Settling In

La Fieve

More and more kids are coming down with “La Fieve,” the fever.  I’m assuming it’s the fever connected with chikungunya.  We keep pushing fluids and children’s Tylenol.  My friend Dixie has been here for the past month, and she has been doing quite a bit of nursing care.  She’s a real trooper because she’s here to see her adoptive children, Wolton and Mimose, not play nurse for an orphanage full of sick kids.

Here’s the run down on the kids:

Alicia is feeling better.

Alexandra started a fever today.

Melissa started a fever around lunch time and wouldn’t eat.

Forlan, Joseph, Jude, and Jean-Daniel came down with fevers around bed time.

The full-time nurse isn’t here to unlock the pharmacy onsite, so we are dissolving Tylenol tablets in water to get the kids to drink it—many of the special-needs kids struggle to swallow the pills.  Dixie not only thought of dissolving the tablets in water, but she also came up with the idea of adding some Seven-Up to make the liquid more palatable.  She’s the brains of this operation—I’m just the lackey who does what she’s told!  I’m paying attention because when she leaves at the end of the week, I may have to take over nursing duties. 

The team from Kansas/Tennessee arrived earlier than we thought . . . 9:30 a.m. vs. 4:00 p.m.  Threw a wrench in our plans, let me tell ya!   Gertrude ran out to get sandwich stuff—white bread, sandwich spread, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, and thinly sliced ham.  We were able to throw together some darn good looking sandwiches in no time! 

This group is going to run a day camp for the special-needs kids each day this week.  Some of the staff members will be working at this special-needs camp all summer, and as I’ve listened in on some of their conversations, it seems as if many of them have worked at special-needs camps for a number of summers.  The staff members—mostly high school and college aged kids—are super nice.  They say “thank you” for everything.  Raved about the sandwiches at lunch.  Jumped in right away with the kids by helping feed at lunch (and let me tell you, meal time can be a free for all at times!). 

Know what I’ve not done yet on this trip?  Take pictures.  I think this is the longest I’ve gone without taking pictures of kids.  I’ve been so busy helping the group get set up and helping with the kids and giving tours of the neighborhood that I’ve not taken a single picture.  That’s gotta change!  I will take pictures tomorrow so that you can see the camp activities.  I will post them tomorrow night—internet willing, that is!