Friday, October 22, 2010

Two notes

First, I received a quick email from Rebecca to say that Water Missions International was sending water purification units up to St. Marc!!!  This is the same group that is going to install a water treatment unit for Pestel.  
Unfortunately the official death toll is now at 135.  Please continue to pray.  Some may be called to give as a faithful response to God's leading.  For those interested in giving I would recommend 


Second, I want to share this really awesome story with you from Vanessa Carpenter.  Vanessa was my guide on my first trip to Haiti several years ago, and her organization was responsible for bringing the kids from Haiti to Hershey for heart surgery.   She has been a great encouragement to me and she has witnessed God doing extraordinary things for the people of Haiti:



God at work:
 
Vanessa Mesidor's case was referred to me a year ago May 2009.  When we drove up the mountain to see her in the baptist mission hospital her doctors there and the US doctors with me said she only had a month to live.  As we know (We know nothing and God has a plan)  He kept her alive until we could get all of the proper paperwork and doctors to help her lined up.  Oct. 2 2010, we flew into Memphis.  Oct. 3 we went to church and everyone prayed for Vanessa and her upcoming surgery.  Monday we went in for our pre surgery work up and meeting.  Only to be told by the head of Cardiology that Vanessa was to ill for surgery.  They could not operate on her.  
We were very upset the host mom wanted to ask for a second opinion but I said no we had to abide by their decision.   I could not take Vanessa home right away so I had the host mom take me to the airport so I could go to Virginia for a few days before I needed to be in Kentucky, Wisconsin and Chicago.  I got a ticket and went to the gate.  Cried and prayed God this is in your hands.  I am sorry I did not get Vanessa here soon enough.  But to you "all be the Glory".  After two hours of waiting and it was almost time to board and the phone rang.   It was the Cardiologist can you please come to the Hospital tomorrow with Vanessa the two surgeons would like to see her?  I told her I am at the airport but yes we can have her there tomorrow.  She told me just take your plane have the host mom bring her in and we will conference you.   I got off the phone called my husband in Virginia.  Told him I thought I should stay he agreed.  So I canceled my flight and called the host parent to see if I could spend another night with them and we could take Vanessa to the Hospital the next day.  She was thrilled.  I told her do not get your hopes up.  It is in Gods hands.   They came back to the airport and picked me up.  Vanessa was very excited to see me (the host parents did not know enough Creole to tell her I was coming back so they waited and surprised her).   I explained that we had to go back to the doctor the next morning early.  We all went to bed.  Even this was a chore for Vanessa as she had to sleep sitting straight up.  If she laid down her heart would stop.  
 
On Tuesday Oct. 5 we went to the Hospital to meet with everyone.  I got to speak directly to the two surgeons.  They explained that she had only a one in 4 chance of getting off the OR table.   They did not want to shorten any of her possible time with her parents.   I explained to them that both mom and dad understood this.  That father had told me it would be  better for her to die asleep (go meet Jesus in his words) than to come back to Haiti and suffer a long prolonged painful death.  After lots of conversation, Dr. Knott-Craig said ok we will try.  Vanessa was admitted and I stayed right there with her.  At 6:30 the next morning they came for us.  We went down to pre op then back to surgery.  I was surrounded by the loving church family we had met on sunday.  We all prayed and left her in Gods hands.  Papa had asked the night before when I called to tell them yes they were going to operate the next morning, Papa asked if the Surgeon could please pray before surgery.  This request was told to the surgery team.  Before they started they all gathered in the corner and prayed for Gods will.  The entire OR Team.   Surgery started and they gave me updates every hour.  In the echo and all of the tests that they had done it only showed two heart valves not working properly.  However when they got in to her chest they found 3 not working all three needing major work.  The first they were unable to repair so they replaced it.  The second they repaired to the best of their ability, but it was only working at about 50 percent.  I was told that it needed to also be replaced but that the odd of living through two heart valve replacements were to high for them to do it now.  Then on to the third valve, it did not look good but they were going to see what they could do.  The next update was that the third valve they were able to repair and it was not leaking.  Working 100%.  Vanessa was headed to recovery.  
 
When Dr. Knott-Craig came out to speak with me he was very tired.  It had been a very long and hard surgery.  He stated that even though she made it through the surgery she had 72 hours that would be critical "we are not by no means out of the woods yet".  I cried thanked him and continued to pray.  Seeing Vanessa hooked up to all of the machines was a wonderful sight.  They had to leave her on the vent longer than usual but just 6 hours after surgery they did another ultrasound of the heart and found that it was working even better than it had right after surgery.  By the mornings Ultrasound it showed even more improvement.  By the afternoon everyone in the VC-ICU were amazed at how well she was doing.  They had said right after surgery to expect 1 week in VC-ICU and at least another week or more on the Cardiac unit for another week or more.  
 
Well Vanessa was taken to the regular Cardiac floor on Sunday just 4 days in VC-ICU (she could have been moved if they had a bed the day before) then just 3 days on the floor, she was well enough to go home to her host family.  TO GOD BE THE GLORY.  
 
Vanessa in one week from being operated on walked out of the hospital and is doing great.  She continues to get healthier and stronger each day, with each breath she takes.  
 
And yes I am in tears.  Just trying to write all of this is so hard on me.   God is so Good and I am so blessed to be a part of these children's lives.  
 
TWO WEEK UPDATE:
The Doctors are all blown away, her heart is working at Normal sinus rhythm, there is NO leakage around the valves, she has earned the nickname of "The Miracle Child"
Vanessa has gained 21 pounds in just two weeks.  Now that her heart does not have to work so hard her entire body can heal gain weight.  
Nurses and Doctors from around the hospital stopped in to see her, how she is doing.  
 
Thanks to everyone how has helped get Vanessa here and her care.  If I tried to write the list I would forget someone,  Please thank you, thank you, thank you all who have helped save this wonderful little girl.   Thank you to my family who put up with me.   I love you all.  
 


Vanessa A. Carpenter
 
Angel Missions Haiti - Director
 
www.AngelMissionsHaiti.blogspot.com
www.AngelMissionsHaiti.org 
 
home 540-380-4588
Cell   540-580-9721
 
Answering service 1-800-409-7948

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Haiti Blog
http://haitimedical.blogspot.com/

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