By Karen Beale & Linda West | AIW Writer & CEO
My name is Lavender, and no one expected me to be alive.
A Sad Bah Humbug Start, Huh?
I was born in a tent on the side of a city street to my mom, who was homeless. Mom probably didn't know how to care for me or just couldn't. I desperately needed medical attention, but I had to lie in the tent for 10 hours before another homeless person who cared found me and took me to the hospital.
Joy To The World!
Now the doctors could fix me up, and I'd be A-OK.
Ha! I Wish, But The Grinch Had Other Plans.
Half my brain and one kidney had died due to my lack of oxygen. Doctors put me on life support, and, at some point, not having too much faith in me, the hospital staff decided to remove my breathing tube. That should have been the end of me. But, God had faith and hope for me - I did not need their ventilator- I kept breathing on my own!
Four months later, while I am lying there, needing a home. Linda, the founder of Angels In Waiting, was telling her nurse friend Julie and her husband Morgan, both outstanding resource foster parents, about me.
Linda had previously inspired the couple to become foster parents by showing them, up close and personal, the positive impact loving parents can have on abused and neglected foster care children- like me.
Being a NICU nurse, Julie understood the type of intensive care I would need once I left the hospital. Immediately, both my new Nurse-Mommy and Morgan wanted to help me and give me a home. The doctors wanted them to know the odds were stacked against me. But, they did not care about my low odds and took me in any-way! Knowing, I needed their Love and Nurse Julie's impeccable nursing skills. They explained to my new found family that I would probably not have a normal life. At the very least, I needed 12 hours of dialysis daily and would need to be tube-fed. They also thought I wouldn't be able to communicate due to visual and hearing impairments, and I'd be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. Blah, Blah, Blah -Insert Eye Roll.
Gosh. The Halls Were Deck Against Me.
Julie and Morgan had a huge decision to make. They discussed it with their two teenage boys, and Hallelujah, they all decided that they wanted me to join their family -FOREVER!
Life Started Looking Merrier.
Julie contacted Olive Crest, their foster agency, and said, "our house is ready, and we're interested in caring for this kiddo. Can you please help us?"
And they did! With help from Olive Crest and a week of training on the dialysis I would need, Julie and Morgan took me across the threshold into their home and, shortly after, into their hearts.
2 ½ Years And A Blessing Later
You're not going to believe this. I have surpassed everyone's expectations! I received a kidney transplant after being on dialysis since birth. Mom says my resilience and my sparkling smile is impressive! I can now bear weight on my legs, sit up on my own, and communicate through sounds and sign language. How are those odds for you? I'm blessed, happy, and I laugh a lot.
Mom and dad have adopted me, and I'm super thrilled because I can't imagine where my life would without them! Mom keeps saying, I am a blessing, and that giving me a loving home has changed their lives. I hope that one day, I will tell them that they are my biggest blessing too -you just wait and see!
I'll need medical care for the rest of my life, but I will continue to defy my odds. I'm a fighter. I'm a survivor, and my Angels In Waiting family has helped me thrive.
Make It A Giving Christmas And Help An Angel In Need.
I'm not alone. Many infants and children like me are waiting for a Nurse-Foster family to discover, love, and save them. I know Auntie Linda and her incredible team of nurses take care of many kids like me, but they need your help. This Christmas, please help them by donating to the Angels In Waiting on GlobalGiving. So more infants and children can tell their miracle stories and heal through the hearts and hands of our dedicated nurses.
BTW: Tell Aunt Linda -Lavender sent you.
xoxo - Lavender
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