While at Luke's cardiology appt. this am, Dr. Ringel shared to me about a yg. man who needs to be adopted. He is a patient at Hopkins. He is 16 from a West African country called Burkinofaso (sp). It is the 3d poorest nation in the world. This yg. man was brought over and at first was treated for his heart condition at Univ. of Md.. then transferred to Hopkins. He needs a heart transplant but because he is not a US citizen the transplant teams here will not allow him to have one. He will die if not given this option. Dr. Ringel said that all the doctors working with him have pretty much resigned themselves to this fact that he will not be able to get a transplant but they would like to at the least try to find a family who would adopt him and then his medical costs (mostly monthly required medicine could be paid for thru insurance.) John Hopkins has done several procedures on him and he is having a defribulator put in that will allow him to walk around the hospital but he can not leave . They have tried contacting the embassy and they will not help... He asked us about him. Of course my heart is to at the least pray for this yg man and our family at the very least will reach out to him by visiting him at Hopkins ( I will be there with Luke for 3 days next week) and other times as well. I asked if he can go out during the holidays and Dr. Ringel said no that don't allow that now. His status would change and he would not be able to come back in to the hospital. He is described as a very nice,polite yg man. Unfortunately he will die with no family in a hospital far away from all he has every known. The cost of one months medicines for him will cost about 5,000 dollars... just his mantience type meds...
I have just learned of this boy... I will be spending time with the Lord about what we are called to do...I challenge all of you who read my blog to do the same. You know we get information like this given to us many times... about a child who needs a home...I love this verse from Proverbs 24:12 Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and he holds us responsible to act.
We will be praying for him too! Is there even an agency that knows how to do adoptions from that country, and especially while he is in the US? He doesn't get permanent status on a humanitarian visa? God knows! Praying his divine will to be revealed and carried out!
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