Urgent Need

Baby I waiting to have surgery to repair his cleft lip this coming week (we think).

We have an urgent need of $20,000 by the end of July!  The summer has been a little slow with funds coming in and we need money for salaries and 2 surgeries that are coming up soon.  We will keep you updated on how this is going with a thermometer like this one on the webpage (www.casadeamor.org).  Thank you so much for any help you can give.  To donate, click Here.

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Reflux Surgery Update

As I wrote in this post, baby E has been diagnosed with severe reflux and needed surgery urgently. He entered the OR at 8:10 yesterday morning and the surgeon came out with a report at 10:50am. The surgery went well!

E was sent to a room at 3:30pm and slept alright last night, but this morning was in a lot of pain again.

He must be doing pretty well, because even though the surgeon said he thought he would be hospitalized 3 days, he might be released tomorrow, Friday!

Thanks so much to everyone who is praying...and giving!

The current donation count stands at $2,114, from 10 donors living in 4 different countries (US, UK, NZ, and Denmark).

Surgery. (Yes, another one!)

Thankfully our sweet baby D is doing marvelously after open heart surgery in May!

 Here are a couple recent pictures:

We're in the thick of surgery prep again though, this time for baby E (10 1/2 months). Since his arrival in February, he gets sick, then sicker. After many tests and a hospital stay, he comes home - sick. Then he gets sicker. And sicker! Back to the hospital, home sick. Repeat!

 A rare smile!

He has been diagnosed with several different infections this year, but mainly develops respiratory infections. Cold and cough type viruses are very common both in Cochabamba (3rd most polluted city in South America) and the Baby Home (the babies and staff pass colds around), but E seemed to have trouble to an unusual extent.

It has been so frustrating for our staff and volunteers doing their best, around the clock, to help this baby, and see him still suffering!

The "pre-haircut E"!

Finally, after numerous visits to many doctors, including two of the best pediatricians in town, a special study was done and E was diagnosed with severe acid reflux. He doesn't throw up to a large degree, but it's almost worse that he doesn't! The milk we give him goes back into his right lung every time he eats.

Earlier this month, we were told that he needed the surgery as soon as he was somewhat well again, preferably within a month's time. At that point he was receiving IV meds for pneumonia every 12 hours and STILL not improving. Finally, it just became too urgent, as his esophagus is compromised due to the terrible reflux.

Baby E. will be admitted to the best clinic in our city TOMORROW morning, Wednesday, July 24, and operated on an hour later.

Please pray for wisdom for the doctors, for peace and comfort for baby E., compassion and patience for those staying with him night and day, and for the rest of the funds to come in!!

Maria, our health coordinator, has estimated needing $3,000 to cover the surgery, even with the surgeon donating his time. Since posting the need on our Facebook page, $875 has come in through 3 donors (sending from Denmark, Ireland, and the US) via paypal. That's a great start but we need more!

Please let us know if you have any questions!

Creative Donors

In 2002, the dream of Casa de Amor began from my family's Christmas card list - perhaps 100 names.

Now, nearly 10 years after receiving our first child, Casa de Amor is blessed with friends far and wide!

Some of our biggest cheerleaders are former volunteers who have seen and experienced our ministry in Bolivia firsthand. (Most of baby D's heart surgery donors were former volunteers, as I mentioned I this post.)

Friends Savannah and Kristin of Nashville, Tennessee, have set up a neighborhood glass recycling program that funnels donations to our children. See the website of ¡Muchas Glassias! for more information and Savannah's wonderful pictures. Their regular donations have provided everything from a refrigerator for the new girl's home to Christmas baskets for our staff.

My parents are also pretty awesome cheerleaders! They met Josh and April Samuels at their church. The Samuels have begun ellajude, a beautiful line of handcrafted jewelry. A percentage of their profits blesses Casa de Amor Children's Homes. Their first two donations have come at crucial times of need for us!

On behalf of our staff and children, thank you so much to these very creative supporters!

We have a surgery date!!!

WE HAVE A SURGERY DATE!!!

Actually, a new surgery date.

It was heartbreaking to get so close to D’s original admittal for surgery (May 7) and have him get sick—very sick—only 3 days before. Instead of surgery, he was re-admitted to the private pediatric hospital with a respiratory infection and coronary heart disease.

We bailed him out one week later with a nasty cough and more meds, but he’s been doing very well under Elizabeth (and now Katrina Culmer’s) diligent care.

In fact, many different people have taken turns caring for baby D around the clock the past several months, often in total isolation from the other babies.

Kaley

Linnea

Lindsey

Elizabeth

Katrina

(If I’m forgetting anyone, let me know!)

Tia Maria has also given her all these past months.

Thanks to some great teamwork from Elizabeth, Katrina, and our favorite pediatrician, our new surgery date is May 22, with hospital admittance on May 19.

WE NEED YOUR HELP! 

·        Prayer Support! We’re going to be nervous until he’s admitted. The city is full of viruses right now and it’s hard to stay free of them.

·        Financial Support! We have all the money we need for the surgery deposit (praise the Lord!), but need a cushion for medications, post-op tests, consultations, etc. Our current health funds are depleted after 3 months of constant illness. If 10 more people gave $100 each, we would be in a much better position as we move forward.

·        Local friends: take a turn! We have never had an inpatient at Clinica Belga (the heart hospital) and have learned that someone must be with our little patient around the clock. Our current volunteers have busy days (and nights) and our staff is fully occupied with all of our other babies. I will be creating a schedule soon - please write or comment here if you can help!! 

For those of you who have been waiting for information on donating blood, we think that’s taken care of for now! The doctors have changed their minds and say we only need 1 or 2 donors. We can easily reach that goal amongst our staff. More helpful at this point would be volunteers to stay at Daniel’s bedside before and after the surgery.

Thank you for your prayers and support! We are nearing the goal of a healthy baby! :)

Baby D is Sick.

As we count down the days to admission (2) and heart surgery (4), baby D has gotten sick again.

Yesterday he woke up with discharge clouding his eyes, and as the volunteer and I talked about him, he coughing hoarsely.

Oh, the disappointment! This morning I sensed defeat in the voice of Maria, our over-worked health coordinator. The doctor gave him three medications and ordered lab work.

Maria has been unable to reach the heart surgeon to learn what happens now.

Please pray for God's perfect timing in all of this!!!


In other news, I just did a fresh tally of the finances that have come in specifically for this surgery.

Some interesting stats about the donations:

• ELEVEN separate donors (some have given multiple times)
• SIX different countries: US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, and United Kingdom
• EIGHT donors are former volunteers, and ONE donor will volunteer later this year
• Average donation amount per donor: $400! 

Our current total (minus paypal fees) is approximately $4350. Our original goal was $4000, readjusted to $6000 to allow for more heart exams, lab work, post-op medication and consultations, and any other complications needing immediate funds.

Thank you to everyone who has given so sacrificially! I hope to report back with good news SOON.

Baby D Update

It's time for an update on Baby D!

First of all, his diagnosis is a VSD (Ventricular septal defect) - and most of the symptoms associated with that - and a PFO (Patent Foramen Ovale) .

Currently, he is on two medications indefinitely.

He has struggled with repeated respiratory infections, a common issue with heart babies. He narrowly escaped hospitalization last week thanks in part to a valiant effort by Casa de Amor staff and volunteers.

Baby D currently weighs 4.8 kilos but needs to weigh SIX kilos for his heart surgery to take place. Pray that he begins to tolerate more formula at each feeding!

From past surgeries, we know that a little one going through such an experience needs lot of extra TLC. It's also best if the least number of people possible are involved to provide the best continuity of care. That's why it was pretty neat when a nurse visitor to the Baby Home was captivated by our tiny Baby D and asked if she could change her plans and come back in May! (Read her blog post on falling in love with our baby here.)

NOW the trick will be getting D healthy enough and big enough by May for the surgery, plus coordinating with the doctors and Clinica Belga!

At least we won't be held up by lack of funding. As mentioned in my last blog post, we have been told to budget at least $13,000 for the surgery and post-op hospitalization and medications. Tia Maria, our health care coordinator, was able to obtain a pledge of 70% of the funding from a Catholic foundation in our city. That is an AMAZING portion towards the surgery!

Donations to cover the remaining 30% have come in from far and wide - Australia, Canada, and the US. All of the donations have been from current or former volunteers with the exception of one family who explained that they understand the costs involved as they raise their own "heart baby".

At this point, only about $1,300 is still needed to reach our goal (yes, Linnea, a little more came in since you asked me this morning)!!!

Little D is a much-loved baby!

PS - For a few recent pictures, see volunteer Linnea's blog post!

Ukuleles

Some people are sooo creative! Today I woke to an email from Katrina in New Zealand, a favorite repeat Casa de Amor volunteer.

"I go to community choir and african drumming here in my home town and the lady who runs it (jennifermoss.co.nz) also runs a ukulele group - a very talented lady! She approached me earlier in the year to see if I would be interested in making some "bling" to sell at the ukulele festival she was organising for September (centralukulelefestival.org.nz). I jumped at the opportunity and since I got back from Bolivia, have been busy crafting away! I thought it would be a super opportunity to fundraise for the babies, seeing as how they were always on my mind back then, and still are! :) It was a fab day - about 900 people at the festival! I've just deposited the money via paypal :)"

She's been invited to another ukulele festival in October.

Now I know next to nothing about the ukulele, but am grateful that Katrina does and so willing shares with us. As my Mom said upon hearing: "She's a sweetheart!" :)



Katrina sent me these pictures to show how colorful and happy her creations were. Indeed!

Thank you, Katrina!!

New look!

On Saturday our little trouper M underwent his first surgery!

Read a bit of M's history from the post the day I brought him home here.

Some early pictures...

I took him to a couple different surgeons who work with projects or foundations here in Cochabamba to do cleft repairs, and in the end we went with the same doctor who operated on twin K last year. He was so upset that M had a "plaque" in his mouth (to form a roof) that he ripped it out and pitched it across the room when I first took M! Ah, the difference of opinions of doctors. So we stopped using it and actually, M drank better that way!

Then it was countdown time till the big day!! He is now 3 1/2 months old and plenty big enough for the surgery. (Amazing even to the nurses and doctors who have met him, he has had no problem gaining weight. He's often in clothing for 6 month olds!)

Just a couple days before...

...and hours before surgery

(This two pictures above and the one below were sent to me by volunteer Iris, who graciously volunteered to spend her Saturday afternoon comforting little M.)

Post-surgery!!! That night I saw this picture, the NEW HIM, for the first time when Iris posted it to Facebook, I gasped aloud I was so surprised how great he looks! (Apart from being pale, poor baby. He's now on treatment for anemia.)

Back at home, resting up!

Thanks to everyone who prayed for M. He's doing well apart from NOT being happy about the "milk in a syringe" procedure for his meals. That's the post-op procedure for two weeks, however.

We are so excited about his cute little perfect nose! In fact, hospital staff told us that M's surgery came out the best of anyone's that day!! Even beforehand, they had chosen to focus on his story for their next publication that goes to their funders in Holland.

Thanks to a March team from Canada, we had $200 set aside for M's first surgery expenses. In the end, the total cost was $310 (reduced due to the foundation's support).

PS - if anyone feels led to give towards our new little boy P's surgery, the cost will be similar so we'd be very grateful! The surgery, already scheduled for May 11, will be P's final.

Casa de Amor Christmas Catalog, Edition 2011

Presenting Casa de Amor's

2011 Holiday Giving Catalog!

This year, share the gift that makes a difference in the life of a child.

A beautiful card describing your gift choice will be sent to the gift recipient to let them know of your gift in their honor.

Click on the images below to see the Holiday Giving Catalog!

Make an online donation here or send your check made out to GOAL to the following address:

Global Orphan Assistance League (GOAL)
PO Box 357
Collierville, TN, 38027
USA

Casa de Amor Baby Home Christmas 2010

For more information, write us at gifts@casadeamor.org!

Casa de Amor's Car!!!!!!

In all of Casa de Amor's 6 1/2 year history, we have never had our own vehicle.

We have transported CDA kids in
taxis
in buses
in my car
in my family's car when they lived here...

in BOTH of the Holman family's trucks while they were on furlough (thanks!!!)....

Record number of people in the Holman tank for a trip to Pairumani Park

...But now we have OUR VERY OWN MINIVAN!!!!!

We are so grateful to the kind-hearted women who form part of the NGO "Circulo Viviente" in Austria for responding to this need

Some of the ladies who visited us in June with CDA staff and babies



The founder of Circulo Viviente, a Bolivian who lives in Austria, attaching a label from an optics company that donated towards our vehicle



The kids and staff of Casa de Amor II checking out the new car!



Gotta love our license plate...KUK??



Volunteer staff members Kaley and Elena trying out the wheel...


While the Austrian group's donation was very generous, Casa de Amor is still covering expenses totaling over $3000 for paperwork, license plates, insurance, etc. If you can help out with these expenses that cut into our regular budget, donate via paypal here, or write us for more options!

CHRISTmas

Love, love, LOVE this!!

Don't forget to check out Casa de Amor's Christmas Giving catalog.... :)

Assuming the link still works, here's the Advent Conspiracy video I posted a couple years back: Advent Conspiracy.

First Aid

I get all excited about stuff like....

first aid donations!

Much of the goodies in the pictures are thanks to donations from the young people's group at Cochabamba International Church.

And this was the floor of my room yesterday during a common task: restocking and cleaning out all my first aid kits and bags.

My car is practically a clinic on wheels by this point!

That's helpful when you have issues like a fight at 2am and no one wants to go to the hospital because they were just there the week before because of another fight... Sigh. And the endless other daily needs, both large and small, that they trust me to tend to now. I love learning more every day!

In Jail

Wow, it's been 4 whole days since I last posted!! Friday, Saturday, and Sunday just flew by, each day was so packed. I was often out from the first hours of the day until midnight.

A big reason for the long hours was due to prep for Kids Day, which is today! I've been in several different countries on April 12 and it's always huge for the kids, although it seems to pass by without notice in the US? So anyway, as part of the leadership team of the young people at Cochabamba International Church (CIC), we decided to visit the woman's jail and take a program for the children living there with their mothers. Luis, a lawyer and current leader of the young people at CIC, has contacts "inside" (and I also know the social workers, thanks to him), so he arranged all the details. Juan Jose and I worked more on gathering and sorting donations and all of those details. A Christian radio requested donations of clothes and toys, and how people responded!

This is my dear car packed to the gills with donations:

Saturday night after our service we were very grateful for all the willing hands to help sort clothes for 125 children. It was a huge, huge project that was nearly overwhelming, but amazingly once we got going, it just took 1 1/2 hours to get clothes sorted into boy/girl/adult and mas o menos by sizes.



We lugged huge bags full of clothes all over. From Viva Bolivia's office - my car - church - church office - storage room - two different cars - to jail entrance - to be sorted through by police - to inside the salon - to another place inside the salon. Ugh, no wonder my legs and arms are still sore!


And here's where this post does have something to do with YOU, our donors. This suitcase that Saul, actually guitarist on my praise team at CIC, is unpacking was our contribution to the outreach:


Elena, Casa de Amor II volunteer, helped me out by gathering all the clothes that are too big for our current children. Many times when people write me offering donations, I mention that if we are unable to use something, it will be passed on to a worthy cause in Bolivia. The clothes that we had to donate were BEAUTIFUL and much of it brand new.

Then our afternoon in jail went well. I was in charge of the sound system and setting it up - yeah, that would be a first! - but amazingly it went well and Tia Eli's group from church did a good job giving the kids a good time in a tight, hot space. It was my first time in the woman's jail, but it was very similar to other jails for men that I've been in in Cochabamba. Sorry that there are no pictures, but obviously they are not permitted and even if they were I couldn't post them here. Let me just say that in a place that might be fit for 50 or 60 people to live, 188 woman are packed in like sardines. As if that weren't bad enough, they have 207 children amongst them, ages newborn to 12. A good percentage of those children live in children's homes or outside, but approximately 80 are full time at the jail. While it's nice that they can be with their mothers, the living conditions are rotten.

I was able to talk with the mother of a group of three siblings at the Baby Home, ex-street. Although I was glad for the opportunity, it was so hard to not just sit her down and share that her three beautiful, much loved children live with me. It was heartbreaking to realize again how young she is, how beautiful...and so sad and defeated by life. However I know that much has been sown into her in previous years, and I can only pray that she can somehow recall that truth and seek God to start life anew. We also hope that she doesn't return to their father, who as rumor has it, will be released from another jail soon.

PS - Some pictures from a special delivery this evening for Dia del Nino, thanks to the triplet's godmother Nataly!

After 19 kids had opened oreo cookie packages, the room smelled like a chocolate factory. Sure beats the alternative, I'll say!

I tried to get someone to share, saying we tias were once children, but no such luck. :)

Princess F on her throne!

Go, Texas!

Nela, one of our terrific stateside volunteers, sent me details from 2009 donations a while back.

She put together a complete list of everyone who donated in 2009 and I just now got to really study it.

Here's what it shows:

There were 192 separate Casa de Amor donors (invidividuals, churches, non-profits, etc.)

95 of the donations were from Texas

88 of the donations were from other states in the US

9 of the donations were international (UK, Australia, Spain, New Zealand, Switzerland)

That means that 49% of donors are still from my home state, Texas! Then 46% are from other states and 5% from abroad.

Keep in mind, this is not AMOUNT of donation, simply donor statistics.

Interesting!

HAPPY ONE MONTH!!!

Last night while pulling my shift with the babies, I realized that I was with them when their one month "birthday" arrived. So, of course I sang them "Happy Birthday". Okay, not really, although it would have been sweet. I'm not the most talkative, peppy person in the middle of the night. :)

Yesterday afternoon I finally realized I was a little nervous about the night. The first night I was with them alone was their first night here, and I guess I didn't have time to get worked up about it, as crazy as that day was getting them and getting up to speed on their special care. But by yesterday....so many people had said how amazing I was and "how do you do it?!" that I was starting to wonder "how did I do it that first night?!?!" LOL. But all went very well and the girls are really turning the corner on the sucking thing.

Nataly needed the feeding tube to finish, but they all drank away like champs at the beginning. Valentina (#1) even surprised me by waking up a half hour early for one feeding, crying and rooting around for milk - both a first!

My little baby burritos

After their 11pm feeding, I tried out our donated miracle blankets on the girls. They are great and so cute! They slept super well, in fact I had to unwrap them and get them a little uncomfortable to get them to wake up for feedings. They've stayed in them all day in fact.

I'm quite sure there was something else I wanted to share, but it's escaped me now and I need to head off to our volunteer fellowship night with the others.

So, till later!

PS - If I can steal pictures from volunteer Elena, there's a SUPER CUTE surprise for you all tomorrow!!!

PSS (March 17) - So Savannah's blog post 1 Month Birthday completely beat mine!! What precious pics, with balloons and all!

Casa de Amor Concert: Latin Serenade!

Announcing....

You are invited to the Casa de Amor Fundraising Concert!

Details:

Latin Serenade with Carlos Sanchez and Matiz Latino

March 6, 2010, 7pm

St. Philip's Episcopal

6400 Stonebrook Pkwy

Frisco, TX 75034

Tickets: just $10!!

To purchase, call 469-358-2398

I am so appreciative of Carlos' initiative taking with this project. His wife is Bolivian and their heart is to serve children in need. I've always loved classical guitar music. Listen to his here on his website. Karyna, a Bolivian who lives with her family in North Texas, is also working hard to organize this event.

I'd love to hear if you plan to go - please let me know!

Our British Friends

When you live in Cochabamba, you meet people from all over the world.

And when you're in my line of work, you meet some really, really neat people.

Through the years we have been blessed by a lovely friendship Gordon & Evelyn Hutchinson, from Manchester, England. Originally from Scotland, they have enchanting accents.

Every year this couple with 3 children and 7 grandchildren makes the long trip to their second home (Bolivia!) where they give 2-3 months of their time ministering to children-at-risk.

They volunteer at two homes in particular, one for girls and one for boys, and also visit several Compassion projects.

When the Hutchinsons are in England, they champion their favorite causes amongst friends, churches, and at missions conferences. We have been blessed multiple times by the funds they raise!

They send me encouraging e-cards and emails throughout the year, and their Christmas letter which talks about their friends in Bolivia just as much as their own family.

Every year on their annual visit, they take out directors of homes/projects to a meal at their favorite restaurant in Cochabamba (a very nice one) just to be a blessing and to catch up a bit.

Last week it was our turn, and the Alseths (CDA III) and I had a lovely lunch with the Hutchinsons and Jade, here volunteering in Cochabamba thanks to their influence.

Thank you for EVERYTHING, and may God bless you abundantly in return!!

Keepers

My sister Emma (now 11) is part of a group of mothers and daughters called "Keepers". Every couple of weeks they get together to sing songs, listen to a story about a missionary, and do a craft.

While I was there in Tennessee, I was invited to speak about Bolivia and Casa de Amor as a "live" missionary presentation. It was fun!


Then their craft for this evening was beading wire to wrap around crosses - gifts for the staff!

What concentration!

My sister Emma informed me she was making Tia Silvia's cross, no exceptions (the Baby Home cook, ha!)

Afterwards, the girls had another surprise.

Hand decorated bags for all of the kids at CDA II and a few of the girls at CDA I & III!

Then came the fun of handing everything out in Bolivia...

There were enough crosses to give one to each volunteer, too.

And then the bags... So practical for outings, storing their things, going to church, etc.!

Thank you mothers and daughters, for all of your hard work to bless the Hogares de Amor!!