A Clean Bill of Health ... Almost!

"Wow, Look at Me Now!"

Today, Lia Faith returned to Children's Hospital to see her surgeon and to be checked to make sure she was progressing and healing from her recent "brain surgery." We had a wonderful day and Lia did great. Except for the occasional "don't touch" when anyone tried to look too closely at the back of her head. Most of our visits to Children's Hospital have had some sort of uneasiness associated with them. Especially as they related to Lia Faith. Not because of anything about Children's Hospital or the staff there. Children's is a place where God works and creates miracles. It is full of doctors and nurses and staff members who truly care about kids and do everything they can to comfort them and heal them - including praying when necessary! Maybe one day someone will tell us the story of the multicolored cow that we've named Patches who guards the front door at both Children's Hospital in downtown Birmingham and Children's South, where we spend most of our visit time.

"They're always measuring my head!"

"Hearing the good news!"

Sometimes we sing a song at church that is called "In the Presence of Jehovah." When you visit places like Children's Hospital, you just know that you are in His presence and for that we are very grateful. We have found in these circumstances that if you close your eyes and call upon Him, He is faithful to replenish your joy and relieve your fears. Oftentimes, I sit and watch the other parents and how they interact with their children and you can see God at work through every action, every thought, every look. I've wanted to ask some of them about their children and to offer comfort and solace and prayer, but I haven't been able to figure out yet if that's what God wants me to do or if that's just something I'd like to do - there's a difference. I hope He gives me some guidance on this soon.

"Gigi has pretty nails, mommy!"

Today's wait was unusually long (nearly two hours past our appointment time), so the staff brought out snacks and drinks for the children and their parents. It was a simple gesture, but one I've never seen in a hospital waiting room. Everyone was very grateful, since it was now lunch time and many had waited since early that morning. And the staff was careful to explain the order in which children were being treated and why. Because of this approach, the parents were comforted and none were discouraged at their long wait. I hoped that it was also because they knew, as we did, that there were good doctors and nurses doing God's work for His children and that theirs would be cared for in due time.

"Fun times in the waiting room!"

"I am the cutest thing, don't you think?"

When Lia Faith's time finally came, it was a very short visit. Just what we hoped for. No extra information that had been learned since the surgery, er I mean miracle, and no calls for further treatment were made. In fact, Lia's surgeon indicated that she was healed and he needed only to see her again in three months to ensure that her recovery was going as planned. He observed that her incision was healing nicely and even indicated that Connie was doing a nice job of concealing the incision with Lia's hair. Lia was only interested in Gigi's fingernails and making sure that no one touched her head. But she was good enough to allow us to snap this picture of her with her two Angels, Dr. Blount and Gigi. We think it's a great picture, don't you? As far as what comes next, Lia will remain under the care of Dr. Blount for a few more months and then be released, so that other, less significant, issues can be addressed.

"Lia Faith's Angels at Children's Hospital"

Contrary to what these pages might have reflected in the past few weeks, er I mean months, we do have children other than Lia Faith. And they have been awesome family troopers while we cared for Lia. Friday, Lily Grace asked Connie if Jesus had removed the lump from Lia's head! Yes, sweet baby girl, He did. While we haven't intended to leave unwritten the challenges and achievements of Austin and Lily Grace, Lia's condition had been in the forefront of our minds and at the front of our prayer lists during the time since we returned from China. After today's visit with Dr. Blount and his wonderful assistant Gigi and the entire staff at Children's South, we can take a few deep breaths and move on to the more usual perils and trials of raising teenagers and twin twisters, I mean sisters.

No, they're not really twins, not even biologically related, but the closeness of their ages and the commonality of Lily and Lia's interests makes them seem like twins. We do have some brief experience with twins (hey Emily and Amanda), but those twins are now finishing college degrees and we didn't really see the early days of their twinness, so maybe we're not the experts we think we are! Lily Grace and Lia Faith still want to wear the same clothes, play with the same toys, and be cuddled and comforted at the same time. They must have the same Dora plates and utinsels, but will part ways when milk is offered - Lia craves it and Lily doesn't. They have missed their bath times together, but with Lia's incision, we've taken to giving her a bath in the sink - yes, she's that small! At first she didn't like it, but now I think she does.

As for Austin, he is engrossed in schoolwork, golf, music, Chinese language lessons, and his girlfriend - yes, we'll have to do a journal entry about that sometime, if he lets us. As for golf, today he had his best round ever in practicing for tomorrow's match. He fired a 41 over 9 holes and was on pace to finish at only 3 over par, until he looked up and saw me, and promptly double bogied the last hole - sorry, buddy.

"Bye Bye, Patches. See You Later!"

So hopefully, in the coming months, we'll be more likely to share stories of Lily Grace and Austin, too, as their lives have certainly not called a timeout while we ministered and were ministered to through Lia Faith's roller coaster of health issues. Indeed, hopefully this web journal will truly live up to its name, Green, Party of Five, in the coming months.

Love,
Jerry, Connie, Austin, Lily Grace, and Lia Faith
Green, Party of Five

Reflecting on a Miracle ...

"Don't You Just Want to Hug Me?"

"Miracles Happen Here"

"They Even Have Their Own Multi-colored Cow"

And an update on Lia Faith. Connie called me at work today and said "Lily just asked if Jesus removed the lump on Lia's head?" Wow, amazing stuff. Kids really know how things work. How do we mess it up so much as we get older? Lily has taught Lia to sing Jesus Loves Me and she walks around singing it all the time. What praise! How can I get to that point?

"They Don't Monkey Around in Here!"

"Give Me That Fish!"

"Wheeee! Let's Go Mommy!"

"Ah, the Life of a Princess!"

On Thursday, April 9th, Lia Faith underwent what turned out to be a minor surgery at Children's Hospital in Birmingham. While it's certainly not minor to have a several inches long incision in the back of your head, Lia's condition today, compared to what we expected, is absolutely a miracle. She was supposed to be in the hospital 5-7days, but she was dismissed after only 23 hours. She's been home for 7 days and appears fully recovered. Except for the rapidly healing incision on her head. She was swollen for several days and the area of her head around the incision was swollen and difficult to care for (thanks for your loving help Monica, you're the greatest!).

"Look, ma, twins!"

Now, she seems to be in great condition and is as happy as she could be. If anything, she seems even more lovable than before the surgery. Her hugs are stronger and the look in her eyes is deeper. Some people just know how to hug and Lia is one of them. She is full of love and it's absolutely contagious. She likes to kiss and hug even more than she did before the surgery. And that's a really good thing for her brother and sister and her mommy and me. She still has some things to get through, but finally getting the answers and resolution to the meningocele question was a major hurdle for her little body. She is really, really little! The pictures and measurements we were given with her biography and her updates suggested she'd be about Lily Grace's size - wrong! She feels light as a feather, just like Lily when she was three.

Lia Faith does have to go back to the neurosurgeon's office on Monday for a recheck, but we don't anticipate anything but positive results from that. I can't wait to talk some more with the doctors about what they discovered and what they didn't discover. After Monday's visit, she has some breathing issues to work out with the ENT (she's scheduled for a sleep test in mid May) and may require some minor surgery (tonsils, etc..) to correct problems there. And she still has to catch up on her immunizations, so there'll be a few visits to the local pediatrician's office that she won't like. Finally, she'll have a few more rounds of testing at the IAC in Birmingham and an eye evaluation. And then, she'll be on the normal track for toddler care! Hooray!

As far as her spiritual health, let me just say that she gets it. She tell us she loves us (I love you too too!) and she sings 'Jesus Loves Me' all the time - Lily Grace taught her that one. She bows her little head and prays with us at meal time. However, just like Lily Grace did, she sometimes keeps one eye open to see what we're doing. It's the funniest thing to see. Teaching her and Lily Grace about Jesus is the greatest thing ever. We are so honored that He chose us to do it.

Sorry, we didn't get many pictures on Easter. Lia Faith only lasted a few minutes at church, but those were precious minutes. Austin and I were sitting in the back, thinking Connie and the girls would come in that way. But they walked in the front and the whole congregation got to see the girls 'triumphant entry!' Lia with her head bandage and Lily with her sweet smile. Of course there were many oohs and aah's. Austin and I sat quietly, beaming, while Connie and the girls took a seat closer to the front. Here are three pictures of the girls counting down to Easter (in Chinese).

"Eee, er, san, tse"

"Oooh, lio, chee"

"Baa, joe, chur!

I would have to say that in the process of adoption, we have been drawn closer to God than ever before and we have been privileged to witness and receive numerous miracles along the way. He has met us face to face in the streets of China and the hospitals of Birmingham. It is so comfortable to feel His presence while we raise these girls - because I know for certain that we can't do it without Him! All the praise, honor, and glory to Jesus! For He is everything and without Him, we are nothing.

God Bless You,
Jerry, Connie, Austin, Lily Grace, and Lia Faith
Green, Party of Five

Let's Go Home!

Lia Faith slept very well last night (good thing somebody did, maybe she can drive us home!) and is up and at 'em this morning. She's getting a little something for pain every now and then, but nothing more than Tylenol and Motrin. Both of her surgeons came by this morning and still seemed a little amazed. Dr. Fleming came in around 5:30 or 6:00 - the nurses say he's an early bird - and Dr. Blount came by around 9:30 on his way to Children's South. Both were pleased with Lia Faith's recovery and said she could go home now. We'll probably leave the hospital before noon!!!

Our experience with Children's Hospital has been outstanding, and not just because of Lia's miracle. Every person here it seems is genuinely interested in and full of compassion for the children and their families. Every person who comes in the room makes sure to ask if we need anything at all. Even the janitors cleaning the elevators tell you they hope you have a good day. I'm sure they've seen their share of those who haven't.

Please pray for Children's Hospital, it's doctors and staff, and most importantly, the other children here. My prayer would be for a miracle for each of the children here!

God Bless You,
Jerry, Connie, Austin, Lily Grace, and Lia Faith
Green, Party of Five

Meningocele ... No, Miracle!

"Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name ..."

The Chinese medical community thought they had it right. The Americans agreed. The best neurosurgeons in the world concurred. Meningocele, they all said. It made sense. There was an abnormally high incidence of that particulary malady in her little corner of the world. And she had all the classic symptoms. The little lump had all the characteristics of the congenital defect that haunts too many of God's little children, especially His Asian babies. So we prepared ourselves for what that meant. Now, to be sure in Lia Faith's case, the condition was of the less significant variety and could be easily repaired. But, still there could be complications. The doctors have the obligation to make sure you know that in any circumstance.

"So I dance with Cinderella, while she is here in my arms ..."

This little malady, manifested as a lump on the back of her head, was probably a contributing factor in Lia Faith being abandoned when she was a mere four months old. In hopes that someone could fix her little problem before it got worse and turned into something more significant and unknown. Our hearts certainly break for parents who may not have access to proper medical care and who make decisions in the absence of such important information. Maybe one day, the world class medical care that we in the U.S. enjoy (and sometimes take for granted) will be available to the rest of the world's children. But for now, we're just honored that God would allow us to do what we can to take care of a few of them.

"Can any of the kids just take a picture without 'funny' eyes."

And so in Lia Faith's case, we arranged for her to have surgery to repair the meningocele. We were blessed to be introduced to some wonderful doctors at Children's Hospital, through the International Adoption Clinic. Lia's primary surgeon, Dr. Blount proved to be an amazing doctor, always concerned first about his patient while making every effort to comfort his patient's parents. God even assigned an assistant surgeon who had spent time in the very province Lia Faith was born studying the very condition with which she had been diagnosed. Dr. Fleming told us that he had spent three months in the children's hospital in Taiyuan three years ago studying, of all things, meningocele! Now, if we weren't ready to fix this little problem with this team of physicians, no one could. We are very thankful for the Children's Hospital, Dr. Blount, and Dr. Fleming for being prepared.

"Believe ..."

Funny thing is, on the way to the operating room, God decided to fix this problem Himself and grant the miracle that many had been praying for for Lia Faith. Only an hour into the anticipated 3-5 hour surgery, Dr. Blount emerged smiling with great news. "We were wrong. Lia Faith simply had a mass of skin and hair underneath the surface of her head." He removed it and pronounced her healed and said she'd be able to go home within 24 hours, instead of the 5-7 days we were anticipating!!! A miracle no longer in the making, but delivered instead to a little girl and her grateful family. Finally, Lia Faith's miracle!!

We are grateful for those who have prayed for Lia Faith and for those who came this day to be witness to His mighty hand at work. Thanks Granny, Memaw & Pawpaw, and Donna & Jesse for being here for Lia. Laine, Candace, and Quan also got to be here to see Him, giver of everything, reach down and pat His little girl on the head - thanks Laine! And thanks to our pastor, Bro. Eddie, who played with Lily Grace and took her for lunch, and then offered prayers of thanks for Lia's miracle. Sometimes God just decides to show us how almighty and powerful He really is.

"Ah, now that's better, eyes all focused!"

Praise God that with this miracle, Lia Faith will now be home for her first Easter Sunday with her forever family. And to celebrate her Daddy's birthday...

God Bless You,
Jerry, Connie, Austin, Lily Grace, and Lia Faith
Green, Party of Five

Lia Faith's Surgery Day ...

Today is an exciting day for us and for Lia Faith, though she doesn't really know it, because she will finally have the lump on the back of her head removed. She's scheduled for surgery in a few hours. We're a little nervous because we've never had a child to undergo major surgery, but we know that God is watching over his little angel today. We decided last night to go ahead and come to Birmingham to avoid having a long drive and the possibility of being late. We found a DoubleTree hotel just a few blocks down from Children's Hospital and learned that our little family of five can barely fit into a single hotel room! I don't know how many times we swapped who was sleeping in each bed. Let's see, five people taken two at a time, that's five factorial times two factorial, divided by ... Nevermind, suffice it to say that it took a lot of fussing and a lot of laughter to finally get us all in bed and asleep. And now, in an hour or so, we'll leave for the hospital and we'll do our best to keep everyone updated. In the meantime, thank you for your prayers for Lia Faith. She's an amazing little girl who has already endured more hurts than any child should have to and she's only three years old. We are so blessed that God allowed us to be her parents and we can't wait to get past this surgery and on to loving and caring for her for the rest of her life.

God Bless You,
Jerry, Connie, Austin, Lily Grace, and Lia Faith
Green, Party of Five

A Miracle in the Making ...

The information packet came to Lifeline Children's Services on June 10th, 2008. The child was a special needs child who needed a family ... and a miracle. A two year old girl from China had been without a family since August 11, 2006. Nearly her entire life. And with a special need that was not well documented. If something didn't happen soon, she'd likely live out her days in an orphanage, without family and without the hope that's tucked away inside of those who believe in Him. Twenty-four hours, actually twenty three, was all the time alloted for a decision to be made that would impact the life of this little girl forever. Now, to be sure, there was absolutely no way that her new family was going to pass on this child, especially after the prophesy of her new sister the night before her picture and information packet arrived.



Still, only twenty-three hours to say yes or no. Her special need wasn't anywhere on the radar screen of anything that had been considered "acceptable" in a process that was agonizing and painful to endure. Parents of special needs children know all too well the guilt of selections of "acceptable" special needs. Pick 5 we were told, with 2 that were most "acceptable." We realize that you have to start somewhere for the matching process to occur, but it just seems we intervene in God's plan when we assume to make those choices ourselves. As it turns out, we don't make those choices and we are fooling ourselves if we think we do. Only God can make arrangements for a miracle to occur in the life of child.



Wow, she's cute. And it sounds like she's a normal, healthy child. Except for ...



Lia Faith was born on 26 March 2006 with a large mass on the back of her head. She was abandoned a little over 4 months later, probably by a family who didn't have the means to provide care for her "special need." The pictures, to be honest were quite frightening. As with many babies in orphanages, Lia's head had been shaved (probably often), revealing the significance of the mass. Twenty two hours left. Time to pray. "God, is this what you have been preparing us for?" Of course, we knew the answer already. A congenital defect of this type is typically identified as meningcele, a severe disorder that can lead to a number of complications, depending on where the meningcele is located (upper spine or lower spine). In Lia Faith's case, the problem was in determining exactly what occupies the lump and how much it is interconnected with the brain. Twenty one hours left after an hour of research on meningcele.

Praying some more ...

What was the condition of our newest little princess? Does the lump cause her pain? What happens if she suffers a wound in the area of the lump? What's inside? Will it affect her later in life or can it be removed? What will the surgery be like? Are her motor skills affected? What about her brain functions? Is she aware of the lump? Does it bother her? Is she a spectacle among her peers? In the midst of all this medical research by a decidedly non-medical, novice, there came a small voice saying "Why do you worry? Haven't I given you reason for joy and cause for celebration? Because I created you, I know that you have a way of questioning everything. So this I will do for you."

Let me just take time out to say that if you are in the process of adopting a child internationally, do not proceed without first associating yourself with the International Adoption Clinic in Birmingham. Dr. Jennifer Chambers and her staff are truly what God intended when He created some to be doctors. They are simply amazing people. In this instance, the staff at the IAC told us everything they knew about her condition and then took things a step further - a quickly arranged appointment with the best pediatric neurosurgeons in the world! The comfort we received in the knowledge that God had the doctors at the IAC on this case was more than enough to tip the scales if we needed help with our decision. But, by this time our decision had already been made and forwarded to Lifeline. So now we just needed to begin the learning process for our new baby's medical condition and the staff at Children's Hospital and the IAC were absolutely wonderful in helping with that process.



Of course, the doctors gave us their best-educated guesses, based solely on a picture and a brief biography, with all the appropriate disclaimers. But they were pretty confident in their assessment. We'd have to wait until we get an MRI to be sure. "Can we order one," the pediatric neurosurgeon asked? I was surprised that the IAC's short answer was "it's not out of the question, but may be difficult to achieve." With the limited amount of information available, a brief assessment was made - best case scenario involved surgery with a 50% chance of having to have a shunt placed into her brain to avoid buildup of fluid. This would be a lifelong addition to her little body. Most likely scenario was a 90% chance of the shunt. But the problem was fixable according to the docs. That was before any of us ever met Lia Faith face to face.

The neurosurgeon's assessment was that he could fix this problem and that was all we needed to know. We were overjoyed at this assessment. Even Dr. Chambers, who attended the meeting with us was relieved to the point of telling us "Get out of here, before I start crying!" And so, with that day's events, we never thought or considered or worried again about Lia Faith's "special need" as we pursued her adoption. God had met His end of the bargain - again - and had eased our minds. What a peace we had about our decision and our ability to care for our little Lia Faith. And the cost of this quickly arranged consultation with the best pediatric neurosurgeons in the world - lunch from PF Chang! Now, all we needed to do was to go and get her, bring her home, and love on her. After some time, we'd take her in to have surgery to repair this "special need."







And so we did, on December 15th, 2008. Barely six months since seeing her picture for the first time, we held her in our arms and loved her from the first moment. We had such peace about her special need that it didn't even catch our attention on the day we first saw her. In fact, we were more concerned about the dryness of her skin and the condition of her teeth. It was only after a day or two did we even take notice of the '"lump" on the back of her head. Our first impression was 'this is nothing.' She doesn't even seem to notice it. It's not nearly as imposing as the photos we saw. And it feels like, well, like jello. She doesn't wince when we touch it or massage it. It doesn't seem to bother her at all. She acts like a normal, healthy toddler. And we brought her home on December 28th, 2008 after the best Christmas ever in Beijing, China!









After a month at home, the day for her MRI finally came. We didn't know that she'd been scheduled for both a brain scan and a spine scan, so Connie and I were both concerned as to whether this meant there were other complications of which we were not aware. Not so, the doctors assured us. Just routine in cases of meningcele. Better to do both MRIs on a single visit (since she must be sedated) rather than have her come back and be sedated a second time. The IAC assured us that the extra MRI was needed and everything would be OK. And sure enough, the initial reading from the radiologist was the best possible news we could have gotten. There doesn't appear to be any brain tissue involved with the lump. That simplifies the surgery greatly and reduces the chances of lifelong complications.



After a weekend of celebrating this news, our next visit with the pediatric neurosurgeon was more difficult. The news from the MRI, it seemed, was a good news, bad news story. The good news was confirmation that brain tissue had not taken up residence in the "lump." The bad news was that the MRI didn't give the complete picture and from the looks of things, our little lump occupied an area of the head where critical flow of blood into and out from the brain occurs. In short, this was cause for great concern. The previously, confident, positive neurosurgeon was now clearly concerned. It was written all over his face. And if that weren't enough, he gave us the dreaded "I need to show you something." No parent likes to hear those words when the health of their little one is at stake. It can only mean bad news. And he showed us his concerns, carefully explaining what might happen during surgery.

Fighting back tears, Connie said "I wish Dr. Chambers was here." Me too. Maybe she could convince the doctor that everything was OK. And before we could finish our individual thoughts, the door popped open and in walked an off-duty doctor named Jennifer Chambers. Just wanting to check up on "one of her babies." She knew in an instant that our good news from the previous round of testing had been replaced with somber news. And so she went to visit the neurosurgeon, who confirmed the problem - the lump is located in an area where blood flow is critical. During surgery, it is possible to disturb some of the veins and arteries carrying blood to and from Lia's brain. No one wanted to talk about what that might mean. But Dr. Chambers needed that information so she could offer good advice. After consulting with the neurosurgeon, she explained everything to us. And then she did what no other doctor has ever done for us, she asked if she could pray for Lia with us and lift her up to Jesus. I don't know if she'll ever realize how powerful her prayers were that day, but God knows ... And we know because we felt His presence in those brief moments.

"You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you. Hear my prayer, O Lord: listen to my cry for mercy. In the day of my trouble I will call to you for you will answer me." Psalm 86:5-7

And so the doctors ordered more testing - immediately. This couldn't wait any longer. We needed to know where things stood. The doctors needed more information. And Lia Faith needed a miracle. So, after another long day in the clinic undergoing tests and riding the roller coaster, Lia's miracle began unfolding. The new tests provided the neurosurgeon all the information he needed to proceed with the surgery. The results gave him reason to expect a more positive outcome, but he was careful to note that the risks associated with her surgery were still there.

On Monday, April 6th, 2009, we spent another day with Lia's new friends at Children's South - she's become well known and quite popular there. We've visited the multicolored cow so many times now, that we've decided to name him. How's Patches sound? Or does he already have a name? It was another day of ups and downs, but mostly ups. We did learn that Lia has more issues to be resolved with her breathing patterns, but these are minor and can be taken care of after the neurosurgeon releases her from his care. On the plus side, we found out that Lia's hearing was perfect! She passed her audiology test with flying colors this time, after having failed the first time. So that's great news. Hearing and speech should be OK. The neurosurgeon also reassured us with his confidence in the procedure, though he did offer his customary caution about the risks associated with this procedure and they are certainly not insignificant. Assuming a successful surgery, the possibility of long term complications seem more remote than some of his early assessments. So, all in all, it was a great day.



This week, Lia Faith will undergo surgery at Children's Hospital in Birmingham to repair the meningcele, or lump, on the back of her head. The surgery will be performed Thursday, April 9th at 9:00 am. She will be in ICU for a day and then spend another 5-7 days recovering in the hospital. Lia Faith will spend her first Easter Sunday with her forever family recovering at Children's Hospital. As we thought about her surgery and prayed about it Sunday at church, it occurred to us that Lia doesn't even know she has this little problem. She's not aware that there's something a little "not normal" about her. And yet, we have to put her through this surgery. That's the hard part. I know that someday that she'll understand, but for now, it will be difficult to watch her suffer and not know why.

We know that there are many people who have prayed at various times for Lia Faith and for that we are grateful. May God's blessings brighten your days and enrich your lives for lifting our little angel up in prayer. Please continue to pray this week for Lia Faith, for her physicians, the Children's Hospital, and for Lia's concerned family. We place everything in His hands and await the good news ... A Miracle in the Making.







God Bless You,
Jerry, Connie, Austin, Lily Grace, and Lia Faith
Green, Party of Five