Update on Shnaider...

Here is an update on Shnaider, from his host mom: Stephanie. Thanks so much for taking such great care of this little "stinker"!

Snaiders test is next Tuesday morning. We have to be at St.Vincent at 6am. They will give him general anesthia then they have to do a lumbar puncture and inject dye into his spinal column. They will let him wake up and then we have to stay at the hospital all day to do scans waiting on the dye to travel. They are looking for where the spinal fluid leak is comming from. Im sure it will be a long day and I will be there with him alone all day. Ill post again about it before it happens. Keep us in your prayers.
Steph

Update on Widline...

Here is an update on Widline from her host mom: Kate. Thanks Bowley's for taking such good care of the "princess"!!!

We went to Widline's appointment yesterday with Dr. King. She now weighs 12 pounds 8 ounces. He mentioned that if she continues to grow at the same rate, she should catch up by the time she is 15 months old. So for what it is worth! She is doing really well. We now have the sz 15-16 dilator. He would like us to do 15 for two weeks then 16 for two weeks, then do nothing for 2 weeks, and bring her back after 6 weeks. I mentioned her possibly not being here that long because I was not sure what the plan was for her. He said under those circumstances, to just send the dilator with her. He said under normal circumstances he would see these types of patients at least every 6 months. He did mention working with fruits to keep her from getting constipated...right now she is on Miralax as needed.
So, we will be going back to Columbus on AUG 8th to orthopaedic. I am anxious to see what they have to say about her.

Here is a cute picture of Widline showing off her pearly whites! Finally got a good picture of them!

Take care--
kate

Please pray for Shnaider...

Shnaider has had a lot of changes over the last week. Last sunday at Luca's birthday party, I noticed that Shaider looked swollen between his eyes. I asked Carla, his host mom, what she thought, and she had noticed the same thing. My dad examined him. He is a doctor, and he said that there was definitely fluid building up. Shnaider was not in any pain, no fever, and was acting perfectly normal.

Carla called Dr. Young monday morning, and he wanted to see him the next day. In the mean time, Barbara Walker, the missionary who brought him over, called from Miami telling Lori that she could come and bring him back to Haiti that day. Needless to say, that was not going to happen! If all went well, she would return for him August 16th. With all of the unknowns of how long Shnaider would need to stay, the Truesdale's felt it would be good to find another host family to take over care of Shnaider. THANK YOU BEN AND CARLA FOR SACRIFICING YOUR "NORMAL" FAMILY LIFE FOR OVER 4 MONTHS TO CARE FOR AND LOVE SHNAIDER! This was not an easy descision for the Truesdale's to make! Shnaider had become a part of their family and they all loved him very much!!!!

God was not surprised by any of this, and had backup in the wings. I have been corisponding with Stephanie Mueller for over a month now, and she has been very interested in hosting future children. She and her family were willing and able to take Shnaider as soon as the Truesdale's needed to transition him. She is a nurse with St. Vincent's Women's hospital. Shnaider had his surgery at St. Vincent's children's hospital. She lives VERY close to the hospital.

Lori took Shnaider to see Dr. Young on Tuesday, and he was baffled by the swelling. He is consulting with another neurosurgeon as to what the next step will be. More than likely he will need another surgery to figure out what is going on. Because of the need for surgery, Dr. Young felt that the sooner Shnaider could get adjusted to his new host family, the better. So, sooner than anyone could have predicted, Shnaider transitioned to his new host family Tuesday afternoon. He is doing great, and has transitioned exceptionally well! THANK YOU TO THE MUELLER'S FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO TAKE HIM ON SUCH SHORT NOTICE!!!!!!!!!

Please be in prayer for the Truesdale's! All of this transpired while they were on a short family vacation. No matter how much a host family can be prepared: These children come into their lives and hearts, and saying goodbye is NEVER easy! Fortunately Stephanie, Shaider's new host mom, is from Fort Wayne where Carla lives, and the Truesdale's get to babysit this Saturday for the whole day. They will stay in contact with each other throughout Shaider's stay here in the U.S.

In my last post on Shnaider, I asked that everyone pray for Shnaider and his birth mom. Well, I can share specifically now. Shnaider's birth mom can not be located. Barbara is assuming that she has abandoned him. She was supposed to come to the village in June, and did not show up. No one can locate her. So, what does this mean for Shnaider? Once he is deamed "legally abandoned" he will be eligible for adoption. If you or anyone that you know would be interested in possibly adopting Shnaider, please let Lori Shepler, or myself (Rebekah Hubley) know. PLEASE PRAY THAT A FAMILY IS FOUND SOON!!!!!!!!!!

Here is a picture progression of Shaider's "bump"(This is what Carson and Chase, Shaider's host brothers, called his encephalocele):

(Shnaider before surgery)

(3 weeks post surgery)


(Sunday: July 20th at Luca's party)

(Taken just a couple days ago)



Stephanie will be calling Dr. Young tomorrow: I will post as soon as I know something!

Witlene Thermidor

Would you please join us in praying for Marie? She is 25 yrs. old, and has a benign tumor on her pituitary gland. We have a doctor and host family lined up for her. I am just waiting to hear from Lutheran Hospital. Please pray that they will transfer the funds that they had set aside for Shnaider, and use them for Marie. I will be calling the hospital again tomorrow. Also pray that when everything is set here in the States, the US Embassy will not have any problems with issuing her a visitor's visa for her medical care. I have heard that it is sometimes harder to get an adult out of Haiti for medical care, verses a child. I will keep you updated when I hear anything!

Sorry for the silence...

Life has been INSANELY busy for Lori and I!!!!!!!!! I came back from Haiti 8 weeks ago today with Jonas, and life has just gotten crazier! I have 4 children, 3 with special needs, so there is not a dull moment around here during the summer. Lori just moved, and her family is in the process of building a new house. Their life is not going to slow down anytime soon. Their 6th child will be born sometime in late August/early September.

Many of you have e-mailed us and asked about Widline and Shnaider. I have updates...
Also, for those of you who have contacted Lori or I about helping with Hands That Heal, we appreciate your willingness so much, and we will be getting back with you soon to get you plugged in!

Widline is doing great, and has reached many milestones. She is even sitting now!!! She will be returning to Haiti in August with AMH, unless her doctors want to do some more testings/surgeries with her. I will let you know when she has an official travel date. Her host family will MISS HER TERRIBLY!!!!!!! They look forward to hosting another child in the future. Thank you Bowley family for loving Widline like she was your own!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You have impacted her little life forever!






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Shnaider is doing great, and has been released by all of his doctors to go back to Haiti. Barbara Walker, Reach Out To Haiti, will be coming to the States to take him back to Haiti in the next couple weeks. Please be in prayer for Shnaider and his Mom. Hopefully in the next couple days, I will be able to share more in depth about this specific need. Just please lift Shnaider and his mom up to our Lord!!!!!!!! Shnaider came to the States so weak and underweight. He has gained over 5 lbs, and is now walking everywhere. He has really bonded with his host family, and I would ask that you pray for his adjustment as he goes back to Haiti. Here are a couple recent photos that his host mom sent me. Thank you so much to the Truesdale family for hosting and loving Shnaider during his time here in the US! I know that you will greatly miss him!

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Currently, we are working with Angel Missions Haiti to find help for 2 orthopaedic cases and 5 urology cases. We have a doctor that has agreed to take the 2 ortho cases. Thanks Dr. Didelot and St. Vincent's Hospital. Megan, who was featured on the AMH blog a few weeks ago, is one of the cases. Please pray that I can get a hold of the doctor this week to start the paperwork. It is sometimes very hard during the summer months to connect easily with doctors. This is a busy time for them as they do A LOT of surgeries during the summer, and take family vacations, etc. The second ortho case, Joseph, will be coming to the States late fall/early winter, to have tumors removed from his legs.

I am still waiting to hear back from the Urologist, to see who he will be able to help. He will be prioritizing the cases, and doing the most urgent cases this year, and the others next year.

Marie Witlene will be the next patient coming to the States for surgery. She is a 25 yrs. old, and has a tumor on her pituitary gland. Dr. Isa Canavati has agreed to do her surgery, and we are praying that Lutheran Hospital, in Fort Wayne, will donate the OR/hospital stay. This is the hospital that Shnaider was originally going to have his surgery at, and then the surgery was transferred to St. Vincent's. Since the money was set aside for Shaider's surgery, and it was not used, I am asking the hospital if they will just transfer those funds for Marie's surgery. Please pray with us that it will be okayed!

Lastly, Barbara Walker, just sent us medical information for a teenager with a heart condition. We will be seeking medical treatment for her in Ohio. Please pray that a doctor/hospital/ and host family will be found for her.

Please contact us if you are willing to be a host family. We can e-mail you an application, and will keep your information on file, for when we have a child/adult coming to your area.

Thank you so much for praying for this foundation, and partnering with us to find help for the people of Haiti!