Now, to start off... the process of getting Wadagens to have his surgery started way before I even got to Haiti; God had this planned from the beginning. This post will be composed of the past month spent with Wadagens.
Earlier this year, news spread to our Pediatrician that a French team of heart surgeons with an organization called The Heart Fund to Fight Cardiovascular Disease was coming to do their second mission in Haiti. Their first mission was this past April and just three children were chosen for surgery. This past Wednesday-December 5th, the staff at GLA was told that Wadegens was going to be evaluated as a possible candidate for surgery the following week. So on Wednesday afternoon Rebecca, Irland (a Haitian student nurse & staff member at GLA), Wadson (our driver & also a staff member), & Wadagens went to the clinic in Petionville about 20 min from God's Littlest Angels. At the time they were told he could not be evaluated unless they had blood for him... Blood for him? What? Apparantly to even be evaluated in Haiti you must have two units of blood on standby and credited to Wadagens to be sure he would have blood available to him if needed during a possible surgery.
So Thursday morning, December 6th, a few GLA staff members-Irland, Molly, Melissa, Rhyan, Rebecca & myself brought Wadagens back to the clinic to get a type and cross to get his blood type. Molly, Melissa, Rhyan, Rebecca & I then proceeded to go to General Hospital in Port Au Prince where the Red Cross was located. Upon entering the Red Cross I was very surprised to see about 20 people waiting with canisters and ice to get blood from the Red Cross... Thankfully, we were able to just drop Wadagen's type and cross off at the Red Cross and then we were redirected to a more "americanized" Red Cross in Port Au Prince which we all went to give blood. As I said before, he needed two units on standby... but they required four people to give blood. Thankfully, we brought five because I was sadly too anemic to give blood but Molly, Melissa, Rhyan & Rebecca were all able to give! I think we were all pleasantly surprised at the process at the newer more "americanized" Red Cross. It was actually faster than giving in the states and it was clean and well run... but we were also the only people coming to donate.
Thursday evening and Friday were essentially "rest" days until the next part of becoming a surgical candidate began...
Onto Saturday, December 8th. Dixie, Rebecca, Wadagens & I left early morning to spend the day at the clinic. He was number 23 on the list to be seen. While we waited Wadson, picked up the two units of blood for Wadagens...remember I said we needed to have those present prior to evaluation and he also so kindly brought us lunch! At about 1:30 Wadagens was seen, he had a quick echo done, was weighed & they reviewed charts and labs from previous evaluations. The concern for Wadagens is he only weighs about 10kg and surgeries had not been completed in Haiti on children this small with with this particular organization. So we left the clinic Saturday with a "We'll call you and let you know". So we all waited, anxiously waiting to find out if he was chosen... and we waited... and we waited. We thought we'd know by Sunday night but by Sunday night came and went and there had been no call.
8:15am Monday morning, December 10th, Dixie gets a call and Rebecca & I get a knock on our door to get Wadagens ready... Today MAY be the day but we needed to come to the clinic as soon as possible to start "the process". So Monday we spent the day at the clinic again. He had a more detailed echo done and more labs drawn pretty quickly after getting there and then we waited... Until about 4:30pm, we found out he was next on the list to get his surgery and was brought up to be prepped! He was going to have the surgery & he was going to have it that night! Until then we really didn't know if he was actually chosen.
Monday night Wadagens spent the night alone as they said they did not allow visitors. Just one visitor at a time and just for a short time. Tuesday morning rolled around and Dixie, Rebecca & I headed back down to the clinic to check on him... from what we understand the first night by himself was rough but I was not there so I really do not know the details of what occurred. Rebecca was allowed up around 9:15am. At first Rebecca & I were going to stay at the clinic and switch back in forth but at about 10am, Dixie and I had to leave to pick up a baby who was referred to God's Littlest Angels for malnutrition and a skin infection. So Rebecca was able to spend the day with him and then after much deliberation by the clinic staff, surgical team and some pushing by our pediatrician, I was able to spend the night (on and off) with him. So Molly was able to drop me off at about 5:30 and pick Rebecca up.Wadagens gets scared easily but as soon as he heard Rebecca or my voice he would calm down, so although at times some of the staff may have not like our presence, Wadagens sure did.
Tuesday morning, Dixie and Rebecca arrived to do another switch. Through out the past two days IV meds, oxygen, nebulizer treatments are being decreased and/or discontinued and he is becoming more comfortable... well as comfortable as a child could be after having open heart surgery. Tonight (Dec 12th) he will spend the night alone, unfortunately his roommate is having multiple complications and an extra person in the small room is not very welcomed, but the surgical team is wonderful and I have confidence that he was well taken care of. We will be back at the clinic in the morning in hopes of a discharge home to his family at God's Littlest Angels.
Truly, I want to thank all of those involved. This could have not been completed by just one person, church doctor, nurse, or just by the staff at GLA. Many prayers have been said, many phone calls made, many hours spent awake and many special considerations made. I am so thankful for the supportive staff that I am surrounded by each day here at GLA. It is such an encouragement to see to so many people work together for the children of Haiti. Miracles can truly happen when people work together with God. He is our ultimate healer. To God be the praise & thanksgiving. He is the one who made this possible for Wadagens.So as I finish this post... I thank you for your continued prayer as Wadagens journeys to recovery. A child who is loved by many and is one of God's Littlest Angels.
...to be continued...
-B
