First, thank you all for your support and prayers for
Penny’s surgery for the stomach dissociation. Upon assessment the week prior to
surgery a pulmonologist determined she does in fact have severe pulmonary
issues and we elected to do a bronchoscopy before the surgery. This in conjunction with a successful surgery
should help to eliminate the reflux issues and reduce pulmonary issues (but may
not eliminate them.) She has had a very
rough 15 years of life. Post-surgery healing is going well, and we just need
time and patience as we watch her become healthy and growing again.
Do you want to know how big our God is, how He moves
in the lives of those call Him father?
There is relevant quote from David Platt that I want
to share:
”Orphans are easier to ignore before you know
their names. They are easier to ignore before you see their faces. It is easier
to pretend they’re not real before you hold them in your arms. But once you do,
everything changes.”
Oh how we are
learning the truth of this. My arms almost physically ache to hold these
children, no more innominate, again. To hug caregivers and thank them for
feeding, caring for, and loving these little ones relegated to “least of these”
status.
My trip to Bulgaria was very productive. We were able
to maintain and improve the health of the little Victoria during the week
before coming to the USA, and she was discharged in short order from the
hospital in Oregon to be at home with her new family. (Prayer request: Since I drafted this post,
Victoria’s been readmitted & discharged again from the hospital. To date,
the work up has not particularly conclusive. Prayers for her healing, revelation regarding
her health needs, and for peace & strength for her family are humbly
requested and very appreciated.)
At the Pleven orphanage the director was overwhelmed
that 150% of the requested PJs were provided, a total of 123 PJs. Amazingly, we
had a single pair of cotton PJs donated; everything else we purchased or given
was fleece, which was my focus for “winter jammies.” We packed them in anyway.
Little did we know there was one little girl that cotton was the best material
for her to wear and this one set of PJs ended up being her size, and they were
a style that was ideal for dressing her (she has a very delicate skin condition.)
We also bought candies and treats in
country for those children who could eat them. We had some extra funds that
allowed for buying some crib toys from a local business in country for those
children who were too little or unable to have sweets.
The pastry/cookies platters for the staff were something
they had no concept for, and seemed almost at a loss for how to respond to such
a gesture, as it had never happened before. In America, the nurses’ stations are inundated
with food & treats at holidays; there never. I had to explain it was for
the staff, not the children. They asked
which staff? I said all staff; those who clean the nurses, the leylas, administration;
everyone. I suggested to them to
find a place they could put them and have the staff come and get something from
the trays during their shift. It was a
blessing to show appreciation to them in what proved to be a completely
unexpected way.
I was able to see children on each of the six floors; an
almost unheard of privilege. I saw the
full dynamic--from children growing as strong and healthy as an institutional
environment could possibly allow for, as well as several children in some very
rough medical conditions. Yet absolutely
all the children were clean, linens clean, and they generally seemed well cared
for. Their fragile conditions due to the either the effect of previous neglect
when under the old leadership or the
lack of medical intervention from the government agencies which dictate the
permitted care, effectively leaving these children in this condition. The staff
has essentially no support even though they are often providing palliative to
hospice level care, and it was obvious that they were hurting as well. My American naiveté was struck by this
complete dearth of support-no chaplains, no resources, no protocols, and no
debriefing-nothing. There’d been psychologist who under the direction of the
Pleven Project had provided comprehensive case management and follow up. The name
“psychologist” is somewhat disingenuous; their role was more consistent with a
hybrid of Rehabilitation medicine, case management, care plan
evaluation/accountability, and psychological assessment and support (including
support for the staff.) There’s no further funding for this role.
The director & staff had such a concern for one
tiny baby girl, “Dee” with significant medical issues that were declared
untreatable/inoperable by those who make these decisions in country (this after
a gross delay in care PRIOR to being admitted to the orphanage.) To not mince
words, after delaying and providing no intervention, this child was left with
essentially no treatment options, and was sent to the orphanage to die on their
staff’s watch. I was permitted to gather information to specifically seek a consultation
with medical professionals here. Caveat upon caveat-there would need to be a
surgeon who would be willing and able to travel to Bulgaria to assess and
potentially operate. I wasn’t convinced this was possible, but was certainly
willing to “ask around.” God clearly had
a larger vision for this; and I was able to connect with several surgeons; one
was able to facilitate connections with a Doctor’s Without Borders team
currently in Bulgaria within a week of returning to the US. This team is being
connected with the Pleven Director to consult the case. That this connection can happen is a huge
prayer request. Realistically, it may be
too late to intervene on this particular little one who inspired the efforts. God has His hand over this too. Access to
modern care in this specialty is simply unavailable; what is available is done
in an outdated, frequently more harmful than helpful manner. I am prayerful
that this connection will change that-If not for tiny Baby Dee, then for other
children who have no current options for care, but who would BENEFIT from the
care, were it to be available.
This trip, made
possible exclusively by God’s grace and God’s people rallying around us, has
provided an opportunity to quickly and effectively respond to Pleven’s request
for help. He’s allowed us to provide
abundantly more-than expected or imagined! I am hopeful this will build
relationships which will grow and continue to benefit the children of the
orphanage and the community at large. Our God is good….all the time!
There are two pressing needs, an immediate need, and a
long term need. Immediately, the role of the independent psychologists needs to
be funded, as well as resupplying the Pleven medical fund (which has supplied
additional care needs since 2012!) A
post dedicated to this role (explaining, outlining roles, responsibilities,
costs, etc.) and the current state of the Pleven Project is shortly
forthcoming. Long term, with the shift in focus to non-institutionalized care
models, the need for outpatient care for children with special needs will
become only more glaringly apparent.
Parents are routinely left without option except to relinquish custody
of their medically fragile children because services simply do not exist within
their communities. The director at Pleven shared with me a vision for capital
improvements to the existing facility, including outpatient therapy clinics at
the orphanage. Not a wish or amorphous dream, but a solid vision, complete with
renovation construction plans and costs. The actual cost-approximately $40,000
USD, is actually not beyond reaching (nothing is with God.) Sadly, however,
there are little to no other community supports (medical supplies,
transportation, and equipment repair, etc.) yet in place for parents that want
to keep their children with special needs in their home & communities. Both
the needs must be met, for capital funding and
for the needed community infrastructure supports. This lacking, far more than
simple funding obstructs the progress. Prospective in trivia form: agencies and
community supports for physical and mental disabilities (hard fought but
achieved) in the US are decades old. The equivalent government agency in
Bulgaria serving those with intellectual disabilities is barely two years old,
formed in 2013.
So the challenge is set before us. Paul is currently
assessing how the needed business structures that provide community supports to
special needs children might be addressed- no small task. The only solution we
have at this time prayer; serious prayer for the children and people of
Bulgaria. Prayer that doors will be made open: for the government agencies that
regulate business, suppliers, and supplies that are necessary for children to
be raised by their parents will become available. Prayers for the others God
will be calling to fulfill this because they will be the planners, consultants,
funding sources, and hands and feet for these things to happen.
Pleven is
better. Far, far better than just a few short years ago. The improvements are
visible, and many children are thriving. There is a clear sense of pride you
see on the faces of the staff as they show you what these (their) dear children are accomplishing. And the pain on their faces as they tended
sweet baby Dee and the handful of other children in similar condition was no
put-on show for my benefit. This is not
an easy place, and the darkness would very much like to take it back-through
fatigue, through discouragement, through the helpless feeling that you simply
can’t make a difference. The battle is won, but dear friends do not kid
yourselves for one minute-the war is not over.
Not until every child is given the standard of medical care. Not until every staff member knows they are
valued and doing incredible work-even in the soul wrenching work of caring for
little ones being taken too soon. Until
no other family is ever forced to relinquish their child because they can’t
have access to care-until this time, we are fighting. God
has this. He never plants things in people’s heart without His
purpose already planned. We can see several foundational things happening (many
already shared above), connections being made and other connections at the
ready down the road for so many great things to come together for these little
one in Pleven and hopefully other orphanages too. Now is the time for obedience, much prayer,
patience and diligent seeking Gods direction while taking intentional action
since we already know His purpose for us……James 1:26-27.
~Paul and Maureen
