A migrant woman who arrived in Reggio Calabria pregnant, gives birth to twins the day after her arrival: This is Mariama's story, she is one of the 584 migrants who reached Reggio Calabria on March 11.
Until Saturday (March 11), Mariama, a 27-year old woman from Guinea, was on a boat, but the day after, she gave birth to twins at the GOM, the Great Metropolitan Hospital of Reggio Calabria.
The procedure took place on the morning of March 12 with a C-section.
Mariama arrived to the port on Saturday, 11 March, one of the 584 migrants who were on the ship 'Diciotti' of the Italian Coast Guard.
The woman who was thirty weeks pregnant was immediately taken to the GOM.
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The six-day crossing of the Mali desert to reach Libya
At 12:20 two little boys were born, one weighs around one kilogram while the other one is one kilogram and 300 grams. The twins now are at neo-natal intensive care unit but their health conditions are not worrying.
The young woman explained she walked for six days across the Mali desert to reach Libya. As soon as she reached Libya she boarded the boat and was at sea for three days.
Had she not reached Reggio Calabria, she was at risk of a premature birth at sea with very high risks for her and her childrens' life.
"I am very happy for the way I was welcomed in this country and I thank Italians and this country that helped me at this terribly difficult moment," said the woman.
Mariama is in good health conditions. Her husband was already in Italy and was working in Rome, from where he left to be with his wife and to hug his twins.
At least 40 children are among migrants who arrrived
The 584 migrants who arrived were identified and their photographs were taken by the police.
Many already left for other regions in Italy, based on decisions of the Ministry of Interior.
A group, instead, remained in Reggio at the 'Boccioni' school of Gallico where a shelter center was set up a while ago.
Among the migrants who reached Reggio, at least 40 were children and several were pregnant women, among them Mariama.
A total of six people were taken to receive medical care at the Gom.
A psychiatric assessment was requested for a young boy, as he tried to jump from the Diciotti Coast Guard ship.
The welcome and shelter operations were coordinated by the prefecture. On site, in addition to Civil Protection volunteer workers, there was also a team of officers from Frontex (the European Border and Coast Guard Agency) that helped the police collecting information.