Prayers Needed

There has been a pretty bad bug going around here at COTP over the past week and a half.  Many of our children have had bad diahrrea and vomiting that has lasted days.  We have had to put a few children on IV's because they have been so dehydrated.  Most of the children who have been sick with this have recovered.  

This morning our nurses were woke up because Marie, one of our little girls in the Giraffe room wasn't doing well.  Marie had been sick for a few days, but appeared to be doing well last night at bed time.  Tori and Amy tried all morning to put an IV in her, but were unable to find a vein.  Unfortunately Marie passed away this morning.  Marie's biological mother passed away during child birth at a local hospital.  While there a lab technician and her husband fell in love with Marie and decided to adopt her.  Although they wanted to bring their new daughter home immeadiately, they had to fill out the adoption paperwork first, so Marie was admitted to COTP while this happened.  They visited often and were eager to take their little girl home.  They were only about a week away from finishing the paper work.

Please pray for her adoptive parents who loved her so much.  Pray for our nannies and volunteers who have fallen in love with her as well.  And most importantly pray that this bug passes soon and that no other children become ill.

Admits 7: 

After nearly two months of no new admits, we are making up for lost time!  We have admitted seven new babies recently.

Rosar was originally admitted to COTP in November after her parents passed away from Cholera.  Her uncle was the one who brought her to us.  Rosar was reunited with her Uncle last month, however after a few weeks at home, he realized he was not able to care for her and Rosar was readmitted to COTP.  Our first goal is to see families reunited, but appreciate when a family truly can't care for a child, they are comfortable enough to ask us for help again.  Rosar has readjusted to life here well and is enjoying spending time with her old friends.

Adlin is a two year old boy from Milot, a town next to us.  His mother passed away last June and since then he has been living with his Grandmother.  Adlin weighs 14 lbs 14 oz.  He can sit by himself but can not stand or walk.  He is very malnourished, but we are confident he will do well here.  Adlin loves to eat, which is unusual for malnourished children.  He is already comfortable enough her to smile and show us his beautiful white teeth!  Adlin loves to be tickled!

Rose Guerda was admitted to COTP on March 29th.  She is 5 months old and weighs 6 lbs 11.8 oz.  She is very tiny for her age but is very adorable.  Her Mother is not able to produce enough breast milk because of her older age.  Amy, one of our nurse met her family at the hospital recently while Rose Guerda was admitted there.  She will stay at COTP for a few months until she is healthy enough to return home.  Please pray that she gains weight quickly and that her health improves so that she can be reunited with her family.

Joseph is a 6 month old boy who weighs 7 lbs 8 oz.  His mother passed away and he has become very malnourished.  His Father and Grandmother have been caring for him since.  He has recently spent over a month in the hospital.  Joseph has a few health concerns that we are hoping to help with while he is in our care.  Please pray that he gains weight and that we are able to find doctors to preform his needed surgeries.

Ederly and Edly are one year old twin boys that weigh 10 lbs 8 oz and 13 lbs 3 oz.  We recently met their Mother at the local hospital where the boys were admitted for malnutrition.  The Mom was not able to breastfeed and could not keep up with their nutritional needs.  Their Father does visit them every now and then, but does not play a large role in their lives or help financially. Their Mother loves them very much and will be taking them home in a few months when they are healthier.

Adleyson is a three month old little boy and weighs 8 lbs 6 oz.  His Mom was orphaned as a child and never went to school.  She doesn't have any where to live with the baby and spends most of her day walking around begging for food because she knows she needs this in order to continue to breast feed.  She does not want her baby to continue to live like this, so has asked us for help.  Please pray that there is something we can do to help this Mom be able to provide for her baby and that Adleyson does well in our care for the time being.

Discharges 3:

Love Mika was brought to COTP by her Grandfather on November 25th 2010 after her Mother passed away from Cholera.  At the time her father was also sick with Cholera but is much better now.  Her Grandfather came to visit her often.  On March 28 2011,  he came back with his wife and with Love Mika's other Grandma to take her home.  Love Mika's father is very young and unable to care for her, so she will live with her grandparents.  This little girl is very well loved and we are sure she will have a smooth transition home.  While at COTP, Love Mika learned how to sit up and also gained a lot of weight.  She will be missed here but we are excited she was able to return home!  She weighs 14 lbs 2 oz at discharge (admit weight 11 lbs 11 oz).

Lovenson and Livenson were admitted to COTP on Christmas Eve when they were only 8 days old.  Their Mother passed away a few hours after they were born and the hospital referred their Father and two Aunts to us.  When they first came both boys were tiny, weighing 4 lbs and 7lbs.  Livenson was feed through an NG tube for 2 days when he first arrived because he refused to drink on his own, but since then both boys have been doing fairly well.  They lived in the volunteer house for almost two months in order to gain weight before moving to the Giraffe room.  Livenson recently spent two weeks in the hospital and was only discharged the day before he went home.  Please pray that both boys do amazing in their aunts care and continue to gain weight.

 

Birthdays 5:

We have celebrated three very special peoples birthdays recently.

Wedly turned 2 on March 11th.

Nickensly also turned 2 on March 19th.

Christella celebrated her first birthday on March 29th.

Robert and Rodney also celebrated their first birthdays on April 5th.

Each child enjoyed celebrating their birthdays under the mango tree with their friends.  Each birthday is a big deal here, and we are excited to be able to spend these important milestones with our precious children!

Projects

We have had some amazing groups volunteer at COTP over the past few months!  These groups have all been busy and have completed several projects that have needed to be done for a while!  We are very appreciative of all they have accomplished in their time here.  Take a look at some of their work!

Solar Panel Projects

Stairs to the roof where the panels will be installed.

Building where the batteries & Inverters will be housed.

Digging Trenches to run the new wiring.

Preschool:

First these two walls had to finish being built...

And then they were all painted.

Baby House:

Shelves for the Giraffe room.

Shelves in the Alligator Room.

Cubbies for the Lions Room.

Thanks to every one who has been involved in each of these projects!  We are very excited to have all of these done!


In Regards to Babies, We have only had one discharge and no admits!

Discharge:

Alexis came to COTP on December 7th 2010 with his Uncle.  Both his Mom and his Dad had passed away.  Three months later, on March 8th, he was able to be reunited with his Uncle.  Please continue to pray for this family as they adjust to living together.

Alexis

Birthdays:

Annelle and Annella celebrated their first birthday last week.  The girls Mom, sister, Aunt, and cousin were all able to attend their party which made it extra special.

The twins with their Mom and Sister.

March 3 2011 Update

As always, things here in Haiti are changing.  We have decided to postpone the installation of our solar panels until April to give more time for shipping.  We would hate for our team to arrive to install them only to find out that the panels had not arrived in time.  It's important that everything goes as smoothly as possible, and this will help us ensure that this happens!  Once again thanks for all the support to help make this dream become a reality!

Admits: 1

Kenlove recently went home to his aunt, however after about a week and a half she brought Kenlove back to our care.  He has done amazing readjusting to life here and is enjoying being in the Zandolit room now with the bigger kids!  Please pray that he continues to do well at COTP.

Discharges: 2

Asmessi was brought to COTP a few days after he was born, weighing only 3 pounds.  He spent a long time in the volunteer house so that we could ensure that he gained weight.  His father visited often and is very much in love with his son.  He was very excited when we informed him that his son was now big and healthy enough to return home.  Asmessi is in the formula program so that we can continue to monitor his weight gain.  We have already had the privilege of seeing him come back and he is doing great in his parents care!



Rosar was brought to us in November by her Uncle after her Mother passed away from Cholera.  While Rosar lived with us she celebrated her first birthday, began to walk, and gained a lot of weight.  Recently Rosar was able to return home to her biological family who missed her dearly!

Birthdays:

We recently had the privilege of celebrating Anita's, one of our nannies form the Zandolit room's, 50th birthday!  Anita loved wearing the birthday crown and the children enjoyed signing to her and most importantly eating her cake!  Anita is a great employee and is amazing with the children!  We feel so blessed to be able to work with such an amazing lady!

Note: Our internet is too slow today to upload pictures.  Sorry for the inconvenience!

Solar Project Construction

As many of you know we have been fundraising for several months for solar panels.  We are proud to say that the construction has begun and will continue until the end of March!

The panels will be installed on top of our guest house, so one of the first tasks was to build a stair case to get on top of the roof.  Once that was finished we also built a small room to house our batteries and many of the electrical components of our power system.

In March we have two teams coming down to continue to work on this project.  The first one will be a group from Arizona helping with all of the electrical prep work.  The second group is a team of electricians from Florida who will be installing the panels.

We can not say enough how appreciative we are of everyone who helped make this dream a reality financially, and all of those who have or will help with the installation of this project!  This is something COTP has been wanting to do for a very long time and feel blessed that we now have the resources and support to complete this project.

In regards to the babies, we have only had a few changes since our last post.  We have not admitted any new children, however we have had two babies return home to their biological Families.

Discharges:

Kenlove came to COTP in June of 2010 because he was very malnourished and his Mother couldn't take care of him.  Kenlove was very sick at the time he was admitted and spent a lot of time in the hospital.  He however has turned completely around these past few months and is doing amazing.  He went from a very tiny 10 lbs 8 month old baby, to a very large 22 pound toddler!  Kenlove was starting to take a few steps on his own right before he left.  Please pray that he does amazing in his aunt's care and that she is able to provide for all of his needs.

Kenlove w/ his Aunt and Cousin

Daniella came to COTP when she was 8 days old, weighing 2 lbs 8 oz.  She was a tiny baby in need of so much care that her father couldn't provide her at the time.  Her father visited often over the course of her 7 months here and was very excited when told she was finally healthy enough to be able to go home with him!  We are confident that he will do amazing with her.  She will be on the formula program for a few months so that we can continue to monitor her weight gain and ensure that she has a smooth transition home!  When she left COTP she weighed 11 pounds 12.8 oz/ 5.35 kg.

Daniella and her Father

Birthdays:

We have celebrated several birthdays here so far this month!  Givens, Lou, and Sabine all turned one and we felt beyond blessed to be able to celebrate their special days with them!  Each of them were so cute in their fancy clothes and made a mess with their cake!

Lou

Sabina

Givens Enjoyed his cake!

Staff and Volunteers:

Our new nurse, Tori, arrived last week and is learning quickly what all of her roles will be.  She is picking up Creole fast and doing a great job with all the tasks she has been giving so far!  We feel blessed to have two long term nurses here and are blessed to have these two women working with our babies and community!  Please continue to pray that Tori adjusts well and feels at home here!

At one point last week we had 22 volunteers working at COTP.  This is one of the biggest groups we have ever had, but are very thankful for all the work that they were able to get done and the attention they gave to our children!

We have several more groups and individuals coming in within the next few months!  Please pray for all these groups and the work they will do here at COTP!

A lot of Changes

This past month we have had a lot of changes here at COTP which is always exciting to see.  We have had five children reunited with their biological families and have admitted six children into our care!

Admits:

Anelle and Annella are eleven month old twin girls who we admitted on December 29, 2010.  They originally came to COTP in September because they were very small and sick.  After talking with their Mother we decided to enroll them in the formula program in order to improve their health without having to separate their family.  They remained in the program for three months, but returned very sporadically for their milk.  Their Mother couldn't afford a taxi to come out every two weeks as we requested.  After three months these girls had gained less than half a pound each.  Their Mother asked us to keep them for three months in order to help them gain weight.

At ten months old, Anelle weighed 11 lbs 2 oz and Anella weighed 7 lbs 15 oz.  Both girls have gained weight and are making great strides developmentally.  Anelle has moved out to the baby house and enjoys being with the other children.  Her sister is still staying with volunteers as she has not gained weight as quickly as her sister.  Please pray that these girls can quickly gain weight so that they can return home to their Mother who loves them dearly!

Anella and Anelle

Lovenson and Livenson were admitted on Christmas Eve when they were 8 days old.  Their Mother passed away a few hours after they were born.  The hospital referred their father and Aunts to us.  Both of the boys were very small and so we agreed to keep them for three months until their father would be able to better care for them.  Both boys are staying in the volunteer house and are gaining great weight.  Their first few days here we had to feed Livenson with an NG tube because he would not suck, however they both are drinking well and doing great!

At admit Lovenson weighed 7 lbs while his brother weighed 4.  They have each gained over 3 lbs in the short amount of time they have been with us!

Lovenson and Livenson

Manuella was brought to COTP because her Mom is ill at the moment and has been admitted to the local hospital.  Her grandma is staying at the hospital in order to help take care of her Mom.  Manuella has no other Aunts or Uncles to help watch her while her Mom is sick.  Once her Mom is better she will be able to return home with her.  Manuella spent a few days in the volunteer house, but has since moved to the Jiraf room where she is doing very well.

Moise was abandoned at the local hospital.  He is now six weeks old and doing well in our care.  He is staying in the volunteer house so that we can monitor his growth and help him gain weight before he is moved to the baby house.

Discharges

Jackson was admitted to COTP last December because he was severely malnourished.  Over the past year he has made some amazing progress and his personality has began to flourish.  He went from a very shy little boy who was often upset, to an out going toddler who loved to smile and laugh!  He loved going to preschool and was beginning to talk a lot.  His father recently returned to COTP wanting to take Jackson home.  We are extremely happy that we had the opportunity of taking care of this amazing little boy while he was here.  One of our nannies lives close to him and has told us that he is adjusting well to being back with his father.  Please pray that he continues to do well in his fathers care and that he rebonds with him!  Jackson is greatly missed by his friends, nannies, and volunteers!

Jackson with Anita, his nanny

In October there was a little boy abandoned at our gate.  We knew nothing about this little boy but one of the nannies gave him the name of Moise, which is Creole for Moses.  On December 27 2010  a women showed up saying she was his Mother.  She had a lot of proof that she was his Mother and knew many of the details about the day he was left here.  She left him in order to go to the Dominican Republic for work.  She now has a job and is able to care for her son, whose real name is Fred.  We are glad that this ended happily and that he was able to be reunited with his Mother who he missed dearly.

Frandley was admitted to COTP in July after his Mother left him with his Dad.  His Dad was unable to care for him and work at the same time.  When Frandley was first admitted, he was very skinny.  For months Frandley refused to put any pressure on his legs.  About a month ago Frandley began to crawl, stand, and walk when assisted.  This is a huge development for him!  His Father recently came and took him home since he now has the capabilities to care for him!  Please pray that Frandley continues to do well with his Father and improve developmentally.

Dalenka has been in our care since March when she was just 2.5 weeks old.  Her Aunt has continued to visit and recently decided to take her home.  During Dalenka's stay with us, she has captured many hearts and had several people fall in love with her!  Dalenka loves to crawl and goes all over the place!  Please pray that she does well in her aunts care.

Dalenka with her Aunt

Rosemerlin was admitted to COTP in August.  She was fourteen months old but only weighed 7 lbs.  Since being in our care she has learned to sit up and has gained a lot of weight!  Her grandparents recently came to COTP and took her home with them.  They love her very much and are thrilled that she is healthy enough to go with them!  She is enrolled in the Formula program to ensure a smooth transition home, so we will be able to see her every two weeks and monitor her weight and health!  Please pray that she continues to gain weight and stays healthy in their care.

Visits from Graduates

We currently have several children who have graduated from COTP on our formula program to help ensure a smooth transition home.  I am please to say how well each of these children are doing.  Today Wednaldy came for his formula, and had gained 3 lbs since we had seen him last.  He looked so good that he graduated from the program today.  Chelie, Gaelle, and Sammy are also in the program and doing well.  This past week when they came, we were all amazed to see that Sammy is learning to sit on his own.  Chelie and Gaelle continue to gain weight consistently and are bonding with their parents!

Wednaldy and his Aunt

Mack and Gina have both come back this past week to visit.  Gina is very attached to her father and would prefer nothing to do with us.  This is great and we are very excited to see this.  Mack was very timid at first and wasn't sure how to behave around us.  He eventually began to smile and feel more comfortable.  Both children look very healthy and seem to be doing great in their homes!  This is a huge blessing to see them and know that they are adjusting well!

Mack and Amy

Medical Visa's

Loudjenca is a five month old little girl that we are helping to get a Medical Visa for. We are almost finished with all of the paperwork for her, and then she will be traveling to the Dominican Republic for her heart surgery.  Please pray for Loudjenca and her Mom as everything comes together.

Loudjenca with her Mom

We are also working on a Medical Visa for Guerlin, a little boy who stayed at COTP for a few months while we assessed his medical needs.  We have found a surgeon, but are still waiting approval from the program that will cover the costs of his surgery.   Please pray that we are approved soon so that this little boy can receive the surgery that he needs.

Staff and Volunteers

On February 12, Tori Huftalin will be moving down to COTP to volunteer for a year.  Tori is a nurse and will be helping Amy with the day to day medical needs, med files, and also taking an active role in our prenatal program.  Please pray that Tori enjoys her last few days in the States as she prepares for her move and that she will have safe travels to Haiti.  It's always great to have new staff members as they bring in fresh ideas and energy.

Jenn Schenk moved to COTP in December and has committed to volunteering for a year with us.  Jenn is working a lot with the children and helping guide short term volunteers in activities that the children will do.  She also helps do preschool three days a week with the older children.  Jenn hopes to do community outreach and is going to be starting a Basketball Camp soon with some of the children from our village.  Jenn has been a great addition to our team and we love having her around!  She brings in some much needed energy and is always positive!

We have several groups and volunteers coming down to work over the next few months.  We are very excited for all the projects they will work on as well as the extra love and attention they will give our children.  Please pray for all of these people as they prepare to come down and that God will use them to benefit our children and organization.

Cholera Update

Although Cholera is by no means over, it seems to have calmed down recently.  Our friends at the local hospital have told us that they still consistently have around 10 patients at any given time who are being treated for this bacteria, however that is down from the 80 that they were seeing at a time.  We have not heard of any cases in our direct vicinity, and our nannies and children have so far not been affected.  We have been taking, and will continue to take, many precautions to minimize our risk of getting it here.  COTP is very fortunate to have our own well with clean water, so we really don't have much to worry about.  We are so thankful that all of our staff have been healthy and have not been affected directly by Cholera.

Adoptions

We currently have several children who are in the process of being adopted.  Please pray that this will be completed as fast as possible so that they can go home to their new families.  Also please be continual prayer for the children who are waiting to be matched with their adoptive families.

Thank you all for your continual prayers and support.  We could not do this without each and everyone of you!

Birthdays

Rosar celebrated her first birthday on the 28th of January.  We enjoyed celebrating with her under the Mango tree.  Rosar was very excited about her butterfly cake!

Children's Development

Wilson started walking on his own two weeks ago.  He has been trying for a while and slowly getting closer.  Then one morning he took 8 steps in a row.  He continues to improve every day.  We are so excited to see him reach this amazing mile stone!

Wilson at Christmas

Never Easy

I find myself saying that every time we lose a little one. How can it get any "easier"? Just because its a very sad reality in Haiti? We are in Haiti to improve the lives of these babies and their families. It is the sad reality that we faced this past week as we lost two babies in one day. One was extra hard as it was completely unexpected and sudden.

Sabina was with us for just over 2 months, along with her twin sister Sabine. Their father died in the earthquake almost a year ago and their mother struggled to care for the twins and their older siblings being unable to work. The twins came to us malnourished and sickly. They were going to stay with us a few months so their mother could find work and help. Sabina got sick so we took her to the local hospital. She seemed to go down hill very fast and the next thing we know she has passed away. Please pray for Sabina's mother as its very difficult for her to loose one of her babies. She loved the girls dearly and they will never be the same without her. Its going to be hard for her mother to explain to Sabine that she had a twin sister who did not make it. Please also pray for our staff at this sudden loss.

Unfortunatly, the same day Sabina passed away we lost little Arly. Arly was only with us for only a few days and most of that time was spent in the hospital. Arly was brought to us by his mother who clearly loved hiim more than anything. He was born with spina bifida and leg deformities. We were working hard to get Arly a medical visa to the states, but it just wasn't meant to be. Arly contracted menegitis and could not fight it off. His mother called numerous times a day to check on him. Please pray as his parents mourn the loss of their baby.

It is a sad reality when these babies pass away, but there is always the excitment of little ones rejoining their biological families. We were also able to see two of our little ones go home.

Djolande was picked up by her mother. She was living with us for 3 months and has done phenominally well. We are excited about her growth and development. We pray and hope that her mother is capable in caring for her and has the help of her community who has agreed to support her.

Our little Sammy has also gone home to be with his mother. Sammy has been with us almost 6 months and has done well. It took him a while to gain some weight, but in the last few months he has really made great progress. We really hope and pray that Sammy's mom is able to care for him and meet all his needs. He will be in our formula program for a while to continue receiving his food.

Calendars for Sale

In case you missed our pre-order, we still have some 2011 calendars available for a $20 donation. Please email Marcia if you would like to order some. cotp_marcia@yahoo.com.