When Robin Lim returned home to Fairfield for a hero’s welcome she was honored by the City of Fairfield with a proclamation given to her by Mayor Ed Malloy. Robin also shared some birthing stories with us. One of them was very funny of a Russian couple who wanted to have a home birth, an orgasmic birth. This video begins with several video clips about Robin and her CNN introduction, presentation and acceptance speeches.
Founded in 1995, Bumi Sehat is a non-profit, village-based organization that runs two by-donation community health centers in Bali and Aceh, Indonesia. They provide over 17,000 health consultations for both children and adults per year. Midwifery services to ensure gentle births is at the heart of Bumi Sehat and our clinics welcome approximately 600 new babies into the world each year.
Their mission is to reduce maternal and child morbidity and mortality and to support the health and wise development of communities. Toward this goal, we provide general health services, emergency care, prenatal, postpartum, birth services and breastfeeding support, in addition to education and environmental programs. Yayasan Bumi Sehat is devoted to working in partnership with people to improve quality of life and to improve peace.
Mayor Ed Malloy officially declared Robin Lim Day in Fairfield, Iowa on November 13, 2012. Robin is returning to Fairfield to accept the honor and give a free lecture on midwifery and her work in Indonesia Tuesday at 8 p.m. at the Sondheim Center in the Fairfield Arts and Convention Center. Admission is free.
Several events will take place between November 8 to 15, 2012, starting with a free showing of the award-winning documentary film, Guerrilla Midwife, at the Fairfield Public Library. The film was made by Robin’s daughter, Deja Bernhardt, about her mother’s work.
Robin will also be giving a series of talks starting at Des Moines University in the Student Education Center Auditorium at 7 p.m. Sunday. The event at the Sondheim honoring Robin takes place Tuesday night, followed by talks on Wednesday morning at the Maharishi School, on being a hero by pursuing your dreams and passions, and evening at 7:30 p.m. on sustainable parenting, in Dalby Hall in the Argiro Student Center on the Maharishi University campus, concluding Thursday morning at Fairfield Public High School.
In addition to her work in Bali at Bumi Sehat (Healthy Mother Earth), Robin and her team helped save lives and opened a second free clinic and birthing center in Aceh, that part of Indonesia most heavily hit by the tsunami in 2004. She later used her newfound disaster-response skills to aid victims of the earthquake that leveled parts of Haiti in 2010.
Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the best-selling book, Eat, Pray, Love (the last part takes place in Bali), met Robin and had this to say about her: “Robin Lim is what we should strive to be—a great, abundant, generous, warm and tirelessly running faucet of humanity and grace.”
I spoke with Robin Lim after she became the CNN Hero of 2011. She used to live in Fairfield. Some of her kids went to school here. KRUU FM’s Dennis Raimondi had interviewed Robin Lim on one of her visits back to her second home of Fairfield, Iowa. You can listen here.
Lim wins CNN’s Hero of the Year
Robin Lim was one of 10 finalists and had just won CNN’s Hero of the Year for all the work she’s been doing over the years in Bali, and in Aceh after the Tsunami hit. She also helped deliver babies being born in Haiti after the earthquake. An American, Robin Lim became a midwife after her sister and niece died from complications during pregnancy. She reevaluated her life and decided what meant most to her, and that was love—giving, nurturing, and saving lives. She became a midwife, went to Bali and opened a free clinic. Since 2003, she and her team in Indonesia have helped thousands of low-income women have a healthy pregnancy and birth. Her philosophy and practice is Gentle Birth for Peace on Earth. Click on the hyperlinked phrases below to see videos and articles.
See the video that introduced 2011 Top 10 CNN Hero Robin Lim at “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute.” Heroes Tribute: Robin Lim.
Celebrities joined CNN in honoring everyday people doing extraordinary things who are changing the world in Sunday night’s “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute” show. Here are some CNN Heroes highlights: photos: 2011 CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute video: CNN honors top Heroes of the year, and overview pagewith other videos and articles.
Here is a video of CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta backstage at the fifth annual “CNN Heroes” awards: Gupta backstage at ‘Heroes’. His last interview is with CNN Hero of the Year Robin Lim as she walks offstage at 3:07–3:50.
In this exclusive follow-up video, Robin Lim: What’s next?, CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks to 2011 CNN Hero of the Year Robin Lim. He starts off by asking how women’s lives will be impacted after tonight’s win. Robin says they’re going to build a new clinic and thanks her team and family. After hearing Robin’s passionate description of training midwives to help poor undernourished Balinese women bear their young, Dr. Gupta says: “I just applaud the work that you’re doing for all the world’s children out there.” Robin makes a plea for midwives who deliver peaceful births: “We are the ones who are the guardians of normal birth.”
CNN’s Anderson Cooper joins honorees Patrice Millet, Bruno Serato, Diane Latiker, Sal Dimiceli, 2011 CNN Hero of the Year Robin Lim, Amy Stokes, Eddie Canales, Richard St. Denis, Taryn Davis and Derreck Kayongo.
Some Media Coverage on Robin Lim, CNN Hero Of The Year
CNN: This Just In: Join the conversation: CNN Heroes with a lovely photo of Robin with her mother and husband before her win.(wireimage).
And after, standing with Anderson Cooper, as CNN Hero of the Year.
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