Jud is turning 4! Praying for babies in Burundi and thanking God for this healthy big boy!

If you would have told me four years ago today that I would have this big, healthy boy I would have found it hard to believe! Jud's birthday brings back memories of complete fear and not knowing if this little guy would make it to another day let alone grow big and strong. Our NICU story is one with a very happy ending and for that we are forever grateful.

We are also reminded as we keep up with our friend Dr. Alyssa Pfister at Kibuye Hope Hospital in Burundi that not all babies have the amazing story like our Jud and Benjamin. A patient with as drastic a lung injury as Jud would most likely not make it in Burundi. And our Benjamin, who will turn 8 on March 27th, would definitely not have been able to be saved in a tiny African hospital because of his need for immediate surgery to create an esophagus for him. But we are so thankful that many premature and sick babies at Kibuye Hope have made it and are alive today because of the great gifts of their doctors and because of this tiny NICU.

For Jud's first birthday many of you helped us make the NICU in Burundi a reality. We were able to provide oxygen and incubators for premature and sick babies. Last year many of you helped us send a year's supply of hand sanitizer to this tiny hospital that is not guaranteed running water every day. One day we hope Jud and Benjamin will be able to visit the NICU that is named after them and reflect on the immense generosity of those that love them. We hope each year to donate money and to commit to pray for this place that has become very special to our family.

This past year brought great trials for the people of Burundi as they lived in a time of political unrest and tension. We continue to pray that God will set apart the Kibuye Hope Hospital to serve the suffering people of Burundi. This year our hope is to just give...all that we can financially so that the hospital may continue its good work. There is a link on the left of this post if you feel led to give to the pediatric ward and NICU at Kibuye in honor of our boys. We are so thankful for your past generosity and love for Jud (and for Benjamin) as we remember their first chapter of life and that God used a NICU to heal and sustain them both.

When we asked Alyssa this year what we could contribute to be helpful the list below was what she gave us. To make donating easy...Donate money directly to Alyssa and mark the donation when giving to be used for the GRANT NICU/Peds ward project and she will order needed items from Amazon and have them shipped to the container in Indianapolis. To donate through Alyssa please use this link: (https://www.serge.org/staff/id-51375/).  She will receive an email notification when you donate. 

The items needed are:

·         Folic Acid (for kids with Sickle Cell)

·         Infant multivitamin drops or chewable vitamins (not gummy as they stick together)

·         Hand Sanitizer refills (The brand Babyganics foam hand sanitizer refills could be useful to refill the bottles we donated in years past). But any brand hand sanitizer is appreciated.

·         Infant formula (make sure it has an expiration date that will allow for at least 6 months container shipping to Burundi). They need high-calorie nutrition so specialty formulas are not as helpful.

·         Small toys for toddlers to use on the peds ward, especially those that can be easily washed. These can be new or gently used.

Much Love, The Grants