Saving Josiah: Effort by Maine Volunteers Changes Lives
By Peggy Roberts (published: March 15, 2007)
Read the whole story - Saving Josiah
How many would even have noticed in Haiti, a country where one in every five children dies before the age of 5?
“I called Children of the Promise mainly for medications for his comfort and for someone to love him,” Caron said. “We thought he was going to die.”
Josiah would not survive without surgery...
When he got the go-ahead from hospital administration, Allen called Dr. James Wilson of Yarmouth, the only pediatric neurosurgeon in Maine, to see if he would perform the surgery... Wilson agreed to operate and arrangements were made to fly Josiah to Portland.
“Josiah will show us what he can and can’t do,” he said.
Children of the Promise has taken care of 175 to 200 children since 2000 and now cares for 66 infants through 4-year-olds. The organization’s first goal is to return these children to their families. But often, that isn’t possible and eventually, many of these children are adopted.
Between the two groups, and with the help of so many others, Josiah has been given a chance.
“I think every child has the ability to change the world regardless of whether they have a handicap or not and regardless of how long they live,” Bonnema said.
“He’s changed my world,” Caron said, smiling at the baby nestled in her arms.
Changing the World... One Baby at a Time
