ChildCare Action Project (CAP): Christian Analysis of American Culture
http://www.capalert.com/


PRAYER REQUEST FOR LITTLE ANGELA

UPDATES: September 10, 2004 November 28, 2004 December 22, 2004 April 5, 2005 May 14, 2005 August 7, 2005

This is a departure from our service to your little ones through you in His name by His Word, but the need is so very great. Please forgive my selfishness.

Many of you know of our history with children but I will retell the story to work up to asking for your prayer support for little Angela.

Thirty-one kids have called us mom/dad. Over a period of 12 years, we have provided 24-7 care for 29 foster kids, some for just days but some for years. And we've had two biological kids.

We adopted seven of the foster kids who had no place to go: Francisco (now 19, came to us at 9), Sydney (now 21, came to us at 11), Kimberly (now 12, came to us at 6 mo.), Tonya (now 10, came to us at 18 mo.), Christopher (now 8, came to us at 6 days), Heather (now 5, came to us at 2 days), Melody (now 17 mo., came to us at 6 weeks). Our biological kids are Bruce and Eric. We plan to adopt one more ... Angela, one of our two current foster daughters and Heather's biological sister.

Angela, a dainty precious Puerto Rican jewel, came to us at 6 months and 6 pounds, 6 ounces (1.5 pounds at birth) came to us with no place else to go and is now ten months and nearly 12 pounds. Angela was three months premature, was failure to thrive and was dying from inability to breathe. She came to us directly from the hospital with a bunch of tubes, machines and gadgets including a heart/breathing monitor and an oxygen generator. She was on oxygen full time until a few weeks ago. Angela has a great deal of trouble eating. But as our Lord would have it, Angela is improving and is off full time oxygen and doesn't have to wear that horrible sensor strap around her chest. Neither does she have to have an oxygen tank dragged with her wherever she goes nor does that growling closet monster oxygen generator growl any more. But Angela is still having trouble gaining enough weight fast enough and is in danger of getting a feeding tube placed in her tiny belly.

Just today (September 9, 2004) we found Angela's MRI revealed she has Cerebral Palsy, likely from en utero injury. We do not know the extent. We do not know whether it will be debilitating, whether she will be able to walk or speak or feed herself or maneuver the bathroom without help or anything else. We love Angela and intend to adopt her as planned in spite of this news.

Now to the point of this page. We ask that you lift Angela up to the Cross in fervent prayer for miraculous healing and restoration, for intercession and blessings: that Jesus will lay upon Angela His mighty hands of healing and let the radiating power of His glowing Might flow through her every cell until each and every molecule of her body is whole and firm.

Blessings to each of you who lift up Angela in blood-sweating prayer. I will post below any prayers sent to us, anonymously unless asked otherwise. Please help us to fill this page to over-flowing with prayers for little Angela by sending your prayers to us at: angela@capalert.com

Tom Carder
President
ChildCare Action Project (CAP) Ministry




UPDATES:

September 10, 2004:

We just received word today that the extent of Angela's cerbral palsy will likely make her a "totally dependent child." She will not likely be able to walk, feed herself, handle toiletting or any other excerise we all take for granted. But we do not believe that.

November 28, 2004:

Angela has been fitted with a feeding tube into her stomach and it has helped. She is gaining weight. Slowly but nevertheless she is gaining weight. The cerebral palsy continues to give her difficulty when eating from a bottle. Her caloric intake requires five ounces of formula every four hours (and I get the two dark-thirty AM feedings :o). But she may take only one ounce or less from a bottle. When she won't take the full five ounces from a bottle, we must give her the rest by feeding tube. We are worried that the convenience to her of being fed by feeding tube will cause her to give up altogether on feeding from a bottle and there are not enough calories in jar baby food to cause her to gain weight fast enough. She also continues to need breathing treatments every four hours as well.

Angela is 13 months old now and almost 13 pounds. And she is a champion to be sure. Imagine a blue tube about 1 inch diameter blowing fog at your face for about 15 minutes every four hours and imagine somebody poking a tube into a hole in your stomach every four hours. That could make anybody quite fussy, but she mostly just lies there and smiles at us as we do the fussing. Breaks my heart, it does. But at the same time fills me with joy and gratitude.

Please consider continuing your blood sweating, Gate storming prayers for Angela.

December 22, 2004:

Fourteen month old Angela had still not been gaining weight fast enough. The cerebral palsy she suffers continues to make it difficult for her to take formula by bottle but the feeding tube in her stomach makes it possible for us to ensure she gets the needed amount of nutrition -- that which she won't take by bottle we give her by feeding tube. But even on anti-nausea medication Angela kept throwing up nearly all of the 5 ounces we gave her every four hours whether by bottle or feeding tube, even when given 2.5 ounces then the rest a half hour to an hour later. So I decided to to disregard our daily needs and sleeping patterns and start feeding her three ounces every two hours ... and it worked! Angela is gaining weight! Several ounces in about one week on the 3 oz./2 hours since she is not throwing it up nearly as often under the 3 oz./2 hours. Angela's nutritionist agreed with the 3 oz./2 hours and since Angela is gaining weight under it advised us to start using a feeding pump through the night so at least near-normal sleep can be resumed. I do selfishly look forward to a little more than four to five hours sleep per night.

Angela's flailing and agitation is reducing, likely due to improved weight and nutrition but she is not yet crawling or cooing or even lifting her upper body on her elbows. However, Angela is certainly showing signs of a personality and recognizes mom's voice and mine. She clearly gets a little extra animated when she hears mom come into the room. And Angela now lets us know she does not like being put in her crib.

Angela's biological mother's citizenship has been confirmed. All we need to do now to proceed with Angela's adoption is to get her citizenship established and pay the lawyers. Angela should take my name within a few months.

April 5, 2005:

Eighteen month old Angela has had en ear infection causing upper respiratory infection every month since January. Her coughing causes her to throw up a lot. For about two weeks each month, Angela has thrown up most of the formula we could get her to take and is still not gaining weight fast enough. She is up to near 15 pounds but should be more. The doctor warns that if she gets another ear infection this month ear tubes will have to be put in her.

Angela's flailing and agitation continue to reduce but are still there and she is still not yet crawling, walking, sitting up or lifting herself up on her elbows. Neck and shoulder strength is improving since she can now hold her head up unassisted when held sitting on my knee. She is also increasing her vocal sounds a little and still recognizes both my voice and mom's voice and when we enter the room. Her personality is still bright and lively.

Angela's doctor is getting worried about her development. Angela still cannot even sit up on her own. The doctor warns that unless she shows improvement through physical therapy, she may be as she is now for he rest of life.

Angela continues to require being fed with a feeding pump through a tube in her belly at night and when she won't finish her bottle which she cannot yet hold on her own and has no interest in it. She spends more time chewing the nipple than drinking. About eight frontal teeth have appeared.

Angela has lived essentially on her back for 18 months now and I am getting more and more concerned. Even when we lay her on the floor to exercise she stays on her back most of the time, occasionally rolling to her left side and only because she kicks her legs into the air and the weight rolls her to her side.

Angela continues to require breathing treatments every four to six hours.

Finally, we are still waiting on Angela's citizenship to be confirmed so we can adopt her.

Your prayer support is still much needed.

May 14, 2005:

Angela, now nineteen months old, still has ear infections about 50% of the time. Her ear infections cause drainage which causes her to cough a lot which in turn causes her immature system to throw up most of what we feed her during waking hours. Her breathing difficulties got so bad yesterday I took her to see her pediatrician who, after a couple emergency oxygen and inhalant treatments, sent her to the emergency department of a special children's hospital 40 miles away. After being seen by a couple specialists and after X-rays, blood work, oxygen treatment in the emergency department combined with the treatments by her pediatrician, she stabilized and was released to us and is back home but under more aggressive home treatment. Breathing treatments are now every two to three hours instead of every four to six hours for the duration of her condition.

Angela is scheduled for evaluation by an Ear/Nose/Throat (ENT) specialist next week. The diagnosis is expected to be to insert ear-to-throat tubes to enable proper function to prevent so many ear infections and thus enable Angela to stop coughing so much and keep the formula down. She has gained and slowly gains consistently at 32+ ounces of formula per day, 2 ounces per hour through a 12-hour night plus what we can keep in her through the day (plus some jar food).

Angela is expected to grow out of this dilemma but until she does, as her pediatrician put it, Angela will be a "high-maintenance" baby and we are in for a challenge to our already atypically extensive experience base with babies we have been blessed to be given. By the way, there is a testimony to His Grace there. God gave us years of detailed experience with babies and toddlers. Then God sends us a "high-maintenance" baby. Makes sense, doesn't it? To God go all praise and glory. I love being His servant, His worker, His hands. A challenge? Bring it on!

We are still waiting on evidence of Angela's citizenship so we can adopt her. Adoption has never come under question.

Angela's flailing and leg-kicking still continue to reduce but are yet present. She is still not yet crawling, walking, sitting up or lifting herself up on her elbows. She is, however, able to sit erect in a special "bumbo" chair. Her personality is still as bright and lively as ever.

It is a true joy not felt in any other way to see a tiny child start to smile ear-to-ear with her eyes aglow as she gets all fidgety just because you enter her field of vision. Every night at midnight and dark-thirty AM I am blessed with such joy as I give her the breathing treatments. Though she really doesn't know what she is doing but just knows that daddy is here, she loves to grab and twist my fingers, to stroke my forearms as I hold the nebulizer tube in her face, and to throw raspberries at me as she purses her tongue and lips together. And I thank God she can! I really, really do not mind the spray. Daddies are washable.

Your prayer support is still much needed.

August 7, 2005:

Angela is now starting to sit up with help. She cannot sit up on her own but when held up she can remain erect for a few seconds. She is still not crawling or propping herself up on her elbows but she can turn over from on her back to her side and belly.

She has also learned to stick her little legs through the slats in the crib and gets tangled ever now and again. We are also noticing little things that indicate a touch of mischievousness. When we feed her by bottle or spoon to keep her eating/swallowing parts exercised, she clamps down on the nipple or spoon so we can't get it out. Thank God that she is developing an attitude!

We are feeding her 4.5 ounces by G-tube or bottle every two hours plus a jar or two a day now and she is indeed gaining weight. At 22 months she is over 18 pounds. She has a long way to go.

She is uttering many baby sounds now but is not mimicking any words we use. She still can't say "mom." Once a couple months ago when I returned home and walked into the front door and said "Hi, mom" Angela uttered a extra loud "Eh" that sounded exactly like a greeting, but we passed it off as a coincidence. But maybe it wasn't a coincidence. She recognizes my voice because my wife tells me often "She hears you."

We have her under a physical therapist's care once each week now. Her breathing troubles continue and must be given breathing treatments every eight hours or as needed.

The ear tubes seem to help a little since she hasn't had an ear infection since the tubes were inserted, but she still throws up too much and the GI doctor is looking into doing a special surgery to stop the throwing up. I am not sanguine about that but I have no say. She is still a foster daughter though we are not letting up pursuing adopting her.

We still do not know whether she will be able to do the daily routines of feeding herself, going to the bathroom or dressing herself. We don't even know whether she will be able to talk let alone walk. Angela is actually reaching for things such as the keys on a toy music machine and has passed an object from hand to hand once but still does not have the manual dexterity of a normal two-year old. Having seen the "terrible 2s" antics a number of times, I truly wish Angela had the terrible 2s. I would love to be chasing after her to keep her to keep her out of harm's way.

Your prayer support is still much needed.

I am keeping Angela in my prayers. YSIC -KH-

I have already been praying for Angela but will now ask specifically that the Lord heal her of her Cerebral Palsy. He made her, and He knows how to fix her. We believe in miracles, and we believe in God's mercy. May His perfect will be done in her life as well as in all of your family's lives. -DG-

Dear Lord, Please put your hand upon little Angela. Lord, we know that you love the little children and especially this one. Please work a miracle in her little body. Give Tom and his wife the wisdom and grace to minister to Angela in the name of Jesus. In the precious name of Jesus, amen. -Pastor D-

Dear Tom, We have some close friends who are foster parenting a baby that is now 5 months old. Birth mom is in prison. This child had seizures from day one, some of them lasting all day long. They knew he had epilepsy, and after they got the seizures under control, determined that he had cerebral palsy. He was non responsive to most stimuli. I saw him last night, as the family needed help (With a new 1 mo old that they are adopting, there are four children, the oldest is 4). He took a bottle from me. He stood on my lap when I held his hands. He grabbed things and put them into his mouth. His doctors have admitted that they thought that he would NEVER do any of these things. You and I both know that God has the power to do whatever He chooses. We have the privilege to ask in faith that He do them. In this case, through the love and caring of these dedicated parents, and through Jesus Christ and His POWERFUL atonement that makes up for ALL of our shortcomings, even physical ones, this child is developing. He will probably never be equal to his peers, but he is progressing. What a miracle! I will pray for your little one, and for you. God Bless. -LN-

In prayer.... -JB-

Thomas My family's prayers are with you, your wife, Angela and the rest of your flock. May Our Lord Bless this tiny Child and heal her as is in His and only His power to do so. May she be a testimony to Your Power and Your Glory knowing that in each movement of Your Hand wither in healing or in direction Lord it is Your Will that we must follow. -MD-

Thomas and family, As requested, I have lifted up little Angela to the throne of grace. May our loving heavenly Father give her comfort and healing according to his divine will. Servant of Grace, -J-

May the Good and Loving Lord bless your little Angela. He can do anything within his will, with his awesome power. -KH-

I do not believe in God, so I cannot pray for Angela, but I offer condolences and hope towards her. I sincerely hope her cerebral palsy improves, and that she is able to live a long and happy life despite this awful condition. Also, good on you for caring for/adopting children with nowhere else to go. I may not agree with your religious and political viewpoints, but I admire you deeply for doing this. Thank you. -DL-

Our Wonderful and Gracious Lord, I ask You, in Your goodness and mercy, to touch little Angela and heal her completely of cerebral palsy. Cause her to gain weight and have an inexplicable hunger and thirst for her formula from the bottle. Help her to move and breathe freely on her own. Lord, help this little baby to be a testimony of Your miraculous, awesome power. Give Tom, his wife, and family the strength, patience, and financial supply that they need to care for Angela and their family. And, Lord, I especially pray for the person who stated on this prayer posting that they don't believe in You. Open their eyes, Lord - woo them, and cause them to hunger and thirst for Righteousness and Truth that is only found in You. May God be true, and every man a liar. Romans 3:4 Lord, thank you for Your love that never ends, and for hearing our prayers. I pray this in the Wonderful Name of Jesus Christ. Amen! -PV-

Since December 5, 2000

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