Update on Gifty

I have had opportunity to spend some time with the Cook family and Gifty in Rogester,MN. Gifty is having some much better days after her last scare. Gifty had a liver transplant last week which went good. Then she had a very serious brain bleed and had to have surgery for that. Christmas day there were many many people praying especially for her to make it through. Today she has been able to have some apple juice, sit in a chair, have her tenny shoes on, etc...
Here she is watching the African Childrens choir on dvd and was facinated with the music.

Here is Gifty talking on the phone?ha! Actually her aunt Emma was singing to her- how sweet!

Gifty even got to enjoy part of a popcile. She loved it as you can imagine.

And Dean is getting in some much needed daddy/daughtere time!

Please continue to keep the Cook family and Gifty up in your thoughts and prayers. She has a long way to go.

Happy Holidays

Cleaning up for Christmas Day. Please remember us during your holiday season.

Gifty

This Beautiful little girl's name is Gifty who was adopted by the Cook family a year ago. (this is her picture from last Christmas) Gifty is special needs in that she has needed a liver transplant for sometime now. A family friend emailed this following update:

"Please pray for Gifty, they got the call this morning that they had a liver for Gifty. They are on there way now and hope to do the transplant tonight! It is so time for her as she is on oxygen and still having a hard time breathing because her liver is so enlarged".

Global Orphan Outreach along with Andrew Tyler were happy to be a part of helping her be adopted by the Cook family. They have done an amazing wonderful job of raising her and we all cannot wait to see her be healthy!!

Just in time for Christmas..

( click on picture to see bigger)

Happy Holidays! As some of you know; many of us have been helping in different ways in Liberia since the adoption of our children. One of those ways is with a program called Forget-Me-Not Children’s Homes. These are foster homes for special needs children. In deed-Christina is in Liberia this week working with the program nurse as well as meeting all the children and caregivers in these homes. To read more about this: www.globalorphanoutreach.blogspot.com

At this time of year, our thoughts and hearts turn to those who are less fortunate and how we might be able to help. We encourage you to consider giving to this program so that we can continue to help and support children who have been left abandoned because of their unique special needs. It is as easy as going to www.globalorphanoutreach.org and clicking on the pay pal button. You are welcome to send a donation to our address listed on this site as well. We are a 501c3 and give receipts upon request. And as always, you can reach us by phone at #715-415-4401

We also have an African Inspired Quilt Raffle that you can participate in. All proceeds are going towards the homes for special needs children in Liberia. What a great gift for a loved one in your circle of family or friends. The warmth of this quilt will be appreciated by your loved one and the donation of this raffle will go to precious children in need of your help. Thank-you!

Remembering Bryant

This little boy's name is Bryant. A month ago or so-his father asked FMN if we would take him into the program. His mother had already abandon him due to his disability and his father said he would do the same if we didnt take him. He said he would allow him to die and he didnt care what happened as he was a burden. We told our FMN nurse to take him in immediately. She thought it best to wait a couple of days to arrange his caregiver first. We were anxious to give him the much love and support that he deserved. He even had a wonderful family here in the states to sponsor him. By then the father disappeared into the bush with Bryant. After much searching over the past month- we were able to find his grandfather who told us this past week to dont bother. He was dead. His father took him to the bush and starved him to death.

Words cannot begin to express how we felt. Devastated begins to describe it. How could anyone do this to any child? Yet- This is why we do what we do.

Bryant and children like him are precious and have immense potential. They need you and me to help. (I am sure the birth family felt too overwhelmed and had no options left-this does not excuse it)

We at Global are putting out a plea once again. Please get involved. These kids need you. And as you can see- many times it is a life or death situation that decides what their fate will be. We cant help them all but please help us to help some.
http://www.globalorphanoutreach.com/OurSpecialChildren.html

wrapping up my week here in Liberia.....

We did a little supply shopping and headed to pick up the bed boxes I ordered. These bed boxes were a simple concept to be able to have beds for our kids when we run out of cribs. To purchase a crib here is very expensive, we try to send pack and plays whenever anyone travels, but they are also heavy, so we can only carry a few at a time. I had a simple concept for a wood box to place a soft mattress in that a woodworker could make. When we came to pickup the first one, it was this beautiful baby bed!!







Went to visit Barry, Kenneth, Maddie and Martina. I love these kids! I just can't say that enough! All the kids just melt my heart!Met one of our foster dads who Surprise lives with. Sweet baby boys were fast asleep, so I didn't get to see him smiling to day.



Also visited Favour again. She was so cute in her little outfit and her matching shoes! She was sitting and standing (with support) so well! I loved seeing how her caretaker/foster mom implements therapy and works with her to increase her muscle tone and abilities! I cannot say enough wonderful things about these women!





Visited with Joseph, the young man that has some medical issues with his lung. The dr.'s first thought it was a heart issue, but turns out it has something to do with his lung. We'll be working on getting a special dr. to consult for medical treatment. Joseph is a very well spoken, polite, 15 year old boy.For more on how to help Joseph-go tohttp://www.globalorphanoutreach.com/Medical.html



I ended the evening with a visit from Professor Flomo who work is a professor at Cuttington University. I really admire this man! He is working with us to help implement Global’s work in Liberia too and gives us great advice.



Drove through the red light district...horribly busy. It takes an hour to move a mile!! People everywhere! We also witnessed a lot of criminals being arrested, carried off in a police truck with a very large rifle pointed at them! Yikes!



This week has really opened my eyes to the struggles of daily life, simple things we take advantage of, are such a struggle here. The needs for support in communities are overwhelming! I will be bringing home several cases for sponsorship needs. It is so great!

One of these cases is Varney. For now, his mom needs support to continue taking care of him. She is alone, husband abandoned her, and her community (muslim),has rejected her. My goal is to move her into a Christian community where she will feel no shame or be shunned. She wants to live as a Christian. She has gone without food for three days at times. This broke my heart to hear how this devoted mother, to a very sick child, has no one to help. Even though Varney may not be able to have any medical intervention, he has a very loving mom that loves and cares for his needs. She just needs someone to know that they care and will provide some support to help her. Could that be you? FYI-I did leave some funds to help a little in the meantime.



Tomorrow I leave to go bk to the U.S. More about this trip will be posted during the coming week.

Caustic Education Prevention Campaign..Update..

Today I went to Benson hospital with George Gibson of Global Front Foundation. Global Orphan Outreach and this organization have partnered up to actively work towards addressing the ever-growing problem of caustic soda ingestion in children by bringing caustic education and prevention to Liberia. Global has also partnered with doctors both here in the U.S. and in Liberia along with the Ministry of Health of Liberia to bring Poison Control Education to the Liberian people, hospitals, and clinics. This campaign has involved print and electronic media, posters, billboards, stickers, and workshops. We went to present the posters and stickers (they love this because they see a lot of these kids) to them to be used and then we went to JFK and did the same. Moses from Star Radio interviewed me at JFK (ahhhhhh)! It airs at 10:00 tonight on star radio 104! Dr. Sherman who works with many children struggling with this issue is doing some of the program as well as a birth family whose son is dealing with this health issue.

Soon there will be billboards erected in Monrovia advocating for the prevention of this poisoning as well. We will post pictures and the radio interviews and also the radio drama on our website when it is finished. It is our desire to see this program successful in reducing the number of caustic poisonings in children.

I Visited more hospitals and gave them more information on FMN. Visited the PT department, touched base with the supervisor there. She was very happy to hear about us as well. She also told me about their orthopedic department and that they actually do pelvic casting.

Tomorrow- another busy day!