Trip Journal Continued.......

So after our fun day at the beach, I asked Osseh if he could point out where Kevin's dad lives or beg's in Freetown and he agreed. Well as we were driving past Osseh stops the car and yells "Samuel". I was so overtaken with emotions at this point and Kevin's dad, Samuel wheels over to the car. He is a parapalegic in a wheelchair and begs on the beach front daily. It was a very special moment for me, we talked for a little while and he gave me a big hug and said, "Thank you so much for caring for Kevin." There is no greater joy in the world to know that you are caring for someone's child, who can not provide for him like you can. I gave him a hug and we said goodbye and talked about maybe meeting again while I was there. I got in the car and was just overtaken by the emotions of the event that just occured, everything that had happened that week. We are soooo extremely blessed in America. To be a father who can not care for your child, beg on the streets, be a parapelegic and then give your son to an Orphanage for them to care for him because he knows Kevin will have a much better life and be cared for. Rich and I are forever grateful for Samuel and what he means to our family.

I also want to share this with you and it's a little out of daily order but this is something that is very close to my heart. Erica emailed our team that traveled this link this morning. We met a photo journalist in Freetown at the airport as we were waiting to board the plane on our way home. She had just finished taking photos of the Maternal Mortality in Sierra Leone. Here is the website for the photos, it's devistating. Each picture at the bottom has a picture info tab that explains the picture. http://www.jeanchung.net/#a=0&at=0&mi=2&pt=1&pi=10000&s=0&p=0

This is very very close to my heart right now considering I am in nursing school to eventually one day pursue my dream of becoming a labor and delivery nurse and then onto becoming a Midwife or OBGYN. I was in tears and asking God, why did you choose me to live in America. I could have been one of those dying women. I had eclampsia with both pregnancies and with Emma was on Magnesium for 3 days to control it. I forsure would have died if I lived in Sierra Leone. The statistic is one out of 8 women die during, before or after childbirth in Sierra Leone. That's crazy!!! It's all because the lack of facilities, medical equipment and knowledge of how to save these women and there babies.