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AIW Working to Recruit More Nurses To Help End California's Child Sex Trafficking.
Through the Hearts and Hands of Nurses, Angels in Waiting (AIW) is Working to End Child Sex Trafficking
Studies consistently report that 50-90% of child sex trafficking victims have been involved in the child welfare system.
In Los Angeles alone, minors are sold into sex trafficking, and the number of unreported child victims is likely much higher. Eighty percent of these youth are foster children. With few community and familial resources, these minors are often lured into the trade by the trafficker's deceptive offers of emotional and financial support—the lack of a stable and safe home makes these children vulnerable to the trafficker's grasp. Once forced into the sex trade, young children face daily violence. Too many have been the victims of horrific sexual abuse and mutilation, rendering these poor souls medically fragile and needing nursing care.
Unfortunately, the problem is systemic; other foster kids recruit girls from group foster facilities on behalf of sex traffickers. Child welfare agencies throughout California try to coordinate programs to provide preventative and rehabilitative services to at-risk and rescued sex-trafficked foster care youths. But, the truth is; the needed counseling and services are not readily available for these forgotten sex-trafficked foster care youths.
At a town hall meeting, Angels In Waiting came together with local foster advocacy groups and government officials to address this issue as a community. When asked to speak, our founder Linda West-Conforti, RN, highlighted the ability of nurses to work against child sex trafficking. With over 300,000 nurses in California alone, AIW could play an enormous role in bringing at-risk foster children into the hearts and homes of California's nurses.
Nurse foster/resource parents are skilled, comprehensive caregivers that can provide loving and supportive home environments. A stable home and supportive childhood are the best defense in preventing sex traffickers from preying on our at-risk children. Nurses have great potential to provide stability, safety, and access to services to this vulnerable population.
AIW is recruiting nurses who can be first responders in providing a stable, supportive home for foster youth who have been sex trafficked. Obtain the counseling and services needed to help our at-risk foster care population flourish.
AIW changed California law to give nurses priority consideration in placing medically fragile foster infants and children. Your financial support will enable us to recruit more nurses to serve this equally vulnerable and growing at-risk population of foster care children and youths who are being trafficked as enslaved sex workers.
Please Donate Today and Help Us Fight Child Sex-Trafficking in the Foster Care System.
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Sammy's Angel Wings
Sammy is a real medical miracle! Sammy is not my biological son. Yet, I know the deep piercing bond a son from my womb can bring. I love my Sammy just as profoundly! Sammy was born at 23 weeks at a fragile weight of 17 ounces when his birthmother's placenta burst due to an abortive cocktail she utilized to help end his life - which landed her in the hospital. When Sammy tested positive for methamphetamines and barbiturates, Sammy was taken into the custody of Children's Services. His mother's rights were suspended until she tested negative for the drug and attended parenting courses set forth by Sammy's social workers and the court.
His extreme prematurity meant his organs were underdeveloped enough to sustain his life. His lungs were so underdeveloped, and he couldn't take his first breath. His brain and nervous system were so undeveloped they couldn't remind him when he needed to breathe.
Sammy survived for the next 20 months in the hospital under the care of medical personnel. They utilized mechanical ventilation and IV drips while he fought his mother's drug addiction and his preterm birth. He rapidly produced hundreds of hemangiomas on the outside of his body and thousands more on the inside that impeded the natural function of all his organs. This condition subjected him to several years of chemotherapy. To the amazement of hospital staff, he endured seven painful abdominal surgeries and survived five long flat-line code resuscitations.
Sammy was continually pricked with needles. He was so troubled by this that he slept sitting up. Afraid to relax into dreamland, poised for his next onslaught of cold, painful medical procedures delivered by sterile hands and blue scrubs.
Against extraordinary odds, Sammy continued to fight for his life alone, without the emotional support of a nurturing mother. Finally, the severity of his illness, medical costs, and grim prognosis prompted doctors to request a "Do Not Resuscitate Form" to be signed by the appointed court judge. Thankfully, the judge refused, and Sammy continued using the hospital's personnel's heroic resuscitation efforts. Miraculously, and to the continued amazement of the nurses, therapists, and physicians charged with his care, he stabilized enough to be discharged from the hospital.
He was placed in a group home for medically fragile children, where he was able to bond with other children. Who were also fighting incredible fights of their own. Months later, after a long career in child care, the owner of the group home was set to retire. She was frightened that if Sammy ended up in the local institution he was slated for," he would wither away and die." She called me on Thanksgiving Day when she'd heard I was a veteran pediatric nurse and now certified as a medically fragile foster parent. Convinced Sammy wouldn't make it without a vital infusion of love and heartfelt dedication, she urged me to take him into my home. Several days later, he crossed the threshold of my doorway, infusing me with the wonder of his survival.
In less than three years, Sammy moved from indwelling catheters, feeding tubes, and numerous daily medications to tube and drug-free.
In 2007, my husband and I adopted Sammy. Securing his promising future and enriching our lives beyond the expectations we mulled over when we started this journey of safe-housing tender souls.
Sammy is a true blessing from God, besides needing corrective lenses, a high-caloric diet, and vitamin B12 injections. Sammy is a happy, healthy, and intelligent young gentleman; who understands an in-depth meeting of life, a divine knowledge far beyond most of us. He tells me (his Mama), "he has been on the other side so many times- he has come back with business cards from GOD."
To know Sammy is to love Sammy, and I eagerly await by his side to see what life has in store for this remarkable little Warrior. Currently, Sammy Has become a warrior for viable 24-week preemies who do not have a voice.
Learn More About Sammy's Bill
There are so many other angels in waiting, just like Sammy. We try to save all of our little "Angels In Waiting" through the hearts and hands of our dedicated nurses. Who have opened their homes to heal and love as many little ones as possible and help them move onto loving homes, or adopt them personally.
As a result of our ongoing endeavor of nurse recruitment and Angels In Waiting's determination to save as many little lives as possible through the hearts and hands of dedicated nurses, we are now 500+ nurses strong and growing. We could have not crossed the threshold without your support and donations.
We are greatly appreciative of your support together we have literally saved countless childhoods!
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Helping Children from Robb Elementary School Cope with One More Heartless School Shooting in America!
How Many More Angels Must We Send Back To Heaven?
Decades ago, Angels In Waiting created a therapeutic stuffed toy to help medically fragile foster care toddlers and children in crisis cope and heal from numerous painful medical procedures and the trauma of being placed into countless foster homes.
In 2012, the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting occurred in Newtown, Connecticut. The loss of 24 1st graders' innocent lives -dropped AIW's founder to her knees, literally and figuratively! She looked for a way to help heal the trauma of the remaining siblings and survivors of one of our deadliest shootings in US history.
Our founder, Linda West-Conforti, was aware of the therapeutic effect of AIW's comfort penguin from feedback from foster parents, social workers, and nurses who received a comfort penguin for their medically fragile foster child -in need. As requested, AIW donated and shipped 500 of AIW's crisis penguins to Sandy Hook's "Therapeutic Crisis-Out-Reach Community.". AIW's Crisis Penguins won the hearts of counselors, parents, and children who were all deeply devastated by this heartbreaking and gut-retching loss of precious young lives. Here is a video clip from CBS, The Doctors, about the therapeutic healing effects of AIW's crisis penguin had on children from Sandy Hook Elementary School.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxGs5OYMUcY
A decade later, May 24, 2022, marks another dark day in American history. Another merciless torture and killing of innocent elementary school children occurred. Recruits who took an oath to protect and serve waited outside for nearly an hour for orders; to enter.
Crisis Counselors from the surrounding communities around Uvalde, Texas, reached out to Newtown, Connecticut, for help and guidance. One of the counselors told a therapist you have to find the lady with the penguins and sent her the above clip from The Doctors.
As the counselor sought the crisis penguin, our founder was pursuing a therapist to send AIW's crisis penguin too. So, once again, with a heavy heart, AIW's Crisis Penguins were donated and shipped to Rob Elementary School-age children to help them cope with another cold-blooded senseless elementary school shooting.
Sadly, school shootings are an American epidemic and the remedy to prevent these shootings is not an easy task. Unfortunately, school shooting tragedies seem to be a new staple to our society - many children are massacred and traumatized in American schools due to these televised shootings. Created by ill youths who did not get access to the mental health services they so desperately needed. As a result, our beloved children die in our classrooms as America tallies up one more heartless school shooting.
Angels in Waiting continues with our foundation's mission of recruiting nurses, to care for our medically fragile foster care population. While infants and children are placed into the hearts and hands of our dedicated nurses. Many of these children, through our nurses' hearts, will also find their forever families.
Providing Comfort /Crisis Penguins to Rob Elementary School shootings survivors was not its initial intention. Still, we are delighted to know our therapeutic toy is helping children in Uvalde, Texas, cope with another dark tragedy in American history.
We understand donation funds may be tight with the rising cost of living, including gas prices and putting food on the table. However, if you can find a small donation amount for our projects, it would be extensively utilized to help more little Angels In Waiting thrive through the hearts and hands of our dedicated nurses.
God Bless,
Linda West-Conforti.
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Sammy is graduating High School next week. My amazing nephew. He could have been forever lost in the Foster care system. I thank God for the remarkable opportunity my Sister Linda Conforti, a nurse, and her life-altering organization, Angels in Waiting, provided for Sammy and thousands of other little souls -who need a safe harbor to weather the storm life has thrown at them. Sensing the power of unquestioning love through the skilled hands of a dedicated nurse, they call Mommy.
I remember as a baby; his Healthcare Team didn't have much hope for Sammy. Claiming he will deeply struggle his whole life. As a baby, we welcomed Sammy into our family with no limitations, challenges -yes, limitations -no.
Sammy thrived in his world, addressing his challenges head-on and overcoming his bleak prognoses and challenges. Sammy is a bright, evolved, hard-working, sweet soul! As he graduates from High School, I marvel at Sammy's other milestones. He graduated from a bleak life-treating birth at 23-weeks gestational age, navigated through his mother's drug addiction, countless surgeries, painful medical procedures, and numerous Code Blues. Sammy graduated from the words of medical experts that gave him a dismal cognitive and medical prognosis. He even graduated from the cruel, judgemental eyes of others, the struggles of schooling in a system unsympathetic to his challenges and learning method.
How I wish I could attend all the other graduations of extraordinary souls, Angels In Waiting charity helped usher onto the graduation ceremony stages!
So many success stories just from my sister's; Linda Conforti's home... Imagine the ripple effect of hundreds of other Nurses opening their homes and hearts to these medically fragile foster care babies, children, and youths. A domino effect that is truly amazing to witness! Love equals more Love. Charity equals more Charity. Hope equals more Hope.
Aunt Cindy
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My wife and I are both registered nurses and have worked in the hospital for several years, unaware that a special, underserved population needed our nursing knowledge and skills; medically fragile babies/children in foster care. The program that allows preferential placement of medically fragile children into the homes of nurses was introduced to us by a friend. To our delight, we learned that the founder of this amazing program lived close to us in Southern CA. Linda West, a registered nurse and the founder of Angels in Waiting (AIW). Ms. West is a strong advocate for medically fragile children and took her time to clearly explain the process and the steps that we needed to take for the approval to become a resource family home for these vulnerable at-risk children. The law for preferential placement of medically fragile babies into the homes of nurses was passed in California following the advocacy work of AIW under the leadership of Ms. Linda.
One day my wife received a call that every nurse foster parent awaits, with both anxiety and expectation. Every baby is unique, has specific psycho-social factors, unique medical diagnoses, and a myriad of other factors that make these calls very special. Fortunately, in our case, the social worker called about a 3-month-old baby whose identity was uncertain and his birth history unknown. The little Angel had been named John Joe! No one had claimed him, and no one had any information about his health history. His biological parent gave him up for adoption discretely. The baby boy suffered from failure to thrive issues and had severe abdominal complications. He needed a gastric tube to meet his nutritional needs at two days of age. My wife listened to the caller intently. She was faced with an immediate dilemma; was the family ready to take on another baby? Was the baby too ill to thrive or survive? Was the family prepared for the emotional roller coaster that comes with the lack of information, health history, or family dynamics? She requested time to discuss the options with me, promising the social worker a response by the end of that day. After careful consideration and prayer, we decided to explore the potential with hope and optimism. We made arrangements to meet the baby "John Joe," whose name was more of a placeholder than an identity.
It was a Sunday afternoon when I, my wife, and our oldest biological daughter visited the baby at the hospital for the first time. It was love at first sight! Our hearts were open, right along with our home for the medically fragile foster care population. It was no longer a difficult decision; he was meant to come home with us. His demeanor was one of optimism, love, and charisma. He was happy; despite his painful abdominal abnormalities, he was a smiling, joyful, an enchanting little angel- who needed us. We could not resist. We knew we would adopt him right there and then -if we got the opportunity. Given the fact that his biological birth family was absent, he was already up for adoption.
We began the process for adoption, which involves consultations with the doctors, the department of children and family services, social workers, and specialty providers. We continued to visit our little Angel as his health stabilized enough for discharge from the hospital. The bonding started before his hospital discharge and will continue throughout his life. The adoption process takes a long time. As we follow instructions and work with the social workers, we care for Angel John Joe as his nurse-foster parents. He turns four years old this December, and we eagerly await for the adoption process to be complete. We can't wait to give him his forever family and our family's last name!
We have age-appropriate honest discussions regarding his history, foster, and adoption journey. Even at this tender age, he knows he is loved, safe, and cared for. He has been an absolute blessing to our family. He blended in and attended all family affairs, including local and international trips. One of the family hobbies is traveling, and all our children have traveled more than most other kids their age. We took vacations to Hawaii, a Safari in Kenya, and several other local tourist destinations. John Joe is an excellent travel companion, despite his constant need for close monitoring and tube feedings. He receives therapy and other supportive interventions to foster optimum growth and his developmental milestones. He participates in age-appropriate social and family activities and is overall a thriving child.
You might ask where does Angels In Waiting come into play with all this? AIW is committed to recruiting nurses and supporting them as nurse foster parents. The approval process is rigorous and cumbered with bureaucracy. AIW holds the nurses' hand to ensure they receive correct and timely information on their approval progress. Sometimes AIW receives referrals for the children/babies who need the specialized care of a nurse, and AIW attempts to match the children with the most appropriate family.
AIW continues with advocacy work to expand the program to more counties in California. AIW is a 501c3 organization and heavily relies on donations to carry out its mission. When you give to AIW, you participate in ensuring the most vulnerable humans in foster care are matched with the appropriate, well-prepared foster homes of nurses. The nurse provides parental and nursing care needed to reduce prolonged hospitalizations or placement into institutions. The program has resulted in higher adoption rates and shorter stays in foster care.
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