Another new face

Emmanuel is the new kid on the block, but we also have a new volunteer in the Home. Her name is Emily, and she has come from Australia with a wealth of nursing experience and compassion to share with our children. She has only been here two days, and already she is settling in and getting to know the children. It seems she has a gift for connecting with the kids - especially our more reserved butterflies. Even the very shy children are warming up to Emily. Here she is getting a cuddle with Ysmael.

Emily's special field at home is cardiology, so she has been well qualified to assess Emmanuel. She's been discussing his heart condition in detail with our two resident nurses, and explaining what is going on with his little body. Unfortunately he has not been gaining weight appropriately, and he's going to need a nastogastric tube so that he can be fattened up ready for surgery. We need his body as strong and healthy as possible, so that he can cope with such a big operation. 

Emmanuel looks pretty happy about his examination!

Emily is also keeping a close eye on that pesky ear.

Emily has already found the Home to be a "little haven" with lots of warmth and humour. She is doing a great job at acclimatizing to the new environment. She says that  language and communication are the most difficult challenges. We think she is coping just wonderfully - her great nursing skills and enthusiasm are definitely getting her message across.

While she is with us, Emily will be sharing her knowledge with our resident nurses, and doing some training in areas relevant to paediatric palliative care. Having a nurse come to support us with skills in these areas is such a gift!  Emmanuel certainly looks pleased to see her around!

Meet Emmanuel

After Angel was adopted, her cot " Love" became home to this little guy. His name is Emmanuel, and most readers will guess that he has a congenital heart disease. (Those blue lips will give it away every time.) He also had a nasty ear infection, which is now responding to treatment.

When he first arrived, Emmanuel was still quite shocked and withdrawn. He didn't seem to show any emotions - no crying, no smiling, no laughing, He was just like a little doll, remaining totally passive no matter what happened around him. He didn't react to his surrounds or to any of the people who were trying so hard to connect with him. This little guy had walled himself off from the world.

Now it's been a few weeks, and we are seeing a different baby. He cries when he wants attention, and he laughs and babbles when he is happy. He is recognizing his own ayis and responding to them beautifully. It's so lovely getting to know him as he lets down the barriers and allows us in. We think he is a very brave little boy for trusting us in this way.

 Just like Finlay, Emmanuel has some developmental delays. You need to have energy to learn new things, and that's pretty hard when you are short of oxygen. He has been too weak to exert himself, and most of his time has been spent just lying in his cot. We are already gently changing that, and making sure he gets up and about to enjoy his surroundings. Soon he will be taking a trip to Shanghai to have his heart assessed. Our hope for him is that he too can have surgery, and that his heart can be healed. Please join us in this hope for Emmanuel.