Monday, May 7, 2012

A Miracle for Alea

Alea needs a miracle and she needs one soon.

Alea was born this past September, and abandoned three months later at the local bank. She was born with biliary atresia. The local surgeons and hospitals were unable to do Alea’s surgery, which would require a very expensive and risky operation – a liver transplant. The orphanage called us in February, asking if we would be willing to try and help this little girl. She arrived at New Day Foster Home on February 22.

Since that day, we have taken Alea to get many tests, and consulted many doctors. We have prayed many prayers, hoped much and cuddled often. We have learned some hard, cold facts about Alea’s life, facts that scare us. But we have also learned some beautiful truths, and Alea is truly a precious little girl.

We noticed, the day she arrived, that there was something special about Alea. It wasn’t just her jaundiced skin and distended belly… there was something else. The way that Alea held her head up, the way she looked at others, smiled and cooed, were unlike the ways of an orphan. The first day we saw Alea, we could tell that she had been loved ardently for the first three months of her life. Alea’s heart is full of love and hope, and not being able to provide her with the love of a family and the hope of life… not being able to maintain that completeness in her heart makes us shudder. But we will hold on to the beautiful truths that we knew from day one: there is something beautiful and marvelous waiting for Alea.

Somewhere out there, we know there is a miracle waiting for Alea. We trust that there is a new and healthy liver, somewhere, to make her sick little body well.

But Alea needs her miracle to come to her soon. Her little body is hanging in there, she’s holding tight to the life and the love that have been given to her, but it will not last for long. Alea is eight months old today. She has ten more months, maximum, before her little body will fail her, and it will be too late.

As of today we are Alea's family. We will hold her tightly, love her fiercely, and pray earnestly for the liver transplant that she needs desperately. 

Will you join us?

Update: Alea got her miracle!

5 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Here are some links about biliary

    http://www.chp.edu/CHP/atresia

    http://www.chop.edu/service/biliary-atresia-clinical-care-program/about-biliary-atresia/frequently-asked-questions-about-biliary-atresia.html

    http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/health/b/biliary/

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  3. We're workin' here...praying that if we can't get her help here, that another hospital will indeed take her case!

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  5. I want so badly to be old enough to meet China's requirements. My husband and .I await the day when we can finally apply to adopt a unique needs baby from China...my heart aches for this girl and I would love to hold her and love her for all of her life!

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