| FROM “BUSH BUNNY BRENDA“ DATE: FEBRUARY 25, 2023 BABY #19 AN URGENT RESCUE FELICIO (Fe-lee-cee‑o), now 11 months old, lost his mother back in April 2022, cause unknown. The only female in the family was his elderly grandmother, so she took over his care. All was going well until Felicio had frequent illnesses, and began losing weight in late January. His family claimed he was not digesting his food well, and was treated for his constant diarrhea. I suspected, but couldn’t prove, that his grandmother wasn’t feeding him properly, as our infants EXCEL when given this same diet.  11-month-old Felecio with Foster Mother Marcelina at the Lion House. On Feb. 16th, when the family brought Felicio for his weigh-in, he had lost weight even after the diarrhea had stopped. I immediately took them for a consult with our Malnutrition Specialist at the Balama Hospital. After his examination, the Doctor demanded the family bring this malnourished baby in for a 2nd consult the following week. He suspected the family’s story wasn’t totally true. On Feb. 23rd, the infant had lost 400 gms/0.7 lbs. IN THE PAST 7 DAYS! That now put him in a CRITICAL STATE as his 4.4 kg/ 9.7 lbs weight was just barely above his 3.16kg/7 lb. birth weight! REMEMBER, he is 11 months old! A normal weight for an 11-month-old is around 11kgs/24 lbs. The Doctor stated that the baby should be removed from this family immediately, and Social Services was called in. All were in total agreement that if the baby wasn’t removed from the current caretaker that day, there was little hope for his survival. After a long talk, the family agreed to release the infant into our care, so Felicio became urgent baby rescue # 19. Our 2 baby homes are too full of infants and under 3‑year-old toddlers to receive another critical infant. THANKFULLY, Foster mother Marcelina, who lives across the street from House #7, opened her arms and eagerly accepted Felicio since her 2 youngest orphans are now 4 and 5 years of age. These mothers do love to cuddle babies! There was no truth to the infant’s inability to digest food, as Felicio ate, drank, and soaked in all the love that the mothers of the LION HOUSE could shower on him. He was simply hungry and love-starved. RESCUE #19 WAS POSSIBLE BECAUSE YOU CARE. IF FELICIO COULD TALK, I KNOW HE WOULD TELL YOU HOW GRATEFUL HE IS TO HAVE A SAFE HAVEN WITH ALL THE NUTRITION AND LOVE HIS BODY DESIRES. ANNUAL PHYSICALS FOR OUR CHILDREN Each year, an annual physical by a Balama Doctor is required for all residents of any orphanage. It took about 5 hours to accomplish the task for all 51 of our children, but it is great to know that they are all healthy. Entertaining the toddlers was a blast, as some of the children experienced the swing sets for the first time!  Capena holding baby Joao just after his physical.  Three-year-old Adelide, an experienced swinger, shows Chebany and Salvador how it’s done.  Salvador takes his first swing with Chebany looking on.  Chebany’s first time in a swing! https://youtube.com/shorts/GcMDkYIUU1s  Me doing selfies with the toddlers. THANK YOU FOR LOVING OUR CHILDREN THROUGH YOUR LOVE GIFTS, AND FOR PRAYING FOR THESE PRECIOUS LITTLE ONES. BLESSINGS, BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE AND THE BALAMA STAFF |
