Home for Christmas

We are so happy to let everyone know that two of our little ones will be going home in time to spend Christmas with their families! Anna Noah and Berny will both be traveling with Vanessa on Sunday to Haiti. You may remember that Berny has been here since the summertime when he mysteriously came down with Guillan-Barre Syndrome. We were so worried that we wouldn't get him another visa to return to the US before the virus stopped his breathing. Fortunately, Vanessa and some quick working doctors arranged for his care in Roanoke, Virginia and he traveled back with Vanessa within a few days. He immediately went into the PICU and stayed there for some time. As they had never seen this virus stike someone so young, they weren't sure the prognosis for Berny. Thankfully, the progression of the disease stopped short of compromising his breathing, but little Berny did have to learn to use his arms and his legs all over again. He has worked hard this fall and now considers himself Superman (see his pose below)! So do we, Berny!! He has some further rehabiliation to go, but all concerned, including the docs, consider him a medical miracle. A big thanks to everyone who has helped get this little man back on his feet and on his way home to his Papa Bernard and Mama Suzie!

Anna Noah has been here in the US several times now and this was a short trip to get her mouth piece repaired. She has had both her cleft lip and palette repaired, but unfortunately, the doctors have not been able to close the hole in the roof of her mouth completely. A wonderful doctor who Anna calls Dr. Olivia in SC made a small, removable guard that covers the hole making it easier for Anna Noah to talk and safer for her to eat & drink. With new mouth guard in hand, Anna is now ready to return to Haiti and meet her brand new little brother who was born while she has here! Her family will be so happy to have her back in time for the holiday.

Please keep Vanessa and the children in mind while they are traveling to Haiti next week. We have other exciting news to share soon about our mission to start at least one, possibly two medical clinics for our children and their families in Haiti. When we get all the details together, I'll be sure to share more!

Blessings,

Fran

Puppies for Christmas!

Well, Vanessa and her sister have a whole bunch of beautiful, sweet puppies that they are selling once again to raise money for Angel Missions. These little ones are just adorable and they are all purebred Maltese. They are ready to go or Vanessa is willing to hold on to any puppy (that has been paid for) until Christmas if that is what you need. Please take a look at these sweet faces and consider giving someone you love a wonderful companion & friend for Christmas!

Meet the Little Girls!

Angel; born 9/16/07

Bell has a new home!

Faith; born 8/9/07

Noel; born 9/16/07

Hope; born 8/9/07

Snow has a new home!

Grace has a new home!
Meet the Little Boys!

St. Nick; 8/9/07

Snowball; born 9/16/07

The cost for the females is $1,000 and males $800 with all profits going to fund medical care for the children in our mission. All puppies come with a health guarantee and are kennel & paper trained. They have their first shots, are vet checked and have papers. Mother 7 to 8 pounds. Father -5- 6 pounds. All are purebred maltese. She will keep any puppy till Christmas that is paid in full. Puppies reside in Ohio and Virginia. Delivery can be arranged.

their Journey begins....

When Vanessa, and team members Ben and Theresa flew back on October 13th, they had some adorable company. Three little Haitians joined them on the trip and are here now to get their much needed medical care. The oldest is Anna Noah.

This is Anna's third trip here to the states and she will be getting her palate appliance repaired. She has had three surgeries for her cleft lip and palate and a hole remains in her palate. The doctor just didn't have enough structure to work with in order to close it completely. Anna now wears a guard to cover the hole, similiar to retainer that our teens wear after having braces. This device protects against her inhaling foods while eating and hopefully also helps prevent infection. It has also enabled Anna to develop understandable speech and she definitely doesn't have trouble making herself understood! Unfortunately, the appliance broke some time ago. Her stay here should be short this time and she will soon be on her way back to her family.

Emerson is almost two and will be going to Indiana for his surgery. Poor little Emerson was born with a severe case of cleft that extends all the way up into his eye socket. His parents have taken such good care of this little man and they are so excited to see his sweet face once the surgery in completed. He is a sweet boy who loves music and loves to dance. We are praying there are many bright days ahead for Emerson.

Nessa is a baby I met back in April. Her young mom had brought her to us and was asking for help with her little girl's club feet. This mom had diligently taken Nessa to a doctor in PAP since she was born for her to have casts put on her feet every few weeks. At seven months, it was clear the casts had not helped her. I contacted Tami Shobe with Children's Medical Missions to ask for help. This wonderful woman has a number of doctors that are able to help with this condition. We had to wait till this fall to help little Nessa, but we are all so excited that she is here and is on her way to Ohio for surgery. Nessa is adorable and so personable. She just turned one year old and is babbling and smiling at everyone. Her parents are anxious to have her back with them, but are so thankful that she is getting the opportunity to have her feet corrected. In Haiti, there are few options for children and adults with orthopedic disabilities. This surgery will make an immeasurable difference in Nessa's and her families lives!

We can't say thank you enough to all who help make these childrens lives better. Without you our mission would not be a success!

Photos from our Trip

Doctor Ben helping remove a bone fragment from this young fella's arm. This kid was so brave and didn't move a bit throughout the 45 minute procedure. Most impressive!

This adorable boy is Mish. He is 11 yrs old and has brittle bone disease. He is so charming and so engaging. Mish has broken so many bones, the doctors were amazed that he is walking at all. He does need surgery to correct some of the bones that haven't healed properly.

This little girl iss quite amazing. Her head measured 38 inches around and she was still able to move around and watch us as we talked with her mother. She was alert and has good neurological responses. She desperately needs surgery to remove the fluid. At this point, she is waiting for us to find a doctor and hospital that will give her care.

We saw a good number of children during our travels and had the opportunity to see a few medical facilities that provide good care in Port au Prince. The most extraordinary was the hospital started by friends and partners, Father Rick Frechette and Conan Conaboy. This is a wonderful example of what medical care for the Haitian community could be if excellence was the goal. Our group was so thankful for being able to tour their hospital and to hear about all they are working towards to serve the poor children in Haiti's capital. The Hospital is Hopital Saint Damien and is located near the airport in Port au Prince.

As we were touring some of the other hospitals, one thought that went through my mind a few times during our travels is that parents in this country must live in fear that their children will get sick. It isn't like here in the states where if our child gets the sniffles and a fever, we can decide to run to the closest doctor or emergency care facility. First of all, in many Haitian hospitals, you must have all funds needed to pay for the doctor, the facility, the medications and the supplies that your child needs. If you cannot pay up front, then you don't get care. If you can afford to pay, then you must take your chance that you will get good care and good medicines. There is no form of Medicaid to cover care for poor children and hospitals and doctors are allowed to turn you away if they desire. Hopefully, your child won't get sick on a weekend or at night...there is little to no emergency care service. If you child is sick enough to warrent a hospital stay and you can afford to pay, you must stay and provide all the daily care your child needs, including food while the child is there. This is especially true at night as we were told by a Haitian doctor that many nurses sleep through the night. He told us many deaths occur during this time. The fortunate families are those that are able to find help from any number of volunteer medical teams that travel to Haiti or at a hospital like Hopital Saint Damien. However, the ratio of the care available to the number of sick children is staggering. Often there just isn't any help and parents are forced to sit by helpless and heartbroken as their children die. And this happens at an alarming rate in a country just 700 miles from our shore. Sometimes I have to admit that it is just overwhelming to look around and see that much despair and not have the means to effect a significant change. I am so thankful for the many individuals who fight this battle daily and have given their time, energy and faith to these families. I am thankful for anyone who is willing to step outside of their daily lives for even a short time to try and make a difference for a small child from Haiti. Without their efforts, none of the work would ever be done.

The Miracle Boy

I know there are miracles in many small things each and every day. We simply have to open our eyes and look for them! However, some times you are struck by something so huge, you just have to shout, "This is a miracle!" That is what happened one evening during my recent trip to Haiti. I walked into the courtyard after dinner one night and there he sat. The little boy who I thought for sure was going to die when he stopped breathing on our plane flight from Miami to Washington, DC. There stood a sweet, smiling Angelo! As you might expect, tears were pouring as I went to hug him. He looks amazing and is once again the sweet talking, happy boy that I met that first morning in PAP before he and I left for the US. For anyone who doesn't know the story about what happened to Angelo, you can look at the posts from April for the full blog. A quick summary is that Angelo had a large brain tumor that took up over half of his brain stem. He was struggling with excessive fluid on his brain as a result of this tumor and had lost his ability to see from either eye. He had terrible headaches and was very unsteady, eventually losing his ability to walk. The plane flights for Angelo were torturous. The pressure changes caused problems with the fluid and on our second flight he was unconscious and not breathing well. We had to make an emergency landing in Charleston, SC where some wonderful doctors, nurses and church friends did everything possible to help us during our stay there. Angelo needed a vent and the docs put him in the PICU and relieved the excess pressure. Once he was stable, the transported Angelo to Toledo, OH where Children's Medical Misions had arranged for him to undergo surgery for the tumor. Angleo's first miracle was that his tumor was not malignant.
However, he struggled terribly after the surgery. He was unable to see, he was suffering from Cerebella Mutism and could not speak, developed pneumonia and was even unable at one point to swallow his own saliva. He was having so much trouble there was even a discussion as to whether the radiation he needed would make him worse not better. However, God gave Angelo a second miracle...his mother was able to travel to OH to be with him. For this sweet, momma's-boy, that made all the difference. He left the hospital with his mother and his aunt and had radiation therapy to shrink what was left of the tumor. In August, the family returned to Haiti and Angelo continued to improve. When I saw him last week, he excitedly told us that he was going to school now and was also playing soccer. His mother was so happy and thankful that he is doing so well.

I took a video of Angelo talking with my friend Karen. He has such a sweet, quiet voice that it is difficult to hear, but it is easy to see how happy and full of life our miracle boy is these days!

Should Have Paid More Attention in French Class!

I'm in Haiti trying to use blogger in French...why oh why didn't I pay more attention in my college French classes! I am bungling along a bit but I think it will work.
The trip is going well and we are busy visiting hospitals, orphanages and clinics. There are two doctors and a nurse along with us and they are most interested in the state of medical care here in Haiti. One of the doctors; however, is Haitian and knows first hand how bad things are for the Haitians who need even simply medical care. He was trained here at the University Hospital (government run) and now is in the states learning all he can to bring back here and help. I will try and post some pictures later.
On Monday we will travel to Jeremie (Dr. Fortune's home town) and to Pestel to see another hospital. In Pestel, we will meet a friend who lives here in the mountains. Neither Vanessa nor I have been to these parts of Haiti, so it should be an interesting adventure.

Well, just lost electricity so I'll have to finish later!

Prayer Request for Mission Team

We'd like to ask everyone for prayers for Vanessa and the mission team she is escorting to Haiti. They arrived yesterday afternoon and things seem to be going well thus far. They have a number of tasks to accomplish this week and we are praying for good weather and many blessings for their work.

We also have two little ones with club feet that we are hoping to get all the paperwork together and care lined up soon. Please keep these two babies and their families in your prayers.

Hope everyone's weekend is fun! Thanks for reading!

New Photos of Mia

I just received some new photos of little Mia from her family in Haiti. She looks so good! This was one sick little girl before she came here to the Roanoke Valley and the doctors gave her a shunt. Mia struggled for a while after the surgery, but is doing so great now! Her father and mother are very devoted parents and are thrilled to have their little girl home and healthy. Thank you again to everyone who helped make this possible for Mia and her family.

An Update on Ruthlande

I had promised an update on Ruthlande as soon as I got information and pictures. Happy to say that Sarah emailed us and told us that Ruthlande is doing wonderfully. She and her family visited with Sarah just last week and her mom is so happy & thankful that Ruthlande is doing so well. She looks wonderful in the pictures! Many thanks to all who helped with Ruthlande's care while she was in the states. It is awesome to see so many people coming together to help a little one.

Chedner is Up and Running...Literally!!

It has been a long summer for Chedner, but he is doing great. In fact, he is vertical and highly mobile! We have watched him struggle with his pelvis and hips as he tried to sit, crawl, stand and now walk. All the way he has been determined and focused. About two weeks ago, after he seemed to be feeling better from the last surgery, he just decided to let go and give it a try. He is so proud of himself and we are certainly proud of him!

Disclaimer: For any squeamish folks, Chedner's colostomy bag is visible in this video. He had just gotten out of the bath and was running around in just a diaper. You can't see much, but just so you know.



We don't know what whether or not the doctors will have to fix his pelvis with the next surgery he has coming this winter. You may notice as he is walking that his feet are actually pointed out, in other words, they are externally rotated. That is their natural resting position and if we don't do anything to change that, they will stay that way. If the docs do decide that it is in his best interests to close his pelvis and rotate his hips, then it will mean at least a month to six weeks in traction. We've decided to get another opinion before making any final decisions and starting on the bladder revisions. For now, though, he will just enjoy chasing his brothers and the dogs all over the house. I do have to admit that I have forgotten how busy toddlers can be at times and now that this boy feels better, he is into everything! Chedner is a joy to watch and we are blessed to have him in our lives.

A Fundraiser for

Angel Missions Haiti

Vanessa and Tom Carpenter have been raising Maltese dogs for many years. They have had many litters of these sweet little dogs. One of the ways Vanessa raises money for Angel Missions Haiti is by selling the adorable puppies of her two Maltese, Crystal and Haiti. The Maltese breed are lovable, loyal lap dogs. They are small dogs and range in weight between 5 and 8 pounds. All of Vanessa's dogs have been raised in her home and enjoy being with the children.

From Crystal's last litter, they have two pups still available for sale:

Max is the male pup and weighs just a little over 3 pounds. He is very playful and cute. His asking price is $700 and all proceeds will go to pay for airfare and medical care for the children in our program.

Sweet Pea is the smallest dog Vanessa has ever raised. She is just adorable and weighs just over 2 pounds. Her asking price is $1000.

The puppies come with a vet guarantee, first shots, wormed, dew claws removed, and registration papers. While the prices may seem high, they are actually below what you would pay for Maltese at a pet store or other breeder. All proceeds do go to Angel Missions Haiti to help cover expenses to provide the children with much needed medical care.

To inquire about the puppies or if you have questions about our mission, you can reach Vanessa at 540-380-4588.

Berny is trying to walk!!

Vanessa sent me an email and pictures today of little Berny trying to walk. He has been doing okay since he was released from the hospital after his bout with Guillan-Barre Syndrome. He had been making slow progress and the doctors have said they are unsure of how the recovery will go. Not many children as young as Berny have had this particular illness. Heather and her family have been taking great care of him and he is getting help from the early intervention therapists in her area.

Apparently all the prayers, loving attention and hard work is paying off. Berny has been trying to crawl in the last few days and managed to do an army crawl yesterday. After working on some physical therapy using a large ball, he wanted to be helped into a standing position and was doing his best to move his little legs as hard as he possibly could. Hooray for Berny!! We are so proud of him!

Please keep this little guy and Bernard & Susie along with all the folks here in Virginia that are doing their best to get Berny back to his former busy self.

Sometimes, a bag is better....

Chedner is once again recovering from surgery. After our beach week, I brought him to the doctor for his post-op visit to get the hernia sites looked over. That all was great and he hasn't had any more troubles with the hernias. However, we reviewed the tests with the surgeon who believes that Chedner's intestinal problems would continue and there wasn't any way he could make it better for him. The sphincter muscles just aren't working. To help with his pain and on-going elimination struggles, the surgeon again recommended a colostomy. Although we have been very hestitant to go down this road so soon, we have decided that Chedner definitely deserves a rest from the daily pain he was having. So, on July 23rd, we again checked into the University of Virginia Children's Medical Center and the next day they performed an end colostomy. The first 36 hours were rough and he was knocked out thanks to morphine. He was in a great deal of pain, but by the third day, he seemed more comforable and we bungled through our first bag change. Now a week later, Ched is crawling around and playing with his toys. He is eating better and is no longer crying and fighting me when I empty his bag several times a day.

Thanks to everyone who has kept Chedner is their prayers. He is a sweet boy with a strong spirit. We are blessed to have him in our lives.

Belated Photos - Family Reunions!

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to give you all a few pictures that Vanessa had sent me from Haiti. She brought several children back with her in June when she traveled. Nelson, Christy and Skyline are now all back with the families and doing wonderfully. Nelson and Christy have so much energy and look so healthy, their families were just overwhelmed. Christy's dad told Vanessa to tell everyone who helped his daughter here in the US that, "He thanks all of us for helping to save his daughter. He said there are no words to describe how he fells or how much he loves all of us for helping him. He said he will pray for us everyday till he dies."

Here are some of the pictures we have of the happy reunions (Haitians often don't smile in pictures, but be assured they are all very happy!)

Christy with her older sister and her proud Papa

Nelson with his Dad before leaving for the countryside and a reunion with the rest of his family.

Skyline has an even more beautiful smile now that her cleft lip has been repaired!

Skyline and her Papa (her Mom was working).

Chedner's on the mend again.

Chedner has just had his third surgery, this last one in Virginia. He has multiple congenital anomalies seemingly caused by Caudal Regression Syndrome, a rare birth disorder. He needs a number of major repairs still, but this surgery was small by that scale. Ched had three hernias, one of which was getting stuck and causing problems. Last Thursday, the doctors fixed two of them and completed a few tests which attempted to map his anatomy more clearly. The good news is he is recovering quickly and is back to his smiley self this morning. The hernias were complicated, but the docs feel they have a good fix in place. Without significant stomach muscles (he didn't grow many in utero), they had to figure out how to keep the hernias closed. Ched will eventually have bladder revisions and the surgeons will attempt to reinforce the muscles that he has there. The tests showed he has a bladder of sorts and we are chosing to be optimistic in hoping that it will function correctly. Surgeries to revise his urinary system will begin in next fall. Not so good news....his sphincter muscles are not working well and the strongest one isn't in the correct location. Basically, this means he is incontinent and will most likely remain so. We meet with the surgeons in a few weeks for a post-op check and discuss surgery for the colostomy before the end of the summer.

Thankfully, Chedner remains a happy, easy-going boy most of the time and we are enjoying watching him grow. At 16 months, he has a sense of humor and a temper, is talking a bit and can crawl all over. He does know how to stand up, but due to a malformation of his pelvis and bilateral hip dysplasia, he isn't walking. We don't know when or if he will walk unassisted, but a visit to the ortho doc will hopefully give us some guidance on in this area. We are hoping to get him a walker sometime soon so he can get up and chase the other boys around.

Please keep him in your prayers as we go through the summer and into the fall. It is often hard to believe that one small body can have so many problems, but at this point, it appears I care and worry more about that than Chedner does. He is just enjoying life!!