The amazing parents who love their little girl so incredibly that they sought help for her internationally. She was born without a bowel. The limited Haitian doctors at her birth created an opening in her stomach for her. Her parents from the very beginning were at a great disadvantage, living in a country where extreme poverty, disease and lacking medical treatment are an everday reality.
Upon her return in November her father recalled to us, the desperate situation that Dieunika's first few years of life consisted of. She had a surgery at birth and another one not to long after. He went to many doctors,hospitals and agencies seeking medical care for her from the day she was born. To her parents she is one of a kind and in desperate need of attention, yet compare that to the incredible amount of sick,starving and dying children and you will get a glimpse of the urgency fading into a sea of faces. This heartbreaking picture is what they lived everyday. He did the best he could with what he had. In a country where working for an 8 hour day is actually a prime luxury and if your really lucky an average day of enduring hard labor you just might earn 20US dollars. Her medical care costs were over the top. They lived one day at a time. Her mother scrubbed her hands and nails to the point of bleeding to ensure that she could keep this open wound free of infection. If you've ever been too or seen photos of Haiti you will have an idea how incredible that this little one did not die due to a parasite or infection! With heart felt emotion her father explains to us after her second surgery, she wouldn't eat and therfore lost alot of weight and they almost lost her. He didn't want her to endure like this any more. So he saught help from the Consulate which brought her situation to Reach Out to Haiti Orphanage.
In steps that could only be connected by God, Air Mobile Ministries became aware of her situtaion. Particularly volunteer Joe Prussell who was so moved by this little girls families desperate grasp for an ordinary life. Upon return after an unrelated mission, Joe Prussel set out to get her the medical attention she needed. Together with Air Mobile Ministries founder Joe Hurston and his wife Cindy, a RN they were able to get her here to the US and meet her medical needs. For over 7 months the Hurstons nurtured this little girl with love and commitment through two surgeries. During this time my family and I helped care for Dieunika as well. Taking each painful step of surgery with her as well as experiencing a lot of first times for her! These moments in time had captured our hearts forever. Watching her sleep I would pray for her future, for her parents and for my heart not to break when she went home. My tears felt so selfish, I wanted what was best for her, yet my heart was breaking for that day we would have to leave her forever. Cindy and I had discussed we would visit her often and try to keep a connection with her. When we came to the time to return her to her parents, both the Hurstons and our family were experiencing with torn hearts the great emotion of letting her go.
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