Cholera is getting closer

The media has really let up their coverage about cholera in Haiti. And when the media does that, people either assume that things are better, or they forget about what's going on and focus on something else in the news. Let me tell you, cholera is still very real in Haiti. People are still getting sick. Men, women, and children are still dying. The last number I heard was that 3,333 people have died. That number is higher than what is being reported.

Cholera has reached the gates of Children of the Promise. A few of the nannies have family members who are sick. And I've read on the COTP blog that some siblings of the babies have it. Some parents have died from it. Cholera is still a very real threat in Haiti.

* * * * * * * *

I think God has given me a long commute so I can cry before I get home from work. On Wednesday I got the news that the baby we were so close to getting up here for surgery had died. He had meningitis. With his condition, it was the worst case scenario. In addition, a baby girl also died. I didn't even know she was sick.

It just brought out so many emotions in me. The only reason these babies died is because of where they were born. If they were in the US, they would have lived. There's no question about it.

My mind drifted to Josette. That just made the tears more intense. I know they're all in a better place. I know they're whole. I know our time on earth is just a blip on the radar compared to all of eternity. And yet I mourn the loss of these babies.

That evening I went home to two beautiful, healthy children. It's as though Henry and Sofia could sense my sadness. When I sat down on the couch, they both came to my side and cuddled with me. We had a great evening together. No arguing, no fighting. Just lots and lots of cuddling.

I felt guilty. Why was I born in the US? Why was I blessed with two healthy children? Along with the guilt, I felt a new purpose and mission. My energy to try to provide for and save as many as I can was strengthened. I can't save them all. But I can work on saving a few.

Out of respect for the parents of the babies who died, I'm not posting specific information about them. The COTP blog has not been updated at this point, and it doesn't feel right that I write about it before them. You can check their blog here for updates.

* * * * * * * *

We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.
~ Marian Wright Edelman