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It's an absolute miracle!!
Elisabeth and her twin brother went home this week. I am in absolute disbelief and awe, really never thought this day would come! As you know Elisabeth came in at 9 months of age and weighing only 4 pounds. I have never seen a child as malnourished and as close to death as she was. We had to feed her with a tube in her nose because she had tongue thrust, which is the inability to effectively swallow because you reflexively push your tongue out. Hers was so severe that even at rest her mouth was always open with her tongue resting outside of her mouth.
These past few weeks I have been working with the mother on exercises for the mouth and tongue in hopes of decreasing this to allow Elisabeth to eat and drink by mouth because she cant go home with a tube! Well, one week ago we took the tube out and prayed. I couldn't't believe my eyes, she was able to take a bottle and eat. She even gained weight. I don't know how to explain this except I truly believe that it was a miracle. She was so beautiful the day that she left. Leaving day is a big momentous occasion for the mothers and staff. For two months we all work and pray together that the day will come when they can bring their HEALTHY child home. We all know to well that sometimes it doesn't have a happy ending. But when it does we are all so very happy.
On leaving day, the mothers bathe and dress their baby in their finest clothes, polished shoes, and ribbons in hair. Sometimes the transformation is so great that you don't even recognize the child, that is until they smile. Then there is no mistaking who it is. Yes, Elisabeth even smiled before she left. It was a moment of pure joy to experience her smile.
I will never forget Elisabeth! She was a miracle!
UPDATE ON SAMANTHA
Samantha is doing great. She is 10 months old and has a cleft lip and cleft palate. When she first came in to the clinic over 4 months ago she was tiny, sick and weak. She couldn't hold her head up, sit or hold a rattle in her hand. Now she is sitting, crawling and getting into mischief. She is actually chubby!!! Her mom and grandmother are so proud of her. They are working very hard on getting passports to come to Green Bay to have surgery. This is no easy feat in Haiti. First you have to get an identity card. For this you need to go all the way to Port au Prince, which is a long trek and expensive for most Haitians. Of course the card takes time to get and so you need to periodically return to Port au Prince to see when it is ready. Only after you have your identity card can you apply for the passport which is another trip into Port au Prince. Then again, you must patiently wait. After these steps are finalized we then must apply for a medical visa. As of right now, Samantha's mom had applied for and is waiting for the identity card. If all went well she was hoping to submit for the passport on May 28th. We have a rendezvous with her on June 3rd to get more details! I will keep you all informed as I know that all the folks in Green Bay are anxiously awaiting for their arrival! Hopefully all will be set for August, but don't hold me to it! As they say in Haiti, "Sel Bon Dieu konnen." (only the good Lord knows). How true that is.
Posted by Christy and Tim at 02:02 PM on May 30, 2003 :: Permanent link
Haiti celebrates Mother's Day on May 25th
ODE TO ALL MOTHERS:
This past week has been a hard and trying week for me in more than one way. But despite the tears and frustration I have discovered one thing for certain - there is nothing stronger, more enduring, more powerful or more beautiful then the love between a mother and her child.
Celine's Story
Every Monday afternoon I walk into town to work with Celine and her mother. Celine turned 13 on May 13th. Celine is profoundly physically and mentally handicapped and weighs only 34 pounds. Celine was born a healthy and happy child but at the age of 4 began having seizures. At the age of nine she had a grand mal seizure and has never recovered and suffers from permanent brain damage with seizures.
The family has a 2 room thatched house with mud floors and 1 bed in which Celine spends all her time as she can not sit, stand or walk. As I work with Celine I have to constantly pick the ants off of the bed. This is not because Celine's mom does not take care of her, it is just the conditions in which they live. Despite what one would think at first glance, Celine's mom takes exceptional care of Celine, who requires 24 hour care and is completely dependent. She must puree all the foods that she cooks for Celine and slowly spoon feed her and at times assist her to close her jaw, She is constantly wiping the drool off of her face and cleaning her up after bowel and bladder movements.
Posted by Christy and Tim at 01:57 PM on May 24, 2003 :: Permanent link
Going Mobile
Hey Everybody:
Another erratically-scheduled update from Christy and Tim in Haiti. Feel free to read and pass on, or just pass on. Attached are a few pictures that show what happens when you've been watering flowers with a group of eleven-year olds. Christy is shown with Patrick, Adelson is by himself, Tim is ashamed to have been caught this way.
Posted by Christy and Tim at 10:38 AM on May 17, 2003 :: Permanent link
Zen and the Haitian Road
Last week I (Tim) got to drive part of the way from Port-au-Prince to Aquin. It was quite the learning experience. Here’s the background: about once a week, Sister Althea heads to Port to conduct business. Because Haiti is so highly centralized, everything that needs to be done officially more or less needs to be done in the capital. For us in Aquin, that means about a four-hour drive, one-way, to get there. If we happened to live in a town like Jeremie, which is on the extreme western end of the southern claw of Haiti, that would mean a 15 hour ride, or a nine-hour ferry trip. Yikes!
Sr. Althea usually tries to make these trips in one day. That means waking up at 4:00 a.m. and leaving the house by 4:45. By quarter to nine, you can be well within Port-au-Prince and hitting the government offices right as they open. After she runs errands, she will go the grocery store, and then try to be out of the city by 2:30 or 3:00. If it is after 4:00, she will usually stay the night there, as it will be dark by 6:00 and then it is very hard to drive.
Which brings us to the driving. On the way back, Sr. Althea was a little tired and asked me to take the wheel about halfway home. I agreed, excited to get behind the wheel after three months of walking. I needed to feel some speed.
Posted by Christy and Tim at 01:48 PM on May 03, 2003 :: Permanent link
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It's an absolute miracle!!Haiti celebrates Mother's Day on May 25th
Going Mobile
Zen and the Haitian Road
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