotion ceremonies and they wouldn't receive a large bonus at these promotions. They would, however be paid more monthly. They had already received better equipment, their barracks had been remodeled and fit with nicer furniture and at the moment they were shooting with the newly obtained weapons that he had given them. Correa told them that he would not change his mind and that it might be best that they read the new law before believing the word on the street. In fact, not one of them had actually read the law and the only thing that they had in fact understood was what was relayed to them by word of mouth. Right out of the mouth of someone who wanted to take Rafael Correa down, and had construed a plan to let the police do it.

The shooting got louder and this was the first time I was actually scared. I was scared for the people in the hospital, for the men that where out there trying to rescue their commander in chief and for the man that was in the middle of it all. I felt for a moment like I was in Iraq. It felt like being in a war zone, and my sense of security was stripped away at that moment. First, I opened my room door just incase I needed to run again. Then, I got in my bed, snuggled down in my covers and turned my attention to the news. There were camera crews out on the street and in the hospital capturing the scene. I watched in horror, cringing every time I saw them drop a camera as they ducked down to escape passing bullets. The most disturbing scene was when I saw the body of a military person fall off of the embankment and onto the sidewalk. He had been shot down by the police and his fellow military troops ran to his aid. He died right there in the street. All of a sudden, the camera men turn their attention to a car trying to enter the hospital parking lot. And, they are talking so fast that I lost what they are saying. The gun fire became louder and I watched as bullets hit the car. The car then drove off and the camera men stayed on the fight between the police and the military.

Suddenly, the channel shows the Presidential Palace balcony. President Rafael Correa walks to the balcony and wave to his followers who stand below on the street. It was like a David Copperfield trick. One second the news is reporting he is still in the hospital, and the next he is on his palace balcony addressing his nation. It was still a war zone outside of my hospital, as the police were now on a mission to kill anyone who came close. They had failed at keeping their prisoner and they were pissed about it. For almost 30 minutes after the president had escaped the gun fire continued. Although, I was so relieve to see the president safe, I was still feeling insecure and fearful. I was ready for peace, for cease of fire. And, when it finally came I had never been so happy for silence in my entire life. President Correa was stronger than ever, he was on fire as he spoke to his country and I felt a sense of security knowing that he was back in charge. The military took post where the police should have been and people could finally get some sleeping knowing that their country was back in some sort of order.

October 1, 2010
Paul came to see me and I don't think I had ever enjoyed a hug as much as I did that one. My doctor and the pediatrician came to talk to me and see how I was feeling. We made a decision to stop my contraction medication that afternoon. And, I could begin walking to help my labor come on it's own. Paul and I decided to take a walk outside and look around. The windows in the front of my hospital had been shot out. There were boards up, and they had already replaced some of the window panes. We stepped outside and I was shocked. The Police Headquarters where the whole thing started was right there beside us, I could throw a rock and hit it. I didn't realize just how close it all was. The police hospital was just around the corner. We started to walk through the parking lot and I looked up at the catwalk that connected the hospital to the medical building across the street in front of the hospital. The glass of the catwalk was full of bullet wholes, some that only went through the front side and others that showed where bullets had traveled through both sides. I was completely shaken. I had been so close without realizing it.

Benji was on his way. We had endured a lot the night before and now I felt ready. I was so blessed to have such a great team of nurses and doctors taking care of me, and now I was ready to have this baby and get out of the hospital.


My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. Psalm 62:7 NLT