Julien

It has taken me a couple of weeks to do this post. Sweet little Julien is probably the child I am closest to here at Hope for Haiti so this was a hard experience. I put Julien to bed every night so we have that special time and he has been watching the Vancouver Canucks with me as much as power/internet allows. His "Go Canucks Go!" is coming along quite well. I have posted lots of photos of him and have albums on my Facebook page of him. A little over 2 weeks ago he started having a fever and a bad cough. We took him to the doctor in Dajabon (across the border in the Dominican Republic) where he was diagnosed with pneumonia. To give some background, Julien had pneumonia very soon after coming to live with us from Port au Prince. He weighed 10 lbs at 1 year old and his little body had to fight hard. He spent 3 weeks in Santiago where there is better medical care. After coming back to Haiti this time he did not improve and we went back to Dajabon where he was admitted to the hospital. Julien spent 5 days getting medication, nebulizers, blood tests, NG tubes and IV's. In all over 30 needles. I readily admit I am not the best around needles/hospitals however I did not want to leave my JuJu. Thankfully Mami Heather came over each day so I could get a shower or run for food. Somehow it was mostly timed around when he would need IV's put in or blood tests done. :) Love you Mami Heather...

However there was many a time where my sweet boy had to get a "pickey" (what a needle is called in Creole although not sure if it's spelled that way) The doctors and nurses had a very difficult time getting an IV into him and one day tried 7 times without success. Holding him when he screamed in pain as they dug around with a needle to find a vein broke my heart over and over again. He was in tears, I was in tears - it was a long 5 days/nights.

When he was released to go home we had 3 different medications and a prescription for a pickey (shot) for the following 5 days. He is now scared of needles and the people he knows that gives them. :( And he's not too happy with Mami Heather since she holds him when he gets a pickey.

He has steadily improved and will be back running around with his buddies Stanleey and Marie Joy at top speed very soon.

I will be so thankful when hour medical centre is up and running and the care will be steps away instead of across the border.