Yep she's cute!

Just wanted to add a few new pictures. These are from a few days ago so I'll try to take more soon and get them up here as well...along with a longer update. For now though we are still working to iron out details for getting her to the states. We covet your prayers right now for all of that. Miss Izzy is definitely getting fat and sassy! I marvel at how much she changes by the day. She now holds her head up on her own, makes eye contact with you and actually looks AT you, rolls from side to side, kicks and moves her limbs with a new found strength, is eating more "real food" (rice & milk, oatmeal, fruit, etc.) and so much more. She is getting to be quite the little chunky one as well. (the first picture shows that best) Also as you can see she has a wheelchair so that she can ride around like the little princess that she is!:) Someone just happened to donate a wheelchair that was perfect for her and wasn't really needed anywhere. Funny how those things just work out isn't it...God's handiwork! I'll post a more complete update about the states situation soon but for now we are singing praises for the daily changes that are occurring.

Update

After many prayers and calls, the Shriner's Hospital has given us hope by accepting Isabel to the hospital in Shreveport, Louisiana. We know this is probably the best thing that could happen for Izzy at this time. Our friends in Honduras are now trying to get Isabel's six month visa to come over to the States. They're having to find her mother because Isabel's grandmother wasn't her legal caretaker. Please be praying everything goes as smoothly as possible with this process, and Izzy can come start her treatments as soon as possible. We know God will provide, as He always does. He is a faithful.

Also, our fundraiser starts this Sunday, April 13-April 26. We would like anyone who is able to, to fast during these dates and give the money they would spend on their meals to help raise money for Isabel's medical expenses. We'd love to have as many people as possible take part in this.

We're still trying to get the paypal account set up, but we'll put it up as soon as we can.

Thank you so much for your prayers over Isabel.

My Izzy

I actually just found out about this blog today. Sam and Anna have to be two of the most mature 17 and 16 year olds I know....not to mention the best friends/sisters a girl could ever ask for.

Anyways once I found out they had done this I offered to blog once a week for it...a "notes from the momma" type thing. Just to keep you updated with what is going on from this end.

After a week straight with her in the hospital we both finally got to leave. I was able to bring her back to Casa for one night before having to take her to a different home that had agreed to take her. I was struggling....I mean I can tell you what the names of every med she is on and when she needs to take it. Heck I even know what they each smell like. I know which meds she hates and has to have mixed in with something else to get her to take it at all. I know the stubborn gleam she gets in her eye that means she isn't going to do anything you want her to until she decides to. I know what her mad cry sounds like...her hurt cry...her scared cry. I know every scar, bump, bruise, and speck on her little body. I know that she likes her hair played with when she is going to sleep and her feet rubbed when she is hurting. I know that she loves the color red and finds music/singing to be soothing. I can tell you when she is about to go into a seizure and I can just as quickly tell you if it is going to be very long or bad. So knowing all that I wasn't sure how I was going to hand her over without leaving my heart behind as well. We got to the center and it was nothing like I had anticipated. The people were great but their desire to do better could only take them so far. They have about 5 staff members for 35 kids in a space far smaller than casa. They have no sheets for the beds so babies are laying on cold plastic mats. The place was dirty and smelled in a way that I can't even begin to describe. They have multiple other kids with disability that require a lot of attention already. I need you to hear me say ....the people really are great there. They are doing the best with what they have. I just doubt Izzy would have gotten picked up or loved on any time other than to be fed, bathed, or changed.

That situation lasted 5 days before they called saying she was having bad seizures and they couldn't get her to stop crying. Jen went to get her and decided that she just missed us because she calmed almost immediately when she and Gina got there. She was scheduled for an appointment the next day anyways so they went ahead and brought her home with them. She hasn't quite made it back since then.....she has had a couple of doctors appointments and then we took her for a weekend get away.

This past weekend we took Izzy up North with the Belpre group to do some work. They then were scheduled to fly out Sunday morning. The weekend went well and Sunday morning came with no problem. Around 7 a.m. Izzy started a bad seizure and wouldn't come out of it. Finally, around 7:45 I went to the front desk of the hotel we were staying at and had them call the ambulance. Within a few minutes they were there and I found myself sitting in the back of an ambulance holding my baby girl while they injected her with Valium to make the seizure stop. The decision was made that it would be best if we were transported to the hospital so she could be stabilized. So before I knew it I was being whisked away in the back of an ambulance. I've never even ridden in the back of an ambulance in the states...yet there I was holding Izzy as we rushed to the hospital. They managed to stabilize her and even though they weren't thrilled with the idea they let us go rather quickly. They left the IV in her arm and gave us a syringe full of Valium to give her if she went into another no ending seizure. It was a long and crazy ride home. We finally made it and took her to a hospital here. Once her seizures seemed to be done and she seemed calm we were able to leave. The past 3 days she has done better. She is still having seizures but they are much much shorter and not nearly as severe. She is on about 6 different meds and other things. She is eating nearly every two hours and still not gaining much weight.

If you are wondering how you can help. I first and foremost beg for your prayers. Prayers for her seizures. Prayers that she grows and gains strength by the day. If you are wanting to help in other ways you can donate to help with her medical bills. So far we have raised about half of the $4000 that her previous stays in the hospital cost. Her meds cost about $150 a month and those of you who have been parents remember that pampers, baby food, and other necessities are not cheap....especially down here. We will be setting up a Paypal account on here soon for any of you who want to give that way or you can make checks out to Stockport United Methodist Church with Isabel's name in the memo line and mail them to 3515 St. Rt 266 Stockport OH 43787.

She is and will continue to be my miracle baby. She has come so far already and has such a long road ahead. If you have questions I encourage you to post them on here and I'll do my best to answer them. She truly is amazing...I wish each of you could have a few days to meet her and get to know her. I promise you she would steal your heart.

Isabel

Here are a few pics of little Isabel.

Isabell's Story

Isabel is a four year old girl living in Honduras who was abandoned by her mother along with her brother and sister. They have recently been living with their Grandmother who struggled daily to provide the food and medicine that they needed to remain healthy.

Isabel was found by Jen Wright who was taking food to their family. Upon arriving at the house, Jen found this little girl who was literally starving to death. Isabel was immediately taken back to Casa De Esperanza and given a warm bath. From there Jen Wright and Ashley Lauer made the long overdue trip to the hospital. They soon found that Isabel was only nineteen pounds. Four years old and only nineteen pounds. Four months earlier she started having seizures, but the doctors were still unsure why this was happening. After their arrival, the doctors hooked her up to an IV to help strengthen and nourish her little body. Over the next few days in the hospital, she was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. Along with this and the hunger pains, her little body was left in the fetal position. With this diagnosis, the doctors said that she won't live past twelve years of age, which means a third of her life is over. The following days were filled with numerous seizures and temperature spikes. When she started doing a little better, they were able to take her to Casa De Esperanza, but within two days she was no longer eating or drinking, her seizures were worse, and she had started showing signs of death. They rushed her back to the hospital where they found that she had pnemonia and her white blood count was 22,000 and should only be 10,000. The days following this were up and down with her health. Yesterday, they found that this four year old girl has chlamydia, which was transmitted to her from her mother during the pregnancy. This disease caused premature birth, which caused the onset of the Cerebral Palsy, and the seizures come from the Cerebral Palsy. They believe that she is also partially blind.



With all the hospital bills adding up, though healthcare is cheaper in Honduras than it is here, it is still very expensive. This project is to help cover the hospital expenses that Casa De Esperanza has aquired in attempt to spare little Isabel's life. Please keep Isabel and those caring for her in your prayers. If you are able to donate money please email us at sam_butterfield@suddenlink.net or anna_carolyn33@yahoo.com.