Imara made it!

Well, after lots of prayer, Imara made it to the US and is doing very well!

After leaving Kinshasa, Lucy and Imara made their way to the Air France lounge in Paris, where Imara enjoyed sampling all the various fares (especially the Coke) and charming everyone she met!  From Paris it was a long trip to Atlanta and a rapid transition so that all could make their connecting flights!  Imara’s face lit up when she saw “Mama Keela” walking toward her.  Imara’s greatest challenge on the flights was wearing a seat belt!   Imara landed in Springfield on Feb. 2, 2014 - Sunday night!  She handled the flights very well as long as she had her peanuts (Lingala:  Luba) and a few suckers (Lingala-ish:  Bum Bum).  When we were leaving the airport for the car, she experienced her first temperatures below 65F (it was 17F that night).  She had on a big coat and wasn't phased at first....then she started shaking and told us with big eyes, "Pasee!", which means "Hurts!", while giggling.  On Tuesday, she saw her first snow and keeps calling it "malili mayi!" (English: Cold water!).

She made it to Cox on Monday morning and they did amazing with her!  Dr. Buckner, Ron Prenger, and a whole team of people made sure everyone was ready for her.  They expected us at admissions, and Ron (Sr. VP and CHO) came and met Imara in admissions/check-in to see how she was doing.  There was a room ready for her in the pediatric inpatient department and when we got there, a whole team of physicians, residents, NPs, RNs, and PCAs were there ready to check Imara out and get her what she needed.  She was a champ getting blood drawn and head to toe x-rays.

All-in-all she is doing very well considering the extent of her injuries.  She has some residual challenges, mostly from the basilar skull fracture, but it is possible she will be able to overcome all of them with time, great medical care and PT/OT.  It is truly a miracle that Imara survived at all and that she can now receive the specialized treatment that we hope will enable her to continue growing into a beautiful and very loved young lady.  Numerous concerns and uncertainties remain, but we continue trusting that God has His Hand on Imara’s future.

Dr. Morton got Imara connected with Dr. Wright at Cox North campus Pediatrics who is also connecting Imara with the rehab group at the Meyer Center for physical and occupational therapy which starts Monday!  Dr. Wright and Dr. Morton are also working on seeing if a dentist in town may be able to help out particularly because she had 3 teeth knocked out and some of the others are fairly banged up.

In light of everything she has been through, she is doing very well.  She still has a lot of healing and recovery – both physically and emotionally to go, but she has the perfect attitude for these challenges.  It sure does seem that God has big plans for this little one!

Thank you to ALL the people that helped get Imara to this point!  From the Congolese police, judge, and immigration, her amazing foster family and friends, ABI Congo staff, the Kinshasa hospitals, U.S. Embassy, the fantastic Congolese bank manager, Dr. O'Brien who did Imara's initial assessment and who was willing to escort her home, Lucy - ABI Executive Director who I can't even write all she did including traveling with Imara on two 8+ hour flights, Luke and Jenny - ABI volunteers, Tim, Laura, and Greg for helping pack and take care of our house and boys, everyone who donated, my work who covered for me when I was in Congo and then out with malaria, everyone who is helping with meals and donating clothes/toys, everyone who worked to find medical care for Imara and make a connection for her, Casey G., Dr. Buckner, Steve Edwards, and Ron Prenger with CoxHealth for saying yes, Drs. Buckner, Morton, Wright, McDonaldson and the whole inpatient team in the peds unit for their awesome work, radiology, the lab, the pharmacists, and everyone who has been praying for Imara - it took everyone to make this a reality for Imara and get her the care she needs!  Thank you! Or as Imara says..."Merci beaucoup!"