A hard and very difficult time...

This is not an easy blog to post. It's been a difficult few weeks, but we wanted to keep everyone updated and let you know how to pray. I am simply going to copy the email I just sent out to our prayer warriors.

Following is a letter describing what went on in the US, concerning all of these struggles for little Rose Shirley. Please keep Carolyn in prayer along with all of us here.

To all of you who have been praying for and inquiring about our little Haitian baby, Rose Shirley, who was born with an enlarged heart, we have sad news. She is terminally ill, and there is nothing the doctors can do for her. She has been in the hospital in Haiti since this past Monday. Her condition is declining daily.

After weeks of emails, phone calls, Internet searching, etc., I had finally found the Rotary International "Gift of Life" program. They accepted Rose Shirley's case, and guaranteed that the Cardiac Center at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital in Hollywood, Florida, and their doctors, would provide open heart surgery and treatment free of charge. The hospital was prepared to send their trauma team by jet ambulance down to Haiti to pick her up and bring her to the states. Karen and I had been simultaneously working on obtaining all the papers and documentation necessary to get a visa for her. I was prepared to assume guardianship of, and full financial and physical responsibility for Rose Shirley while she was in the states. Everything was falling into place. I was looking forward to really "loving up" on her like a grandma, and helping her through this.

However, last week, Dr. Kak-Chen Chan, the pediatric cardiologist, and Dr. Richard Perryman, cardiovascular surgeon a the hospital diagnosed Rose Shirley with dilated cardiomyopathy with complications. Dr. Chan was very kind, sympathetic and sincerely apologetic that this was out of their hands, as experienced as they are. He said there was no point in bringing her to the states. I appreciated his straight-forwardness with me and willingness to answer all my questions.

Karen had the difficult task of telling Oliane and Roudley, Rose Shirley's parents, the sad news. I will let her tell you what has happened after that.

Thanks for all of your faithful prayers and concern. Please continue to pray for this family. We worship a mighty God, the Great Physician, who still has the power to heal this broken little heart,

In His Service,
Carolyn Smith

This has been a long, hard struggle. both Carolyn and I have been doing all in our power to get little Rose Shirley to the US for treatment. I think it broke both of our hearts when Carolyn received the final call from the hospital.

The hardest part for me was telling mama that there was no hope for her baby. I have NEVER done something so hard in my life. I had Vero come home from work to be with me when I told her.

The first reaction was shock...then such a hopeless look. That broke my heart as much as having to tell her. I was crying, Vero was crying, but mama didn't. She simply stared at the wall. Haitians tend to hold in their feelings and hide them.

Since that awful day, Oliane has brought Rose Shirley here to see us several times. She is such a sweet baby. The Saturday before Easter she came and Stan was here. I got some great pictures, even though I was sitting in this dumb chair. She was SO responsive. Then on Easter Sunday, she developed a high fever and looked really bad. Monday, they took her to the hospital. She has been there ever since. The doctor did tests and said, no hope. Oliane has been there with her. Many of the EBAC older kids have gone and sat with her. Each day, Little Rose Shirley gets worse. She has a terrible time breathing. She has the fever off and on, often quite high.

We have prayed and prayed for a miracle, for God to heal that little heart and make her whole. But we have come to the conclusion that we need to pray for God's will to be done. Not ours, but His. And if it is to take her home to be with Him, then we pray it will be soon. That little child and mama are both suffering so much. Pray with us that the Lord will step in and either heal her totally, or take her home to be with Him, and then she will be whole.

It's a hard time for all here, so please keep everyone in prayer. Thank you...
Karen

Here are two pictures of our precious Rose Shirley...the first on Saturday before Easter, and then on Easter Sunday. Such a drastic difference.