A Happy Ending

My last blog post was about one of our shortest admits. An admit that did not end how we hoped it would. This post has a different sort of ending, and tells the story of another baby that spent only a few days with us.

Jodelin came to us in February, when he was only five days old and weighed just over 5 pounds. He was born at a local hospital and placed on oxygen. His teenage mom, frightened and overwhelmed, left him there alone. The hospital called his grandma and she came to pick up the baby, discharging him early because she could not afford any more hospital bills. The night before coming to us, Jodelin spent time with family members and neighbors, including one of our nannies. They told us that his breathing was shallow; they didn’t know if he would make it through the night. But he did. And they brought him to COTP.

First Day at COTP

We agreed to admit tiny Jodelin for the weekend so that we could observe him and encourage the little guy to drink regularly. They agreed to bring his grandma back on Monday to determine a plan for him. Over the weekend, Jodelin did really well. He stayed with volunteers, who fed him around the clock and encouraged Jodelin to continue drinking. His grandma agreed to take him back that Tuesday. He was enrolled in our formula program.

He arrived just in time for a photo shoot with Emily. :)

Jodelin has been coming to see us every two weeks since being discharged. At two months old, he is up to 9.5 pounds and doing great! All it took for this little guy was four days in our care. Four days to observe his fragile health. Four days for him to start fussing when it was time to eat. Four days for his family to figure out a care plan for their tiny baby. Four days to reunite Jodelin with his family.

Children of the Promise has given explicit permission for the posting of photos on this site.  Photos taken of children in the care of Children of the Promise are not be posted publicly without explicit permission given by Children of the Promise.