First of all, I'd really like to ask for your prayers for Tripp. Things are really not good. He's losing his vision in both eyes due to all the corneal abrasions he's had and resulting scar tissue. He struggles to breath and can barely stand up more than five minutes at a time, and that's on a good day. And that's with a trach. It seems with the eyes and the breathing, Courtney is running out of options. He's not gaining weight, and his mouth is torn to pieces. His teeth are also in terrible shape, and again, because of the EB and probable damage, there aren't many options. In addition to all of that, their family is having struggles in other areas, and it's just a hard situation. I was about to type, "How Courtney does it every day I don't know." But that's not true. It's because of love and because she would do (and has done) anything for Tripp. But having to watch him suffer and feeling so helpless wears her down. Please lift their whole family up in prayer.
Secondly, I don't think I've mentioned this here before, but my heart is heavy for another little boy. This is Anton.
Anton was born by surrogate and sperm donor to a mother in Russia. The surrogate had twins. One twin was perfectly healthy. Anton had/has Recessive Dystrophic EB. His "mother" took home the healthy child and left Anton abandoned in the hospital. For over a year, he has lived in the hospital, never knowing the joy of family. He does have a nurse who cares for him, but it is my mission this year to help find him a home.
Anton has had a history of malnutrition and his fingers and toes have already contracted. The last several months he has been at a more specialized hospital, and his care has been one-on-one. He's gaining weight, his labs are better, and he's eating heartily by spoon! (More than we can say for a certain someone I know... ahem.) He, according to volunteers and his primary caregiver, has a sweet, funny disposition and freely gives out smiles to anyone who shows him some lovin'. :)
My heart breaks for this little one, and honestly, I have thought long and hard about the possibility of adopting him ourselves. Unfortunately, I'm not getting the go ahead, and I don't feel we can take on his care too. But I so would if I thought there was a way. I'm not telling you to adopt him (but seriously, adopt him) but if you know of anyone who is open to adopting a special needs child, Anton would be a pretty special one. He could get much better care here in the states, and he deserves a Forever Family! If only he had a Courtney. (And on a side note, if I wasn't trying so hard to be like Jesus, I'd hunt down his so called "mother" myself and... well, never mind.)
