Updates on Joyce
Trip Start
Oct 01, 2008
1
27
Trip End
Dec 01, 2008
Indianapolis, Indiana
Friday, January 30, 2009
Don and have spent the past two months cross crossing the US for his residency interviews. He is interviewing with all Emergency Medicine programs, and I have been fortunate enough (aka unemployed enough) to go with him to 10 of his 12 interviews. Just yesterday we returned from our last trip, which was a wonderful mixture of business and pleasure. Don interviewed at Loma Linda in California, affording us with the opportunity to go visit my family in Orange County for a belated Christmas (we spent real Christmas with Don's family, which was wonderful!). We went climbing with my parents and their dog, went to the beach, had brunch (I think this is something that occurs in CA more often that other states) with the Shiels/Krenns, took lots of walks, ate lots of Mexican food, and generally had an amazing time.
While this travel insanity was ensuring, we were workign to contact the right people in the US to see what we could do with Joyce. We have looked into several different programs here in Indiana and in Ohio, and I can't thank everyone enough for their help and advice! Several weeks ago a friend of Don's gave us the contact information for James Graham, who is the Governor General of the Rotary Club in this district. Since that first contact with him, things have completely taken off, and we have been in a whirlwind of action all focused on Joyce. With the help of our friends in Kenya (Sarah Ellen Mamlin and Hao Tran) we were able to get Joyce from her new home back to MTRH for another echo. This time the VHS recording machine worked, and we now have the VHS tape in Indianapolis and are planning on delivering it to the right people today!
Our fellow Eldoret traveller, Naomi Lohr, had already paved the way with some of the cardiologists, and Mr. Graham smoothed that road even further when he found out about Joyce. We are working with several doctors and administrators at Indiana University and Riley Hospital, and things are moving along at a brisk pace. Don and I have written a letter of intent to take care of Joyce while she is here, and are on the look out for donations of baby clothes (she is 18 months old but only weighs about 8-9 lbs), car seat, crib, stroller, etc etc!
Things are not set in stone at this point, and anything may still happen. However, that said, there are very tentative plans for Joyce to be out here and recieve surgeries in March. To those of you who have already made donations to help Joyce, we cannot thank you enough! Those monies will go toward her care while she is in the US, or any other needs she might have, and nothing else. I will keep in touch with you all more as this progresses. As usual, your thoughts, comments, prayers, emails, and calls are more than welcome!
Comments
Joyce
We are glad to hear from you and to know that something is happening, We have a friend here, Tony Wochinski, who gave us a check for 50.00. I did not hear from you after I called about it and was just about to give it back to him. So your blog came just in time.
We are glad to hear all is well with you. Let us know which ER you settle on. It would be nice to talk to you.
Love, Gram
Joyce
Please send me an e-mail about your needs for Joyce. justynrebecca@gmail.com .
Out family is leaving for Eldoret May 25 and have four children 18 months- 8 years. My guess is we have most of what you would need and would be happy to give it to you.
Justyn