In Septemeber 2008, I traveled 6000 miles to Haiti's Kenscoff mountains. My mission: to care for some of the orphaned and abandoned, the sick, malnourished and premature infants of this beautiful but beleagured Caribbean nation.





Tuesday 10 April 2012

Jusmi

Jusmi arrived yesterday. 3lb. 18 days old. Severely dehydrated. Malnourished. Cold. With an intestinal infection. And in shock.

He was born 2 months prematurely at a rural Haitian hospital. The staff there said that there was nothing they could do for him. I am so glad that he made it up to God's Littlest Angels. There is plenty that we can do for Jusmi.

He has needed a lot of intravenous fluid and careful re-warming to get his body out of its shocked state. He needed antibiotics to treat his infection. He had metabolic imbalances that are gradually correcting. As he continues to stabilise, his heart rate and rhythm and his tissue oxygen levels are being monitored continuously. His temperature, blood sugar, his electrolytes and blood gasses are being measured regularly.

The extreme stress this preterm baby's body has been under has the potential to damage his liver, his kidneys and his intestines. I watched the signs keenly. As things stand tonight, Jusmi's blood isn't clotting quite as it should and is only tolerating very small feeds of donor breast milk.


Jusmi is getting the very best medical care we can provide, delivered with the love and tenderness that he deserves. Love and prayer, after all, will be every bit as important to his recovery as the technicalities of what we will do for him.


Please pray for Jusmi's continued healing.

1 comment:

Marie said...

He is so sweet! Praying...I know he is in the best hands possible.