Peri Brynn continued

We had delay after dealy and I just couldn't wait so I booked another trip to visit. This time Peri Brynn was 9 months old and a pure delight. She was happy, healthy and the most adorable little pixie I had ever seen. I spent the week holding her, loving on her and just absorbing everything about her that I could. Again, I cried so hard when I had to give her back, but this time i thought I would be coming back to bring her home soon. 

Then, in October of 2007, just before her first birthday, I got a call that changed everything. Peri Brynn was very sick. She was in the hospital. The agency told me I needed to get to Guatemala right away. They didn't know if she would live. I had no idea what was wrong or what I would find when I arrived, but I booked the tickets and headed off all alone to see my girl. 

When I arrived, I caught a ride to the hospital and what I found tore the absolute heart out of my chest. Peri Brynn was in a bed, pinned to the sheets to keep her safe, barely moving and barely responsive. The doctor came in and talked to me. She showed me that Peri's skull had a large fracture in it, that she had swelling of the brain and that she had suffered many,many seizures. It was amazing she was still alive. In addition, she was malnourished, had un-treated parasites and an infection.

I left the hospital and could barely function. The next morning, i returned to the hospital and told the doctor I wanted to nurse her back to health. I paid all the bills and they released her to me. I took her back to my hotel and did what I needed to do. 

She was so small and so pathetic. Even at the age of 1 year old, she had lost all ability to sit up, to control her hands, to do almost anything. She was much like a newborn again. 

She had the most vacant look. Her hands curled into her body, useless. She seemed so lost. 

Her little feet curled up, too, a sign of the damage to her brain. I endlessly massaged her hands, legs, feet, and arms to help relax and un-curl them. 
I gave her injections daily to treat the infection, medicine to treat the seizures, medicine to reduce the pressure on her brain.

She began to improve, almost by the hour. She ate and ate and ate! She began to respond to me. She reached her little fists out to me. Her eyes tracked me as I walked around the hotel room. She would not let me get out of her sight. 

i found a new foster family for her and made arrangements forher to continue seeing her doctors regularly. We paid her foster fees, therapy bills, doctor bills and money to buy her the things she needed (medicine, a walker, clothes, etc)

To be continued.....