ELLISON ESCAPADES: Break a leg.....I didn't mean it literally!

Jaeya has likely fractured a leg on the night before our departure from China. She rolled off the bed and we awoke to a huge THUNK and painful screaming. With my experience at the medical exam where the doctors were pulling at her not realizing how easily she could break, I followed the advice of our Shriner's team and stabilized her leg myself. Before I traveled, our OI team loaded me up with everything I would need to mobilize a suspected fracture including a body forming splint.

As Jaeya slept most of the the day away with her beloved big sister Makayla, We went to visit Lan's foster family. This is our third chance to meet with them. I adore this family. Lan lived with them from the time she was 18 to 35 months old when we adopted her. She doesn't remember living with them but loves visiting with them and know that she still care about her.

After we had visited a bit and shared some treats, the foster family pulled out a box that I recognized. We had given it to them on our last visit right before Christmas 2006. Inside was an ornament with Lan's picture inside. Under the ornament, I had inserted many bills of Chinese currency. They family hadn't opened it until after we left. Well, back to the current situation with the box. I gasped when they withdrew the ornament and the money was still there. Not a penny of it had been spent. They wanted to give it back to me! They assured me they cared for Lan because they loved her. That was enough. All they wanted as a present from Lan was her growing up loved and healthy and going to university and someday coming to visit again.

I was completely touched by this sweet gesture. We so love them! They gave Lan the frim foundation of attachment and stability that she carries today. I refused to take the money from them and told them that they should use the money to help the two little girls they foster now. Then we began talking about these wee girls. One child I could tell had a repaired cleft lip. The other child I couldn't tell. They reached down and picked up the second child off her little chair and told me that this was "Little Lan". Out they pulled her right leg from her pants and my eyes widened. This child has right leg tibial hemimelia just like Lan. They wanted to know all about Lan's treatment and what could be possible for Little Lan. Lan took off her prosthetic and showed them how it works. They were so pleased. They hugged Little Lan and told her someday she might walk and run, swim and play just like Big Lan.