Lonia...our miracle girl!

LONIA - JULY 2008, SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA

Wow! Looking at this picture brings a flood of emotions that are indescribable. It seems like a year ago in March when we first met this little girl is so many moons ago. It has definitely been a roller coaster of a ride. The kind that has all the extras. The upside down, hanging by your fingernails type of ride. First you are up, then you are down. You're on the ride going round and round. You are laughing, crying and screaming at the same time. Somehow, it's all good. Then you step off the ride, plant your feet on solid ground, things slowly stop spinning. You take a look at the ride you've just been on and you say, "Now that's plain crazy! I can't believe I did that!" This is exactly how the year has been with Lonia. The spinning is slowly coming to an end. We are trying to plant our feet on the ground. We stand amazed as we glance back at the ride and say, "Wow, God! Are you serious? That was simply amazing! How awesome you are to have done all of that and somehow we fumbled through it and tried to let you use us instead of getting in your way. Thank you and we praise you for being such a wonderful and an awesome God.

Her parents never dreamed she would live to be one year old, especially when the they were told to leave her at the hospital to die because there was no other option. Here she is, alive and healthy. She has had 4 major surgeries in the last 7 months. She used to have a dull, sad and painful look in her eyes. It has been replaced by a brilliant sparkle, full of life and a huge smile with big, dancing, brown eyes that speak volumes. She is now a ball of fire instead of the listless almost lifeless little girl I brought on the plane from Haiti.

We are thrilled with her progress. We are with Dr. Gates and his wife now, in Sacramento. He is running an ultra sound and some tests this morning to make sure everything is on track before we return to Haiti. It has been a sweet reunion.
Dee