30 years ago, this day changed my life. My sister was born out of a very difficult birthing process. My mother bled for 6 hours (almost in a swimming pool of blood) and the gynaecologist barely managed to save my mother and sister at a 30 minute margin.
The Gynaec was a seasoned doctor and surgeon but she made a diagnostic blunder, one which she remembers until today. It was a placenta previa case. She was trying for a natural vaginal birth. In the middle of the night, she realised it deserved a C-section. And the anaesthesist wasn't available. So my Mom was left to bleed with some basic emergency measures. no one could have helped the situation.
After a 12 year struggle for survival, my Mom and sister emerged victorious. What is often spoken about in birth stories us the mother's pain and agony. Not much is heard about the baby's birthing pain. It is apparently as hard for the baby! In my sister's case, she was hanging detached from the placenta and was unable to come out, for fairly long.
But that was just the beginning of her struggles! She has braved many health battles, social issues, and others.
She is one of the most adaptable, clean hearted, ambitious, independent and beautiful women I know today!
While I have been infamous for mothering her quite a bit (even deciding what she will eat today!), she is my biggest inspiration. Her life stories are beyond the space of this post so will keep them for another time.
She is the one I have the hardest (even physical ;-) till we were in our higher 20s) fights with. But we most often can't do things without each other's approval.

My Mom now refuses to take those calls when we call home to complain about each other!
She has made me truly believe that siblings are a must have! (True even for my daughter).
#Siblinglove