Buy some stuff, support Stephano!

SALE!!!!

Stephano from Tunaweza (a vocational school for young adults with disabilities) is trying to raise some money to build his mother a better house.  He has been hard at work making handbags, aprons, pouches and even iPad pouches!  We'll be arriving in Seattle on Saturday, but if you want to pre-order, send us an email with what you like and we'll hold it for you!

Shoulder Bag- $12

Shoulder bag-$12

Normal Pouch- $5

iPad pouch- $7

Camera pouch- $5

Foam Bag- $12

Foam Bag- $12

Clutch- $5

Shoulder Bag- $12

Shoulder Bag- $12

Apron- $12 (various colors below)

Back Home!

The climb up to the house.

Aside from some mildly rough seas, we had a safe and uneventful boat trip back to Mwanza,took some more x-rays and moved Helena back up the three flights of stairs to her house. She is there now, happy again to be with her family and free from needles and any other major sources of pain.

Some of you have expressed your support for Helena and her family's journey and have asked how you can help financially. For this we are very grateful and would like to share with you a list of some of the major and minor expenses so far for your information. Any financial gift may be sent through Maryknoll Lay Missioners at mklm.org/Rossers (which will be tax deductible) or through David's personal paypal account at daverosser@spu.edu. Either way 100% of your gift will go towards expenses for Helena's operation. As well, if you would like to send cards or small gifts such as puzzles or books (she is beginning to learn a little English so basic books like "Cat in the Hat" are good) they may be sent to PO Box 5021, Mwanza, Tanzania, E.A.C. Of course we will translate any cards that you write to Helena or her family and I am sure they would cherish any encouragement you have for them.

The last steps!

Here are some of her accrued financial expenses:
The complete operation- USD 275
Transportation to Bukoba by boat and hospital by car- USD 200
Pain Medication and Antibiotics- USD 18
3 Post-Op X-Rays- USD 18
Hospital Food- USD 20

Once again, it has been heart warming to hear about all of the people touched by Helena's story. The journey is far from over, but a major step has been taken successfully. Thanks for your continued prayers as she continues to recover and prayers for at least one further surgery to come in six months.

Back home!

Recovery is going well

Helena and Vivian were in good spirits when we visited them yesterday. You can see for yourself here-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3ySDg9kLlE

We are very pleased with how things are going and thankful for all of your prayers. We are humbled to be part of this long journey for Helena and her family and, while its not over, at least has made it past a big hurdle. Thanks again for all your support and all your prayers- and thanks be to our loving God whose plans no one can imagine and are full of goodness!

Tonight, Monday, if all goes to plan, the doctors want to release Helena and we will take the night ferry back to Mwanza. We devised a special chair that will allow her to be moved without moving her legs as much as possible. Please pray for a safe return home!

Vivian, Mama and Frank.  Vivian is recovering well.

Mama, Helena and David feeling much better.  Yesterday, the attempt to prop her legs up on the pillow was not a pleasant sight.  Today, it didn't seem to bother her and she was all smiles and having fun.

Happiness and her sister (far left) and Vivian's mom.  It's been great to see how the two mothers have really helped each other out and care for each others daughters like their own.  Both have done a great job learning the schedule for medicine and advocating for their daughters- something not often done in Tanzanian culture.

Karen and Caitlin making an improvised chair to carry Helena onto the boat tonight with.  If all goes well, we will return Monday night and this chair will hopefully keep Helena's legs from moving to much.

The Big Day

What a day yesterday was! Let's sum it up by saying we are very grateful that all went well and Helena is safe post surgery and Dr. Schaefer said he is very pleased with how it went. Thanks be to God and all of you for your prayers as well as the many people who have helped out along the way.

There was a major problem after surgery because one of the doctor's didn't write the prescription for pain medicine after Helena left the theater.  After Helena woke up and started crying from significant pain we scrambled to find a doctor to write the prescription and then dealt with an undermanned and inefficient pharmacy.  All in all, it took two hours for Helena to get any pain medicine after surgery on her femur and tibia.  Needless to say, all this was happening back in the ward- there is not a recovery room at Kagando Hospital.

Let's look at the day in pictures:

One last blood test before surgery.  That grimace says it all.

Caitlin's sister Meghan said that at Children's Hospital kids can check out iPads to relax with .  At Kagando, at least for  Helena and her roomate Vivian, courtesy of the Rosser's they do too!

Vivian (in the purple and white stripped sweater) is Helena's room mate at Kagando.  Vivian is a girl that our friends Frank and Karen are helping to get treatment for her club foot.  Her surgery went successfully also!

Mom and Helena get the call and wait outside the theater 

Nurse/Sister Velena was very comforting to Helena just before she went into the theater.  "Mungu yupo, na atakusaidia," she said- which means, "God is here and will help you."  

Helena eeks out a smile amongst the shivering tears thanks to the encouragement of Sister Velena

Mom (Happiness) gets a chance to visit with Helena just before going into the operating room.  As you can see the effects of the anesthesia are helping Helena to feel a little better.

Post- surgery:  Helena is wheeled back to the ward.   At this point she is still under the effects of the anesthesia.  

Happiness is relieved everything went well and comforts Helena while she waits for her to wake up.

An IV pole at Kagando Hospital.

The Day Before the "Big Day"

This morning we were greeted by Helena's big smile as we entered her hospital room. She immediately asked if we could go out to the playground as promised yesterday, but her fun was cut short when Doctor Isador showed up with Doctor Schaefer to introduce him to Helena and make plans for tomorrow. Helena's big smile quickly turned to tears as mom removed her pants to show the doctors her legs. It was painful for all of us to watch us they manipulated Helena's legs and talked about where they would make cuts and place pins.  Of course the doctors were extremely kind and professional, but I think the experience just made everything more real for all of us. It reminded us that we aren't just all here on a nice vacation from Mwanza, but for a scary but possibly life changing operation for a delicate little girl.

After the doctors left David pulled Helena into his lap and we talked about how we had both had surgeries when we were little. We explained to her how scared we were but how we got better because the doctors were smart and  because we had so many people praying for us. Helena's smile quickly returned when we told her how many people all the way in America are praying for her.

Fortunately the day just got better from there when Helena's new roommate Vivian, a seven year old girl our friends Frank and Karen have been accompanying through her journey to have her clubbed foot repaired, arrived.  The moms seemed very happy to meet each other too and immediately connected like old friends, sharing food and speaking Kihiya ( their shared tribal dialect).  Our hope is that the moms and girls will be great sources of comfort to each other. 

Since tomorrow Helena and Vivian will both be having their operations, we set out to make the rest of the day as fun and worry free as possible. The two new friends started their day off sharing tea and bread, followed by a puppet show with David, then some piggy back rides and playground time and finally a little Snow White. The day was filled with smiles and giggles. It was hard to not think about how difficult the next few days and weeks may be for these two little girls, but knowing that they are hopefully on the way to walking and running makes it all worth it. Please keep Helena and Vivian and their families in your prayers.

The big trip across the pond

Last night Happiness (Helena's mother), Helena, Caitlin and I all boarded the MV Victoria to sail west to Bukoba. Needless to say, half an hour beforehand, it was a moving event to accompany the brother, sister and cousins as they trekked down the three flight high hillside stairs from their house to the waiting car. The excitement, the anxiety, the years long wait for treatment- all could be sensed among them as they said goodbyes amongst the busy Mwanza nighttime bustle.

Helena's simple joy about her new, yet scary, adventure could be sensed as she explored the large former mail boat, gazed at the floating kerosene lanterns marking fish nets, counted the stars and finally crashed into bed. There is a sense of boding anxiety however as we delicately talk about the upcoming operation. It will take months for everything to recover, not to mention the sheer bravery that an eight year old, or any age, needs to undergo the chopping up and repining of one's tibia and femur. Understandably,in the morning, when we arrived in Bukoba, Helena shook her head that she did not sleep well.

Happiness and Helena are settled in at the hospital, waiting for Friday. We feel very honored to have a small role in this big journey and are glad you too can join us. Please keep them in your prayers and enjoy some photos and video of the trip!

Here's a video of Helena on the boat. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5ZP5i3RoNY