The Great Fidel!

Fidel is a 10 year old boy who has been waiting since march for reconstructive surgery on his horribly scared face. Physicians from wake forest put in a skin expander in march and it was on wednesday that Dr. Romero performed his reconstructive surgery. This gave him skin that looked as if it had never been burned on his lower face and neck. Today when we arrived at the burn center we realized how much this young boy has been through already in his life. Not only was he burned, lives in an orphanage, but he is now undergoing even more surgery in hopes of a normal life one day. We know that the strength that these children possess come from a source that we will never understand. These kids have no insurance, no family, minimal hygeine, and they undergo traumas and insecurites that we would never survive. It really makes us greatful for the life we have been given. This confirms our mission to help those who have greater needs than our own.

Toys, Toys, Toys!

Every day we discover things that we wouldn't think twice about that are needed here. Anai is about 3 years old and her surgery on Friday was a big wake up call for us. The worst part of the surgery was not that she woke up twice during it crying for her mother, but that her surgery could have been prevented. After she was burned on her arms, her parents neglected to take her to physical therapy or to make her wear her burn suit so that she could heal properly. She developed awful scars and her skin was like leather. Her arm was permanently bent so that she could no longer use it. Now, Anai has to have even more surgery to try and fix her arm so that she is not disabled. This morning we walked into the burn center and immediately wanted to see how she was doing. We saw her laying flat on her back with both of her arms tied to the crib so that she cannot tear off her bandages from surgery. She has no entertainment except for the white ceilings and the nurses who can occasionally talk to her. This is where we are helping, not only with our time, but with the things that this fundraiser has allowed us to purchase. We are buying toys, blankets, and things for the kids who are confined to their cribs until their skin has healed. It is a great joy when you see how easy it is to make their lives a little better.