Home from the Hospital - Mollescum

I just got home this afternoon with Amira. We were at the hospital since Tuesday (Kevin and I) taking turns on staying with her. I have new gained respect for the families that have to stay at hospitals for days and weeks keeping their families apart. Anyways, whoever has been following my blog knows how annoyed I was by Amira mollescum and that this Dr. wouldn't help her. In fact the dr. at the hospital said that she didn't know what she was doing and that it was her fault it got so infected. They said that Dr. should have never poked it.

On Tuesday we had a regular appointment with the eye dr to check it. They wanted to sent her home and come back in 2 weeks for surgery (hellllo?) but her normal pediatrician said "heck no" and made an executive decision to keep her at the hospital. They were worried she had some nasty stuff growing in there which today I found out she did. But the antibiotics should take care of the stuff growing in there. There was a huge sign on the door to only come in the cloves and gowns but I believe there were other reasons for that, but whatever. They also wanted to rule out she didn't have MRSA. I was hoping they would cut the whole mollescum away and they told Kevin they did but later on when she came out of surgery they basically told us that they didn't cut it but sucked out everything. They are extremely confident that is will not return. Its still kinda swollen but it looks but so today I really am relying on the fact that they told me the truth and it will not return.

Amira and Biruk missed each other like crazy and called each other all day on the telephone. Biruk was very brave and didn't cry when he had to sleep alone in his room.

It actually looked worse when she went in. Her eye was completely shut.

After the surgery

Being reunited with Biruk. She shared one of her balloons with him. I will post more pics of Amira later. Her eye really looks much nicer than on the picture.

Project Hopeful Store At Last

I really don't shop much anymore, I know I have said that before but anytime I can support the cause for orphans, especially HIV, I am all over it. I probably have at least 10 different t-shirts in my closed supporting Africa, orphans, HIV, parasites, water, you name it. Anyways, click HERE for the link of the Project Hopeful Store. I am all excited about that they have finally opened a store. Plus this is a store I know the money is being used for good causes to help families bring home children with HIV. Below is what I ordered tonight. Ha, I guess its my belated Mother's Day gift to myself.

Blessed Beyond - Happy Mother's Day

I was so blessed when I was in ET to have met the mothers' of my children. I told them over and over and over how thankful I was that they selfishly gave up their kids to be with my family. I mean just think about that for a minute. To have to get to a point in life where you just cannot support to raise your children anymore? And some people have the nerve to think the children are blessed to come to us? NO, WE ARE. This is the least we can do for them. I hope one day soon I can return to ET to meet with the moms again, bring me a good translator and tell them again how thankful I am and how much joy these little ones have brought my family. Amira's mom makes like $5.00 per month and she still brought Amira and Biruk their traditional ET clothing and she bought a scarf for Kevin and I. When my friend Signe returned from ET she gave me a huge bag of coffee and berbere from Biruk's mom. That is how unselfish they are. I am so blessed. Thank you God.

Amira's Mommy

Biruk's mommy

You have got to watch this Video of Danica

Okay so I was going through my old files and found this video of my Danica who was in her first year of college. She is the one on the right in the green shirt. She is a crazy girl. I just love her free and innocent spirt. Click on Danica's video.

Danica's video.

World AIDS Orphan Day

Tomorrow, May 7, is World AIDS Orphans Day. World AIDS Orphans Day is a grassroots campaign to draw attention to and advocate on behalf of the millions of children orphaned by AIDS.
Here are some of the staggering facts. Please read them... please really stop and think a minute about these statistics.
There are over 15 million children orphaned by AIDS living around the world RIGHT NOW. 15 million is the equivalent to the number of all of the people living in New York, Paris, and Bangkok combined. That is an awful lot of children.
Well over 12 million AIDS orphans live in Sub-Saharan Africa, alone.
Experts believe that millions more orphans remain unaccounted for in India, China and Russia.
At least 10 million more children will be orphans by AIDS by 2010.
Do you know how many TOTAL global confirmed cases of the swine flu there have been? As of today (May 6), there have been 1,516 cases. Do you know how many people, world wide, have died of the swine flu as of today?? 31. And look at all the hype... all the action... all the caring.
Do you know how many people around the world DIED of HIV/AIDS in 2007? An estimated TWO MILLION people. That is over 5,400 people a day, dieing of HIV/AIDS. It has been estimated that now, in 2009, 6,500 people will die every day from AIDS, and an estimated 6,000 of those people will leave behind children when they die.
So today, another 6,000 children will be added to the already 15 million children world wide who have been orphaned by the HIV/AIDS crisis.
The result of being orphaned by AIDS is heart-breaking for these children. From the World AIDS Orphans Day website:
In addition to the trauma of losing a parent, orphans are often subject to discrimination and are less likely to receive healthcare, education and other needed services.
In HIV affected households lacking community support, food consumption can drop by 40% putting children at risk to hunger, malnutrition and stunting.
Impoverished and often without support to educate and protect them, orphans and vulnerable children face increased risk of HIV infection. (And there are already an estimated 2 million children currently living with HIV).
Orphans are often easy prey to many forms of exploitation: forced labor, prostitution and child soldiering.
In the United States, if a child loses a parent to accident or illness, it is considered a terrible tragedy. Such stories are covered by the media, communities mourn and show their support, etc. In Sub-Saharan Africa, parents dieing is a normal part of life. It is still a terrible tragedy for those children, but it happens so often that no one else really pays any attention.
And do you know what makes this really, truly horrible? Do you know what makes my gut twist and my heart ache? HIV IS COMPLETELY TREATABLE.
If a person contracts HIV in the United States or another country where there is treatment readily available, they have an excellent long term prognosis. Most HIV+ people receiving treatment now have close to normal life expectancies and can live in good overall health. With treatment, HIV+ children can be healthy and happy. They can go to school, grow up, go to college, have (healthy!) children, and live long enough to raise them and beyond. Without treatment, an estimated 50% of HIV+ children will die before the hit their second birthday. My Solomon was almost one of those 50%.
HIV does not have to be a death sentence, and yet for thousands of people every day, it is, because the world doesn't care enough to really do something about it.
Can you imagine for one minute if some terrible disease struck the United States (or whatever country you live in) and was killing thousands and orphaning thousands every day? Can you imagine if another country had treatment that could lead to good health and a long life, but it just was too expensive or too difficult or too much trouble to get that medicine to us? We wouldn't stand for it.
So why do we stand for it now?
I can't wrap my head around what 15 million orphans looks like. I can barely wrap my head around the 100 or so HIV+ orphans that I am trying to find adoptive families for. The numbers are staggering, and so is the need for action. Children are the future of our world, and I shudder to think about what this world will be like with so many millions of children growing up without the love and security of a family... and way too often growing up without adequate food, education and medical care. Where does that leave all of us?
Rich Stearns, President of World Vision, US said,
"I believe that this could very well be looked back on as the sin of our generation. I look at my parents and ask, where were they during the civil rights movement? I look at my grandparents and ask, what were they doing when the holocaust in Europe was occurring with regard to the Jews, and why didn't they speak up? And when we think of our great, great, great-grandparents, we think how could they have sat by and allowed slavery to exist? And I believe that our children and their children, 40 or 50 years from now, are going to ask me, what did you do while 40 million children became orphans in Africa?"
I know that it feels like the problem is way too big for us to really do anything to make a difference, but I know with all my heart that touching the life of just one, just ONE, child can truly make a difference. And if everyone touched the life of just one child, we could reach them all.
Here are some ways that you can help touch the life of an AIDS orphan this World AIDS Orphans Day.
- Get educated. One of the biggest roadblocks in getting people to care and take action is the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS. This is not a disease that only strikes those who "deserve it" (yes, that is really how some people think!). This is a disease that strikes men, women and children... it strikes heterosexuals and homosexuals, it strikes people of all races and social classes and it strikes people in all countries. HIV/AIDS is a HUMAN problem.
Fear is another big roadblock. HIV can not be transmitted in any casual way, and people that are HIV+ are not a threat to those around them. HIV can only be transmitted through sexual contact, birth, breastfeeding and blood to blood contact (such as sharing needles).
I have written a ton about HIV/AIDS, and you can find those posts here. Once you are educated, join my Tell Two Campaign and share the truth about HIV/AIDS with others.
Two excellent books to read about the HIV/AIDS crisis and the orphan crisis are There is No Me Without You and 28 Stories of AIDS in Africa.
- Sponsor an AIDS orphan. There are many wonderful organizations out there that allow you to sponsor a child for a very low cost per month. Doing so makes a great difference in the life of that child, and getting to know the child you sponsor through pictures, updates, letters, etc. will have a great impact on your life as well. I promise. Two wonderful organizations that I work with are AHOPE for Children (which supports AHOPE Ethiopia, a home and community support program for HIV+ children in Ethiopia) and Hardthaven, a home for AIDS orphans in Ghana. I know that financially times are hard for many right now, but we live better than most people in the world and would have to sacrifice very very little to sponsor (and truly help) an orphaned child.
- Consider adopting. Adoption is only an option for a tiny percentage of the 15 million AIDS orphans around the world and it is certainly not the solution to the AIDS crisis or the orphan crisis, but for the tiny percentage of children who do get adopted, it changes their world and their future dramatically (and for the adoptive parents, it is equally amazing). There are agencies and programs placing healthy and special needs orphans from all over the world with new families. If your heart may be open to adopting an HIV+ child, I have about 100 amazing children of all ages waiting for a second chance at love, family and life.
You can read here why I believe in adoption, and you can read here why I feel so passionately about adoption for HIV+ children.
- Support From HIV to Home, an organization that helps provide care for HIV+ orphans and supports and helps parents adopting HIV+ children. They have a wonderful program to help raise money for parents adopting HIV+ children called Kids Walking Kids Home.
- Support Project HOPEFUL, whose mission is to "encourage, educate and enable parents adopting children with HIV/AIDS".
- Visit the World AIDS Orphans website for other ways to touch your heart, get educated and get involved.

Beautiful Day

What a beautiful day yesterday. Peaceful like it hasn't been in a very long time. It was so much fun just being together and just working soaking up the sun as a family. Kevin was out in the yard with Biruk while I was in and out all day washing clothes, Amira was helping, Anastasia was watching. Ana didn't want to take a picture again. I love when the spring and summer gets here so I can dry all my clothes outside (call me old fashioned but that's how I like it)

Washing clothes. At least if its nice I can dry all the clothes in one day vs over several days when they have to dry inside.

Biruk and daddy in the yard

Biruk and Amira just posing. Hm I wonder where Biruk learned the pose from:)

Oh Biruk lost his first 2 teeth over the weekend and his top tooth is lose also. He is only 5.

A New Day Has Come

I am not a great fan of Celine Dion anymore but this song below has been popping in my head like crazy for the past two weeks. It has happened today. Our girl has left and all I can say is "let the healing being". Not just her but this whole family including the little ones. I have this incredible peace all over me that I haven't felt in a very long time. It is a good day. A really good day.

I was waiting for so long

For a miracle to come

Everyone told me to be strong

Hold on and dont shed a tear

Through the darkness and good times

I knew I would make it through

And the world thought I had it all

But I was waiting for it to end (hm I changed this a little, sorry Celine)

And now I see a light in the sky

Its almost blinding me

I cant believe I have been touched by an angel with love

Let the rain come down and wash away my tears

Let it fill my soul and drown my fears

Let it shatter the walls for a new sun

A new day has come

Where it was dark now there is light

Where there was pain now there is joy

Where there was weakness

I found my strength

Let the rain come down and wash away my tears

Let it fill my soul and drown my fears

Let it shatter the walls for a new sun, A New Day Has Come...

Dark Times

I have been encouraged a lot lately by my fellow bloggers Amy, Lisa Q., and Signe to talk about my feelings. Often times we don't express ourselves on our blogs when we are down and the world is caving in. We don't want to admit when times are hard because often we are criticized.

I am hoping to be in my last week of turmoil. I don't know if you have noticed lately on the top of my blog I have rather cold or rainy pictures and they keep changing. Those pics are expressing my emotions if I might say so. Although it looks like that she is going to depart our house this weekend but I will truly believe it when I see it. I only wished that I could express myself elegantly like my friend Amy did when she explained her story but really I don't know how to.

I just can tell you from the bottom of my heart that the past 7 months have been a pure nightmare in our family. This started to happen even before the little ones came to our house and they have nothing to do with it even though many people including my husband might want to think that.

The story is the 10 year old girl we have taken in. I just don't want to express her identity anymore especially since she might go somewhere where all of us know each other. Who knows.

This young lady is a very messed up little girl. I thought we could help her with all of our experience we had with Anastasia but come to find out this was much bigger than we thought. Actually than I thought. I truly was the one having most of my problems with her because I was the only one in the house looking right into her soul knowing how manipulated everyone was. And she knows it too.

What makes this situation really sad is that we are divided in our house at the moment. Not in a mad way but a sad way. Basically it was me or her. My dear husband Kevin is like once he takes something on that is it for him. He basically said to me unless she burns down the house or is trying to kill someone he is gonna stick with it. Not so with me. Although I am the adult in this but when I am constantly lied to, stole from and most of all have triangulated in my marriage I just can't do much anymore. And even more so have the little ones hated and talked about non stop.

Yes I know she is very troubled but I am truly at the end of my road. I am so finished with this I cannot express it enough. I will rejoice when this is finished so the healing can begin for my whole family. Tonight she is at an overnight school thing and I have never felt such peace. Even the little ones were just so peaceful.

Child Dedication

Today was very, very special. Our little ones were dedicated to the Lord. In our church we don't baptize or christening little ones because they are innocent in God's eyes at that age so no need. We the parents and the church just commit to raise them up in the image of Christ and bring them up in a godly home. These children are not mine they belong to God. I loved our pastor's short sermon before dedication because he talked about Hannah being barren and when God finally gave her a son she dedicated him to the Lord. Can you imagine being Hannah? What a woman. But after that, God gave her many more children. I knew that from the very beginning when we adopted them that they will become his soldiers and came here for a purpose not to get rotten. We are praying every night that God would mold them in HIS image and as they become older to do his will and work. What a special day.

Little Ones are Inseparable

Tonight Kevin went to a baseball game with the other kids and Amira wanted to stay home with me. So she is no hysterical and refuses to go to bed. She keps saying "Biruk not in room". Awhh, she is afraid to sleep without him. Its so funny because they are always fighthing, they are not even allowed to sit on the bus together but she can't go to bed without him.

Even the other morning I had to be at the hospital at like 6 something and snuck out of the house with Amira but when Biruk woke up he was hysterical because his sister wasn't there.

It has made such a huge difference I think that we brought them home together re: attitude and bonding and all of that because they are still doing so well.

On a side note, my favorite cat Stu is at the hospital on an IV, they think he has liver failure. He was all yellow and dehydrated. He is 12 years old but they don't think he will make it. Poor kitty, I love him so much.

What a Loser Doctor

So my Amira has been home for over 3 months and I have been seeing this Dr. re: her humongous mosloscum right under her eye. If you look at her pictures you can see how much bigger it has gotten over the months. So first she prescribes a $700.00 medication. Nothing. I finally told Kevin to take her in and have it all cut open. The Dr. was all against it because she thinks Amira would have huge scar. She prescribes this medication, Retinal?, to put on her mol. every night so I put it on for about 3 days and I swear it swell up so badly it looked like someone punched her so I stopped the medication. This morning I washed Amira face and she kept saying aua, aua, like I was hurting her and suddenly I discovered a huge open wound right under her moloscum. Talking about what kind of a scar she is gonna have now? So we took her back to the Dr. and she still wouldn't cut it open but just kept poking at it and it still looks the same. I am just so heartbroken over Amira open wound. I swear it looks like someone took a razor blade and cut her skin open. I was trying to take pics but the camera wouldn't take and close ups.

Anyways, I just don't know what to do about this anymore. I really think this Dr. doesn't even know what it is. Obviously this Mol. can't go away naturally like regular ones because its right under her eye. :(

Happy Easter

Sorry Anastasia is not in the picture. She was not in the mood. But my Danica was home from college and she was able to get some good snapshots.

Oral Surgery today

We had to be at the hospital at 6:30am with a surgery date at 8:00am. I was happy, Amira was the first patient for the dentist. We arrived home at 1:00pm. She is in a lot of pain this evening. But Amira was such a trooper all day. She is just so strong and I am so proud of her. I got her some over the counter kids motrin and it seems to make her more comfortable. We have been waiting for this date a long time and it finally come. The dentist that I chose decided to pull her 4 front teeth and not put anything up there which was fine with me. It saved me a lots of money and a bunch of moms that have little ones actually told me just to pull them. She also pulled 3 more in the back which was a total of 7. We also have I think about 7 silver crowns, at least. The surgery went really well and I am so glad its finally done. This Friday we have the huge mosluscum under her eye looked at again and hopefully the Dr. will cut and drain it. This is the same Dr. that prescribed her the 700.00 medication and it didn't do anything. All the other dermatologist don't have appointments till May so I guess I am desperate to go back to this lady. We will see.

Amira waiting to go to surgery

After the surgery

Swimming

We had a wonderful time at the pool last weekend. This was a first for the kids. They were so happy. Of course Mr. Biruk didn't want to listen and not wearing his life vest so after much arguing with dad, he finally threw him in the pool and guess what, he learned his lesson quickly to put his life vest on.

The whole family went (we are still having to take two cars on those outings 7)but Danica and I stayed out. I felt pretty bad but I really didn't have a swimsuit. Anyways, they loved it and are ready to go back. And I tell you what, I just love my hubby so dearly. He has been amazing on taking on the role to start all over again and often I think he is doing a much better job than I do. I just have to blog about him another day when my mind is more clear. I am just so thankful for him. He truly is my soulmate.

We are hanging in there

Sorry I have become somewhat of a slagger blogger. After going private for a few days to share my family stuff I decided this would not be so good. Why would anyone have to suffer from not hearing and seeing of Amira and Biruk. So I figured the stuff I need to discuss that is so personal I will express in emails with my closest friends.

Anyways, last Sunday was a beautiful day. I took the kids right after church to the zoo and park and we had a blast. We were out there all afternoon. They are still doing amazingly well and I am sure its because they have each other. They make each other laugh all the time and even more so they talk each other to death. I love when they talk Amharic to each other. I have noticed that Amira wants to do it much more than Biruk. He uses more English but I always enourage them to keep speaking it.

Every single day I come home I am still in awe (I know I sound like a broken record) that these kids that I have drooled over their pictures for months are finally mine. It is just a miracle how God placed the "just right" children into my family. I have a good picture now why all these other adoptions never worked out from Guatemala, to Zambia, to Liberia. All these precious kids are in my heart forever but obviously they were not meant for me and God hand picked Amira and Biruk and what a perfect fit they are.

My little Amira has her oral surgery next week. They will work on every single one of her teeth and she will pull out the 4 upper front teeth. Poor baby is gonna be toothless hopefully not too long. Her moluscum has not gotten any better and I am starting to get a little fed up with these doctors that they can't get me in till May. So I raised up with one office today and hopefully they can cut it next Friday but I am not sure yet. It is just huge. And all the kids always point it out to her and say "ouie".. I can tell its starting to bother her cuz she always talks about it. My Biruk is perfectly healthy. He is such a big helper and has a very gently and sweet spirit. He also started to play soccer and had his first game last Saturday. I think he like basketball a lot, he is so good at dribbling the ball. They are both enrolled for Kindergarten this fall so hopefully they both make it.

Biruk Soccer Team

First Soccer Game

He is just scoring a goal

Man to Man talk before the Game