I found this heart breaking story from the Glenn Beck (www.glennbeck.com)
website. You can send donations if you want, there is an address at the
bottom. THis girl will have to undergo 30 operations at least.
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=28372
By Jeannie Blaylock
First Coast News
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- When most parents have a baby, they spend months
dreaming about what their bundle of joy will look like. Will she look like
mom? Will he have dad's eyes? But for one local Navy family, the birth of
their daughter didn't give them the answers to those questions. Their
daughter was born without a face.
When Tammy was pregnant, she knew something was wrong. At worst, they
thought maybe their baby had a cleft lip.
So Tammy, and her husband Tom, went to the hospital happy, until the
birth.
"The nurse is like, 'We got her stable, we need to rush her upstairs,'"
explains Tom, as he recalls every minute of that day. "And the nurse
asked,
'Do you want your wife to see her now?'"
Tom says he thought to himself, "Before she gets the shock I did, let me
take a picture so she's prepared."
Tammy hadn't seen her new baby yet, because she almost bled to death
during
delivery. Tammy would be okay, meanwhile, dad went to take pictures of his
new daughter.
But no matter what, these new parents had a wish. "That if there was
something wrong, she wouldn't be alone. We wanted to make sure she felt
loved," said Tom, as he began to cry. "She squeezed my hand."
Little Juliana is missing 30 - 40 percent of the bones in her face.
"She has no upper jaw, no cheek bones, no eye sockets, and she's missing
the
corner of her ear," explains Tom.
Her birth defect is called Treacher Collins Syndrome. Doctors say it's the
worst case they've ever seen.
So, how do you get people to see past all the defects, and find her heart?
For mom, it just hurts.
"I just wish people would ask questions. Don't just stare," says Tammy. "I
guess the most hurtful thing came not long ago, a little girl said she was
disgusting."
Juliana has to eat through her stomach, and she has a trach to breathe.
Already, less than two years into her life, she's had 14 surgeries.
Doctors
say she could need at least 30 more.
Every time she goes to the hospital, doctors make a mold of her head, and
then reconstruct her skull to figure out the next step.
It's a life-long process that's draining for Tammy and Tom. Even still,
they're thankful and full of love for their sweet child.
"God never gives you more than you can handle. I figure she has a lot to
show everyone... to show the world," says Tom.
If you are interested in helping the Wetmore family, a savings account is
set up for donations at the Vystar Credit Union in Middleburg.
Donations can be made at ANY Vystar Credit Union to Juliana Wetmore at
member number 2102465.
Direct donations can be sent to:
Juliana Wetmore
3018 Hickory Glenn Dr.
Orange Park, FL 32065
|
