In Honor of Sabrina...

It is with a sad heart that I write this post. Sabrina died around 2:30am August 8th. She was breathing kind of funny when I spoke with Stephanie Mueller, our nurse coordinator for Hands That Heal, Friday afternoon. It sounded like she had the hick-ups. When Steph would re-position her, she would be fine. Heart, lungs, and everything else checked out normal. This continued off and on a few times on Friday, so Steph took her to the ER Friday night. I was camping with Hannah and I never heard my phone... Once in the ER, her breathing became more shallow and within a couple hours she passed away. Her little body was unable to fight any longer. We are all SHOCKED!!! Just the day before, First Steps was evaluating her and writing up a long term plan for her therapies. She was doing "great" for Sabrina!!!

Please pray for Stephanie and her family: Sabrina died in her arms and she is taking this very hard!!! Stephanie has been taking care of Sabrina for the past few weeks. She was her temporary host mom until she was released on her post-op appointment. Her boys loved Sabrina, and Jeremy in particular, is taking Sabrina's death really hard!

PLEASE PRAY FOR HER LONG TERM HOST FAMILY: Sabrina was scheduled to go to the Ingles, in Ohio, August 20th after her post-op check. They were hosting her long term. They were adopting a child from Liberia and trying to get him out on a medical visa, and he died two weeks ago. This family is grieving and needs our prayers!!! Their children are taking all of this incredibly hard!!!

Please pray for Hands That Heal this week: God has blessed us with a Funeral company that is going to donate everything for Sabrina's memorial. I am not sure what all will be involved: we meet with the director tomorrow morning.

Pray for all of the hands that kept Sabrina alive in Haiti and loved her so much while she was there. This little girl has touched so many lives in her short time on earth. To man's eyes, she was the most unlikely vessel to share His love, grace, and compassion. To God, Sabrina was the most perfect vessel to bring people closer to Him!!!!!! She has meant so much, and has taught so many people so many lessons!!!!

Sabrina, may you run and play with all of the other children that were on this earth way too short!!!! May you fly with wings that are full of life and happiness... I can just see (imagine) Berlancia, (a little girl that died a year ago at GLA: she died of Aids) with her big eyes and ornery smile, standing at the gates of Heaven saying, "We have been waiting for you to come and play...you just needed some time down there to finish what He wanted you to accomplish..." Both Berlancia and Sabrina were loved by a "momma", Anna, who is only 20 years old and so wise beyond her years!!! Both girls were abandoned by their earthly mothers, loved by so many at GLA, and were blessed to receive Anna's love like they were her own. Both knew a "mother's" love before they were held by their Heavenly Father!

What the world looks at as "the least of these" we know to be God's jewels and are mandated to love these children as He has loved us!!!" To God, these children are His BEST AND MOST PRECIOUS VESSELS!!!!

Sabrina: Your life on this earth was way too short, but what you taught so many in your 11 weeks, no one will ever forget!!!!!!

Thank you: Hands That Heal is honored and humbled to have gotten a chance to be involved and blessed by you, in your short life!!!
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This poem was just written by Rhyan Buettner, another 'mommy' to Sabrina when she was at GLA. Rhyan was at GLA the day Sabrina was brought there by her aunts, and she was there to witness a mother's tears as she looked at her daughter's 'broken' body.
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God Chose Me

God chose me to hold you close
Sweet baby for a moment or two
God chose me to hold his angel
and I cherish the day He gave me you

I held you child for 9 whole months
The dreams I had may never be known
But I loved you baby I promise you that
I held you until you had grown

I held you while I heard them speak,
the women who loved you so
I held you while your name was given
why God chose me I may never know

I am another who held you close
while God granted us your time
I prepared your feeds and nursed your hurts
For those moments, you were mine

God also chose me to hold you dear
for a season of your days
I carried you as we left the land of your birth
and held you along the way

I held you Sabrina close to my heart
Photographs of you play through my mind
I fought so hard to bring you here
Doing the work God assigned

God called me to hold His child
A baby in need of care
All night and day I cared for you
for that time I was there

God chose me to pick you baby
to keep you as my own
I was to be your mommy here
how I wanted to give you a home

God chose each of us sweet Sabrina girl
To walk your road with you
God placed in our arms an angel of his
Until your time was through

He gave you a life, He gave us a passion
and somehow the two paths crossed
He gave you breath, He gave us vision
And through it, your story will never be lost

Author: Rhyan Buettner
August 10, 2009