The New Noah
We are very careful not to go around telling people the stories of the kids we help. Their sponsors know details, but we even ask them that they share with discretion. We want all children to keep their dignity so they feel protected when they are older, cherished and not treated as anything less. But sometimes you just want to shout about His glory and give praise where praise is due. Noah is one such story. He came to one of the homes at 18 months old weighing only 13 lbs. He had no hair and rashes all over, signs of severe malnutrition. He was abandoned by his parents because, Noah is HIV+. That comes with a stigma where he is from; the false and damning idea that one is rejected by God, or a product of witchcraft, or unwanted with no hope for a normal life. - See more at: http://hopegraftedin.org/the-new-noah/#sthash.72esCV3Z.dpuf
When he arrived he would not eat much and then proceeded to scream when the food was removed. He would lie around and whimper most of the day. If you would sit him up, he would sit and whimper. No smiling or acknowledging people. No reaching for toys or the typical 18 month old crawling, walking, or standing. No tossing of balls or babbling away unrecognizable words. Certain days he would not want anything, just cry the whole day; an “I’m miserable” type of cry.
He began getting great care at his new home. He had access to healthy food, social interaction, doting caretakers, and tangible expressions of appropriate love. However, there was not much change. No significant weight gain, mood remained unchanged, no new hair growth, and sick all the time. He would spend time at the clinic or hospital almost every week with either diarrhea, vomiting, fever, or general lethargy. This baby boy was having a rough time. The life looked liked it was being sucked out of him one day at a time. Painful to watch and feeling helpless to change any of it. And then….GOD MOVED.
A ministry in the US heard about this precious one and wanted to help. They raised additional funds to go along with his sponsorship donations to send Noah to an international hospital. He spent almost 2 weeks there while they tested him for all kinds of things and experimented with treatment regimens. It came to be that he had been on the wrong ARV (Antiretroviral) drugs. There are three types of these that can be given to those infected with HIV in order to help them live positive. His little body was not responding to his current ARVs, so they tried a different one.
And just like that Noah came alive. Within days he was smiling and playing with toys, eating well with normal bowel movements. Within just weeks he was no longer whimpering about, but would interact with you. Within 2 months he was moving around on his hands and feet with this beautiful full face and hair on his head. And two months after that he is walking around while holding the rail, laughing and playing. He giggles when you look at him and actively engages with his brothers and sisters.
I watch him in awe. I look at him and see the loving grace of his Father who took what the world would see as just another statistic and breathed a full life into him. Oh how He cares for these little ones.
This little miracle turned 2 this month. And we want to celebrate his life and all that God has done. We are here to proclaim that the LORD is Healer, He is Comforter, He is Sovereign, He has a plan for Noah, He is Creator, He is Sustainer, He is Provider, and He is so much more than we could ever even describe. If we remain silent about who He is then the rocks will just cry out in our place. He doesn’t need us, but He most certainly uses us and we are so grateful for it.HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. NOAH!!
Unfortunately Noah is not the only little one with a story like this. If you would like to join our family of sponsors contact us today.
5/29/13 UPDATE: Noah learns to walk!
- See more at: http://hopegraftedin.org/the-new-noah/#sthash.0BKyLsy2.dpuf