In this miniseries of the people of Haiti, I want to end with the smallest ones.
The toddlers and babies. The vulnerable ones.
Totally dependent on others to care for them.
Born into a land of hardship and insecurity,
their existence depends totally on the suffering adults to care for them.
We could love on them but do little else to remedy any physical ailments
since they were so young.
I wanted to pack each into my luggage and bring them home with me.
Really.
But, despite the hardship of this present life,
there was no doubt each baby was loved.
This wee boy was presented, along with his twin sister, to our house one noonday while we were having our lunch.
The thin mother and friend had walked one hour in the blazing sun, each carrying their tiny bundle. The babies had fevers and were exceptionally small, even for 5 weeks old.
We treated the fevers with cool cloths and hydrated and fed the mother, gave her vitamins and a brief rest before they started their long walk back home.
Lots of good teaching went on in the clinics.
Hillary cleaned the umbilical cords of these 5-day-old twins and taught cord care to concerned mom and dad. The twins had been born in their tent and the cords tied off with little, old scraps of ribbon. What an eye-opener for us nurses trained in sterile hospital environments!
This beauty was only a few weeks old and reminded me of a tiny baby bird
we once found that had fallen from its nest high in the tree above.
Each of these precious lives has a unique purpose and I pray they will grow
to accomplish noble goals.
Who knows? Maybe this sweet, sleeping babe will be the mayor or president of Haiti that will turn this country around!
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