This little girl....

I was not expecting to read this at the Haiti Rescue Center blog today.

Below is a photo of Elita. Out of the probably hundreds and hundreds on the RC's blog, I printed out this particular picture to use on the display board I made to use in Spirited Worship last week, to put our stickers on as we collect money:

I used several photos, mostly of kids who were smiling, or of the directors of the center, or of happy kids getting donations. I didn't want to use a photo that was too shocking, of a child that was too starving or sick. Elita's photo definitely showed her malnutrition, and that she was not well, but it was not "too bad," if you will. Not too bad for the kids to see. All the kids listened so intently while I talked about Haiti and what we were going to do this year, and when I was done they all came up close to look at all the pictures. I could see them studying Elita's photo carefully as she was the "sickest" one in all the pictures.

Here is her story, starting on August 22.

Elita is 5 years old and weighs 24 pounds.  She is in the beginning stages of kwashiorkor (a disease rampant among children in Haiti).  She is an only child that has been living with her papa.  He goes in the gardens and market each day and leaves her with his mother.  She is house-bound and cannot get out at all.  They only are eating one meal per day.  She has tested negative for TB and HIV.  She is very, very, very sick.  Yesterday worms began crawling out of her nose and mouth.  We are in the process of de-worming her in the next few days.  I usually wait until the kids are a little stronger to de-worm them.  But in her case we are going to have to go ahead and give her the meds now.  She is on IV fluids and needs a lot of prayer.  She is very weak and has lost her will to live.

Four days later, she was improving some. This is the photo I used on our display board. She had passed over 50 worms:

By September 1, she was walking and had gained 3 lbs that week!

October 11, she had improved SO much! She has been on the medika mamba program, a lifesaving "medical peanut butter" that is made in Haiti and fed to severely malnourished kids, and virtually works miracles. Here she is, looking great:

Two days later, she began having seizures, and died at 3 in the morning. Something neurological. They couldn't do anything for her.

I loved this smiley photo of her so much, and when I read this entry, that she had died, it just hit me in the heart. She had come so far since August. I could picture her walking around and playing with the other kids.

Now that little girl I put on our poster board is not alive any more. Somehow that makes it so much sadder to me.

I guess I don't need to share that with all the kids. But I had to get it out.

Please donate so we can help these children!

Blessings....