Letter to Jason Kenney before I found out my baby is sick

Nov.24, 2010

To the Hon. Jason Kenney,

I have been writing many letters to you in regards to our children, M---- and M----, who currently reside in Haiti. I have received two emails since the start of my letters; One from James T----n from the Ottawa Haiti Processing Office and one from Jane Burton with the Ministerial Enquires Division. Both letters have confirmed what I already know, and have known since the start of the year, that: “Operation Stork was a joint agreement between the Canadian and Haitian Governments, where the Haitian Government gave their permission to allow children, who were matched with their Canadian adoptive parents prior to the earthquake in January 2010, to be processed in Canada under special immigration measures.”

I understand that typically CIC does not get involved in the adoption process itself, and that the earthquake was very special circumstances. What I am having trouble with, is why, when post earth quake Haiti is in a much worse situation now with the Cholera epidemic, our Canadian government is not doing all they can on a federal level to try to help the very few (possibly even only 3-4) existing families in process who have received their match?

CBC reports:
"This today is the most urgent crisis Haiti is facing,"
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/11/23/cholera-haiti.html#ixzz16G80SjtI

Another CBC article states:
“Ten months after the earthquake, the humanitarian response "appears paralyzed," says Refugee International.”
“Experts I respect have urged the need for some form of international mandate to protect Haiti, basically from its own corrupt leadership and lack of governance, until some workable security and legal system can be established. Who owns title to a piece of land? How is housing zoned? Where does one appeal an injustice? To these questions there is still no answer.”
"Cholera is a game changer in the most fundamental sense," says Melinda Miles of the Let Haiti Live Group. "It is an immediate and critical crisis that requires all hands on deck in response.”
PLEASE Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/11/24/f-vp-stewart.html#ixzz16G1MUOeD

If what is being reported is true, CIC should be taking a very long look at those files currently in Haiti that were started before the quake.

I have accumulated the following questions and have compiled them into this one letter for your ease of response:

1. Why is CIC not doing all they can, by entering into a similar discussion as post quake with the Haitian authorities, on this matter of children who are in the adoption process with Canadian families in this time of crisis?

2. We understand that IBESR, Haitian Social Services, was never 'closed' after the earthquake of Jan.12, 2010. They were in fact operational and working outside of their collapsed building during and after the time of Operation Stork. The Haitian adoption system bounced back considerably fast in the circumstances. It was always the understanding of the public based on CIC releases and press coverage, that CIC was using Operation Stork to remove the children from the threats created by the quake. Are you now saying that this was not the case? If it was the case, why won’t you approach the Haitian government once again considering the conditions are far worse now, and continue to worsen, than they were post quake?

3. What flagged CIC into action post quake? Was it letters from concerned adoptive parents, or that the process was already being executed by Haiti and other governments including France, Netherlands and the USA? If it was the urgency of the situation itself, why is CIC not attempting to act now, considering the situation in every sense in Haiti is so much worse?

4. During the aftermath of the earthquake, upon inquiring about CIC's initial notices regarding Operation Stork in regards to families who had adoptions in process, I was informed by Minister Kenney's special assistant, Sean O----, via telephone that CIC would not leave behind any families in process, and that first priority would be given to families who had been matched with children, but that the government would not turn their back on families whose adoptions were already underway. What has made CIC change their position on helping 'all families in process' of adoption in the aftermath of the quake?

Thank you for your time in answering these questions. All we want to know is that our Canadian government has done everything they can for our children. By not having at least a discussion on this matter with the Haitian authorities, we will never know if something more could be done. If the Haitian authorities do not want their children removed prematurely, then we must respect that, but we implore you to at least approach the Haitian government or we will never know. Please do not turn your backs on these kids and their Canadian families.

Sincerely,

Get better baby boy...hang in there

Update from HCH blog: Staff needed at HCH

The doctor and one or two other men will arrive in Haiti tomorrow. We still need to schedule helpers for basic child care and medical or nursing staff for after they leave.

We are also in need of funding to help cover the extra costs associated with isolation, caring for the children and medication etc. We also have people who are willing to go if we can help them with travel expenses. If you can help in this way, please see our website at http://www.haitichildrenshome.com/ for information on how to donate funds.

An update from the HCH blog:

HCH Cholera update
We are getting a doctor!!! And some extra hands! This is in addition to the nurse who was loaned to HCH by another organization over the weekend. The nurse will be at HCH until Tuesday. We praise God as this is a huge answer to prayer. Thank you to everyone who has been helping us look for help. We will need more helpers over the next several weeks so please feel free to contact us if you would like to help.

We are now up to 7 children with symptoms of cholera (adoptive parents will be contacted personally if their children become ill). There seems to a new patient to our little 'cholera' unit every few hours; so far only one has had to be on IV fluid. We pray that God will continue to allow their symptoms to be moderate and not severe like Evan was at first.

Please continue to hold Shae and Melissa up in prayer; they are very weary and exhausted. They have only had 4 hours of sleep since Friday when all of this started. They have been so busy that in addition to sleep deprivation they have also lacked in nutrition as they haven't had time to stop and eat much. Please help us pray that God will put a hedge of protection about them.

Please continue to help us pray for the people of Haiti; those in Haiti who are ill or could become ill and those living in the deplorable conditions left by the earthquake. Please also remember the Haitian people (and missionaries) living in other countries who are experiencing great anxiety and grief over their families.

If you would like to help, items can be dropped off to Lori West for the team to take with them. Please contact Lori West on facebook or at sorrylori@hotmail.com for more information. If you would like to donate funds to help with medication and other expenses related to this crisis, please see the website www.haitichildrenshome.com for more information on how to donate.

So I found out yesterday that 7 kids are now sick with Cholera at HCH.
The staff are burned out and need help. I dreamt about being overboard on a boat without a lifejacket - that must be what they feel like.
A Doctor and his team are heading down there tonight from Edmonton, and we will be rounding up some supplies today....I want to be on that plane.

Global Edmonton Interview - Oct.28, 2010

Enough

I feel a bit like I am vomiting. You know the kind where you are heaving and puking and in between the heaves, while you are bent over the toilet, unable to control it, you still say to yourself, like by some small miracle it will help stop the awfulness of it all "...enough.....enough..."

When is enough enough for Haiti?

Earthquake
-enough-
Cholera
-enough-
Hurricane
-enough-
Flooding
-enough-

Yesterday I got news that a small earthquake leveled a school.
-enough-

Today 2 babies from HCH are sick with Cholera....
-enough, enough, enough...

10,000 infected, 800 dead....2 boys who AREN'T safe at home

10,000 people are now infected with Cholera, 650 are dead. This is all happening right around the area of our orphanage.

Who in Canada is trying to help our future Canadians? There are a small handful of us left with orphaned children stuck in the thick sludge of crumbled and condemned buildings, swollen rivers and floods, a deadly waterborne illness, makeshift shelters that need to be evacuated, not enough medicine, no one to administer IV's and there they remain abandoned in a bureaucratic, political grey area, with a handful of Canadian families unable to create enough political pressure to even inspire a conversation between governments....



If you can help to provide Cholera medication for the 33 orphans at Haiti Children's Home, or if you are a nurse who is willing to go and stay at HCH to administer IV's please contact me or HCH: www.haitichildrenshome.com

From the mouths of babes

The other day at school I brought cake to Dee's class for her to share in celebration of her turning 4.

In the car on the way home she let me know that everyone loved the cake and they all said thank you to her for bringing it. I said "that was nice that they all loved it and said thank you! How did it make you feel?" she contemplated this for just a moment, and then muttered with a smile "it made me feel kind of hot and all wobbly when they said that to me"...

Could there possibly be a more innocent way to express that feeling of being appreciated (and possibly a bit embarrassed) at having done something nice for someone else? Straight out to the mouth of a 4 year old...there is definitely something to be said for having limited means and vocab to express yourself, and yet she was still able to do it so well!

So precious....

Fundraiser to Benefit Haiti Children's Home - Nov.20th

Haitian Children's Aid Society (www.hcas.ca) will be hosting a fundraiser to benefit Haiti Children's Home (www.haitichildrenshome.com)

They have purchased a piece of land to build a new orphanage compound on and will be sharing that information at the dinner. Lori West has just come back from spending 2 months at HCH and will be sharing as well.

Please RSVP for the fundraiser by Nov. 17.

Matt Day (www.mattday.ca), the entertainer for the Jasper Park Lodge, has been doing entertaining and speaking for many years will be the guest speaker for this event. He is funny and a good time - so come out and enjoy!

Do some Christmas shopping at the live and silent auction!

Bake sale tables will be there with regular and Christmas baking!

There will be some Haitian Nativity scenes and some other Haitian art works as well as vanilla.

Details:

where: Grace Point Church
720 - 62 Street SW
Edmonton, AB
T6X 0G3

Doors open 5:00pm
Supper @ 6:00 pm
Tickets: $30 adult
$10 5-10 yr
under 5 free.
childcare provided

If you can attend, please rsvp the names and ages of guests by Nov.17th at: inksoup@telus.net

Our twin boys

A picture speaks a thousand words. We are so privaledged to have access to pics of our baby boys. Just wanted to share some with you of them and their current living arrangements:

Haiti - Tomas

"Haiti issued its highest storm warning to inform people they may need to evacuate - though most have nowhere to go." By JONATHAN M. KATZ Associated Press

As Tropical Storm Tomas approaches Haiti (predicted to be a category 1 Hurricane by the time it hits later this week: http://wxug.us/5adb) all the staff and children at HCH have evacuated today from their temporary shelter at the orphanage compound to the safety of a local church (concrete building) where they will be safe from the high winds and flooding that the hurricane could bring.

We are very thankful that they have somewhere that is able to provide them with adequate shelter from the storm and for the staff and volunteers who have put a great deal of effort into this evacuation! But at the same time our heart aches for our boys as they endure calamity upon calamity without their mom and dad to be the ones to keep them safe.

32 kids....one church basement...

"Every child born into the world is a new thought of God, an ever fresh and radiant possibility" ~ Kate Douglas Wiggin

4 years ago today...




3 years ago...

There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million. ~Walt Streightiff





2 years ago...

Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see. ~Neil Postman





1 year ago...

A three year old child is a being who gets almost as much fun out of a fifty-six dollar set of swings as it does out of finding a small green worm. ~Bill Vaughan



Today...

The prime purpose of being four is to enjoy being four - of secondary importance is to prepare for being five. ~Jim Trelease





“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” ~Dr. Seuss

Happy Birthday Dee!

Global Edmonton interview

To see our interview on Global, copy and paste the following link, and click on the Oct.28th news hour final. We are at 5mins and 28 sec in:

http://www.globaltvedmonton.com/video/index.html