A Village Blessing

Once upon a time, Patty and some of the Acres of Hope staff were trekking through the jungles of Liberia near a village they will be working with for the new Extreme Humanitarian Expeditions (Stay tuned for more info on these!).

They navigated jungle paths...

...teetered across a long monkey bridge...

...and stood under a tree that is hundreds of years old.

They were just about to go visit Monkey Island when a man came running towards them.

"Missy! Missy! You have to come." He beckoned Patty. "You need to see the baby."

"What baby?" Patty asked.

"Well…" the man hesitated, "it's a human baby…But, it's not correct. The baby is not correct."

So Patty and the humanitarian expedition team followed the man into his village. As Patty stepped into the circle of houses a woman came forward carrying a small bundle. Wrapped in several yards of African fabric was a tiny newborn baby girl. The baby had a beautiful complexion and thick, curly hair, but also had a double cleft palate.

"This is my wife and my baby," the man explained. "We think the baby is witched."

By now nearly the entire village had gathered around the white woman holding the unusual baby. People chattered and nodded their heads in agreement as the man explained his fears for his firstborn daughter. Not only was he afraid his daughter had been born with a curse, but the baby was having trouble eating. Patty could see that the child, at only two days old, was already dehydrated.

"What is her name?" Patty asked.

"Blessing." The father replied.

"And she will be a blessing to this village." Then, with the baby girl's family standing by, along with almost the whole village, Patty explained to the village that the little girl had simply been born with a birth defect, and was not witched (cursed) at all. That though she looked different, she was still a beautiful human being created by God to be a blessing to her family and the entire village.

The parents tried to persuade Patty to take the baby. They were still not convinced Blessing was normal and were having trouble feeding her, so it seemed like a good solution to them. But Patty said no. She knew this child had two loving parents, and one correctible medical problem. What the family needed at this point was training in her care until she would be old enough for surgery.

So Patty asked the family if they would like to have special training to care for the baby and they agreed. Blessings mother, along with the mother's sister grabbed a few belongings then joined Patty in the AOH Land Rover to drive back to Monrovia.

Patty admitted the baby at the ELWA hospital. She introduced the mother to the doctor and then helped them get settled in. Patty, who has a lot of experience with special needs babies, was able to train the mother a bit on how to breastfeed the baby. The baby was diagnosed with dehydration but she was now in good hands. The nurses and doctor began teaching the mother how to breastfeed an infant with a double cleft palate.

Patty visited the baby and her mother every day and each time she saw Blessing she picked her up, kissed her, and told her how much she loved her. The baby's mother and aunt would watch in disbelief, along with the other mothers and nurses, wondering why a white woman would see any value in a deformed African baby. "I am her grandmother." Patty said, adding to their wonderment. Patty would again explain, to all who would hear, that the baby was not cursed, but God had created her to be a blessing.

Blessing was hospitalized for four days. Over the course of the four days the baby's mother really began to bond to her little blessing. When baby and mom went home, mom had learned a lot about caring for her special little one. Additionally, after three months little Blessing would be old enough for corrective surgery.

The little family learned a lot from Patty and the hospital. Patty was able to visit the baby fairly often, but nevertheless, after about 2 weeks she received an urgent call. Blessing was not doing well. The family again said they wanted Patty to take the baby.

As Patty drove to the village to check on the baby, she knew the little girl was probably in poor condition and would likely need to be placed in foster care. She called the Laird family, who are SIM missionaries in Liberia, who graciously agreed to foster Blessing, should the need arise.

At the village Patty was shocked to see how much weight the baby had lost. The family had had a long talk with the heads of the village and everyone was agreed that Patty should take the baby. They knew that the child was not doing well in the village. They also knew the little girl would be safe with Patty, since she had shown so much love for the little girl, and placed value on a child they all thought was witched.

At the village Patty was shocked to see how much weight the baby had lost. The family had had a long talk with the heads of the village and everyone was agreed that Patty should take the baby. They knew that the child was not doing well in the village. They also knew the little girl would be safe with Patty, since she had shown so much love for the little girl, and placed value on a child they all thought was witched.

And so Patty brought the baby to the Laird's home where they have lovingly been caring for her. Blessing has gained weight and is thriving with her foster family.

We're still not sure what the future holds for Blessing, but she is safe and well, and has a loving home with the Lairds, for as long as she may need it.

And so, that day a few months ago, as Patty and the humanitarian expedition team were simply surveying a village in preparation for their upcoming expeditions, God lead them to this family who was in great need of help. And through that, a little life was saved, a village learned the value of a little baby with a cleft palate, and Blessing has already become a blessing to many people.

Blessing is currently a foster placement only and so has no specific funds coming in for her care. If you would like to donate towards Blessing's needs (formula, clothing, medicine) please click here and specify "Blessing".

Cultural Fact: In Liberia children with obvious medical problems, like Blessing's double cleft palate, are thought to be "witched" (cursed or possessed by an evil spirit), and are frequently left to die in the bush. Think about it - if you really believed your child would bring horribly bad luck, or was possessed by an evil spirit, getting rid of the child would actually seem like a wise thing to do. If a handicapped child is not thought to be "witched", then the mother would still be overwhelmed with the thought of how she would care for this child who would take lots of extra attention, in addition to her normal duties of washing clothes by hand, farming, selling in the market, cooking, and providing clothing and medical care for her family.

-Melodie (AOH Volunteer)

Alvin Update! We still need to pay for the flight!

Alvin is doing so well! I am so happy to share this update with you. A friend of Alvin's adoptive family wrote the following update and continued plea for financial donations, and gave me permission to share it along with these new pictures of Alvin.

This update reveals how Alvin's doctors learned some things about him that were not clear before. It also explains the details of how Alvin was able to make it to the states when the flight was not yet completely paid for.

"Alvin livid in Liberia, Africa. There he has a mother and five siblings who loved him. At the age of eleven Alvin's life changed forever. Left paralyzed weeks after a car accident, doctors there unknowingly misdiagnosed the cause of his paralysis, treating him for tuberculosis. As time went on Alvin laid in a hospital bed and complications arose placing him near death. Doctors gave up hope on him. The only thing his mother knew she could do was to give him up and pray that he would be adopted by a family who could get him the lifesaving care he needed. The mother's dream came true when Stephanie and David Dodd adopted him.

In order to get him here safely an air ambulance had to be hired at a cost of $98,750. The amount was unobtainable for the family. They started to raise the funds but realized Alvin would die before they could get the full amount. They agreed to take a $20,000 deposit which they borrowed, and give the full payment of $78,780 within 90 days .

Since that time Alvin has undergone five surgeries and received excellent medical care at Greenville Memorial Hospital. His health continues to improve and he is now safe at his house with the rest of his new family.

The family still faces the challenge of raising the money to pay for the air ambulance by November 6, 2009. By spreading the word about Alvin's story we all hope to attain the financial goal. If you can help in any way please send money to the address below. Thank you so much for the support."

(Alvin at home for his 14th birthday. Here he is with his brother, who was also adopted from Liberia).

Right now the AOH Paypal link is down (due to the website redesign project) so you will have to donate by sending cash or a check.

Alvin Dodd

119 Cherrywood Trail

Greer, SC 29650

Thank you for the part you may have already played in bringing Alvin home. Please continue to spread the word about this great need. Continue to pray and donate again, if you are able to. Remember, even the small amounts add up fast.

-Melodie (AOH Volunteer)

The Absence Explained

I am so sorry to all of you who have faithfully been checking this blog for information on Liberian adoptions, Alvin, or any updates at all. I (Melodie) am the one who manages the blog and I have been very, very sick recently. Thankfully I am on the road to recovery, but it has been a very difficult journey. If you would like, you may go to my personal blog to read the update I shared concerning my unexpected journey with illness.

-Melodie