Elizabeth was delivered at home and was brought on Feb. 5,2007 by the birth mother, who registered herself to be 19 yrs old from Makindye area, Uganda to Mulago Hospital (the national hospital of Uganda). Her weight on admission was 1.5kgs (3.3 lbs). The mother abandoned her soon after admission.
Elizabeth came to Amani Baby Cottage on Feb.16, 2007. Debbie, a volunteer and two other volunteers picked Elizabeth up as well as another child. Her weight at discharge was 1.42kgs (3.12 lbs). Faith, the social worker, had given her the name Elizabeth after her daughter. One of the volunteers that came to pick her up was also named Elizabeth and asked if she could keep that name. Elizabeth is also Debbie’s second name and her daughter, Sonia’s, 3rd, so it was thought it fitting for her to remain with that name.
Elizabeth came to Amani with a feeding tube, so she remained in the care of Debbie and Siouxanne, Amani’s nurse, for some time. They would alternate feeding times through the night.
Elizabeth has grown very quickly. “It is hard too imagine she was so small. She is a very happy girl. Always smiling! She is also very curious, looking at everything that is going on around her, said Debbie.
Faith spent her time at the Amani until Mark Nuetzel and Faith first met on July 3, 2008. Only July 4, 2008 Faith and Mark had their court date with the Honorable Lady Justice Margaret Oguli Oumo. The Neutzels were appointed legal guardians with the intent to adopt on July 8, 2008. Faith and Mark spent their time in Uganda at the Fisheries Hostel in Jinja. The rooms at the hostel are about 10′ x 10′ with a small closet. We had a common kitchen which Mark could cook in.
Faith was still tiny when Mark first met her. She was very skinny and a slow eater. Most of the time she was very happy and quickly took to Mark. A couple of times a day, she would throw herself on the ground and throw a massive fit for usually no apparent reason. At night, she would wake up and cry and fuss uncontrollably for at least an hour. Faith loved to be on or near the tire swing at Amani. She would eat dirt from the bare patches around the swing and could often be found with a ring of red clay around her mouth.
On August 8, 2008 Faith left for the US, arriving home on August 9, 2008. Faith was officially adopted in the US on December 30, 2008.
After we got home, Faith had a infectious disease evaluation at a local hospital. This was their way of trying to find out some medical history on Faith. It was discovered that she had giardia, an intestinal parasite. After spending several days on medicine, Faith began to sleep through the night and stopped having random fits during the day. She continued to have a rash on most of her body. In January 2009, Faith was diagnosed with being allergic to wheat, eggs, and milk. Her rash cleared up when these foods were removed from her diet. After not eating these foods for a year, in March 2010, she tested negative for all of those allergies. She is slowly gaining weight, and is really improving in height.
Faith has already overcome many obstacles in her life. When she was born she was abandoned at Mulago Hospital in Kampala, Uganda, the odds were against her. Many people at Mulago have family members care for them during their stay. These family members may spend the night sleeping under their sick family member’s beds. Faith didn’t have anyone to care for her but the nurses. She was born about six weeks premature and required a feeding tube. This means that someone at Mulago had a special heart for Faith and was there to love and care for her.
Faith was placed at Amani Baby Cottage. Amani is an amazing place where they strive to provide the best possible care for the children. We are so thankful that Faith ended up at Amani. At Amani she was cared for by a nurse and a social worker who took turns with feeding Faith at night. They were there to make sure she was gaining weight and thriving. http://amanibabycottage.org/
Faith has grown into a fun loving 3 year-old. She loves to tease everyone in the family, including the dog. She truly enjoys laughing. Faith has deep concern for others and tries to make sure everyone is always okay. She loves to play outside and is determined to learn how to ride a bike this summer. She is very observant and is always pointing out details that the rest of us miss. Faith has a desire to be loved by her peers and adults. She is strong willed and opinionated. She has really taken to our family’s outdoor lifestyle. She loves to camp, ride bikes, hike, and rock climb.