Welcoming Wyatt and Nikolas to our Healing Home

In late January, a premature baby boy was abandoned and brought to an orphanage.  He was clearly experiencing breathing distress and was rushed several hours away to the provincial capital by ambulance. Upon arrival, he needed to be placed immediately on a ventilator.

Thankfully, Wyatt showed us his grit by only needing specialized breathing support for a few days. We were then able to see his precious face more clearly.

Soon, Wyatt developed an appetite and began gaining strength. It was apparent he was a fighter.

Doctors discovered Wyatt has a minor heart defect but felt it did not need surgery at this time. So after several weeks in the hospital, we were thrilled to welcome him to our Healing Home!

As you can see, Wyatt is settling in nicely with our nannies. As the youngest baby in our Healing Home, he is still a little fussy and enjoys the reassurance of cuddling with his nanny or feeling her hand on the back of his head as he falls asleep. We are hopeful that this handsome baby boy will continue to grow stronger and perhaps be chosen for domestic adoption.

The other new arrival to our Healing Home in February was 11-month-old Nikolas. When Nikolas was four months old, his orphanage asked if we could help him get surgery on a large spinal meningocele that had broken open twice already in his short life. Once tumors like this become infected, the baby’s life will be endangered. We knew we had to try, and so we took little Nikolas to the hospital.

On September 1, Nikolas had a long and complex surgery on his spinal tumor. He battled repeated infections but remained alert and in good spirits and developed a healthy appetite.

As several months went by, Nikolas’ wound on his back continued to heal slowly but surely. However, another area of concern arose. His head began to show signs of hydrocephalus, and after a CT scan, doctors confirmed that he did indeed have fluid in his skull, a common post-op complication following meningocele surgery. Nikolas was scheduled for shunt surgery to relieve the pressure in his head.

Fortunately, Nikolas once again came through his surgery like a little fighter. At last, doctors cleared him to discharge, and we were overjoyed to welcome him to our Healing Home.

Nannies and doctors have all told us that Nikolas is a very alert and clever boy who enjoys playing and can be easily made to smile. We look forward to seeing many more of his smiles as he settles in!

Back to Blog