Prayers request for another adoptive family.

I wanted to ask you for prayers for one of my ET forum friends. A woman shared with the group today that her baby girl *M* died in Ethiopia. The baby was in a hospital in Addis. She didn't share details, but between poverty, illness, and chronic malnutrition, death could be caused by one of a myriad of things. The baby was less than a year old. This isn't the first little one of Shahra (and Samuel's) ET "care center siblings" who has died...there are at least 3-4 that I KNOW of who died in the past 18 months AFTER they were matched with families. Honestly, I'm not in a state of worry for Samuel, he is healthy, has a good weight, and got into care young, so, while my mind IS on him, I'm not newly WORRIED about him.

When malnutrition sets in, a child's immune system is compromised. So, even if they get food, they risk getting sick, losing weight and having an even lower immunity....the cycle continues. Even when they get to the ET care center, some babies are just too weak and can't be saved. This leads to 1 in 5 ET children dying before their 1st birthday. What brings me to tears every time I hear of one of my children's family has died is the injustice--it's a reminder that when it comes to ET adoption, it really IS life or death. This isn't a "nice thing to do" or "a nice little way to grow a family" This is life and death. If the care center wasn't in ET, these kids would die...not all of them, but many would face death. It is a stark reminder for me that as I wait for Jeff to cook me supper, there are so many little ones who have nothing. I feel at a loss, we have so much, and so many kids have nothing. It is all so unequal...I see the NICU at St. V's, with 70 incubators, grateful they are there. But, I can't help think of the injustice of our society as it says, time and time again, that MY CHILD, and MY CHILD's fellow ET brothers and sisters do not get or deserve this kind of care. And society's reason? They were born in a beautiful, proud, yet poor land. This is the point when anger sets in. This little precious girl, a child of my daughter and son's homeland, doesn't get to come home.

Please pray for this family, and all the little ET children in need of basic food, and water. But please know, ALL these children are SO loved. Even as I write this, I know the nannies at the care center are in grief over this loss. They are with the children, round the clock and always stay with the babies at the hospital. No child dies alone. And, while they live, they enjoy the best care, songs, and attention anyone could want. Pray that the world will continue to find new ways to feed more kids, so that one day, there will be no more children dying. Pray for Samuel and *T* that they continue to remain healthy. Pray that we will realize all we have and be open to giving to those in need.

Peace Tracy