Javonica....

My favorite love bug from Haiti....

Her mom, Margaret, had Congested Heart Failure postpartum and after the quake. Margaret when she was more ill than when I saw her.

We are not sure why but for awhile she was on a Nitro gtt. When I was there she was Lasix, Isordil, Lisinopril and Lopressor just to control her high blood pressure and fluid status (pretty serious huh?). The ICU nurse in me wanted VS at least Q8hrs (maybe Q4) but she was healing and only getting VS and daily weights every morning. She was such a great pt.... jumping at the sight of me coming with the scale and blood pressure cuff. She also loved handing off Javonica to me every morning between 6-7am. Sometimes "baby J" was hungry and sometimes she just wanted to hang out and smile at us pale white Americans that wanted to squeeze her chunky, "I am the only baby in Haiti getting formula since my mom can't nurse me due to medications" thighs! A "crib" a nurse had made for Javonica prior to me.

I even gave her a bath the last day I was there... just hours before my flight to Ft. Launderdale. It was a beautiful moment to relax and be at peace with all I had done, seen and heard in Haiti.
I also dressed her in a dress I brought from home that was a hand-me down from my girls.
The sad part about this story is that Javonica is Margaret's 6th child and if Margaret has another baby she will probably die. Heartline is trying to find her a way to get a tubal ligation but this is very hard. Margaret knows this is best for her and wants it too. I think it is so sad that if she goes back to her village and is taken advantage of by a man (like most Haitian women are) and gets pregnant baby Javonica could no longer have a mother.... fixing Haiti seems so impossible in so many ways! I just have to pray that more people who have the answers get involved and help. Last thought of the day....

Laugh... it's good medicine!




*smaller pics are from Beth McHoul