News Flash Project: Smile
News Flash.
Today was one of great advances.
We have a meeting with one of the children in their homes, this will probably get us into more homes.
Tonight I spent from 4:00 to 8:30 p.m. in surgery with two of the little ones. I got in because one of the ladies from our church has a medical supplies business and is supplying the machine to debride the dead tissue, and the bandages with silver nitrate which help heal the burns.
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Our first patient was an adorable 4 month old baby, named Sofia. She had burns to her face legs and arms. Sofie came in smiling and calm. I talked with the mom and asked about her little girl only to find out that the trauma of seeing her 4 month old with severe burns  was not the only stress in her life but that she and her husband were grieving the loss of their 2 year old boy in the same fire.
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Sofie is coming along very well, her skin grafts took nicely and her stitches were taken out.
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The second little girl was three, Dana. She had more severe burns to her arms legs and the top of her head, as she was old enough to cover her face, it remained adorable and unharmed. Dana was very scared, she cried in fear, she didn’t want her arm to be cut off. This is the exact point that a Child Life Thereapist with all their techniques and distraction tools would have been useful. Well, I had nothing with me as I was not yet there to do therapy. So I blew up a surgical glove and created it with a smile and eyes so it could be a friend. We played volleyball and counted her toes. It calmed her for a bit, but the anxiety was definitely there and the mom looked very tired!
Dana recieved more skin grafts and more stitches.
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After the surgeries I went up stairs with the surgeon to talk to the families of Sofia, Dana and one other 7 month old baby. I introduce myself and our desire to do Child LIfe Therapy. All three families have accepted our offer to come in tomorrow to start therapy, so praise God -we are into the Hospitals!
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Other minsitries that we would like to do with regards to this fire, is to have a supper for the families who have lost their kids and have a guest speaker who will talk about Surviving the Storm After the Death of Your Child, this would include talks about drawing closer to your spouse, and God.  We would like to give a book to help them through and just be there for them, praying for them and comforting them. Pray that God would confirm if our plans are His.
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Well I praise God for all that is happening. I have 4 weeks to train a therapist, as we leave for Canada on July 22nd, please pray for this.
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Love Shelli