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[Lei Lei]

I wanted to take time out before I get back to writing to thank all of you that assisted me behind the scene on getting my mother back. For those of you that do not know, about a year ago, my mother woke up one morning and said she couldn't move. My kids ran up the stairs crying, yelling, and screaming, grand ma can't move, grand ma can't move. I was like, what do you mean grand ma can't move. So I ran down stairs and went to her room and she said the same thing to me....She can't move. The thought of me getting ready to touch her as i got closer to her, made her want to scream. So what we did, was wash her down and take her to the hospital. To make a long story short, my mother went to bed a "healthy woman" and woke up, a paralyzed one. Essentially, what we were told is that by her retiring and no longer moving around like she used to, and now that she is not as active, the muscles around her spine will swell, thus, causing pressure on the spine, causing her to get cramping symptoms shooting down her legs and arms, lower back pains or periodic bouts with paralysis. Well, you know the older folks, always wanting to go see a doctor in Haiti when the meds here do not work as effectively as they feel they should, they want to go home. Well after months and months of her doing everything I requested, the physical therapy - which helped her walk again, the taking of her meds - which stabilized her blood pressure, the water pills - that took care of the excess, there was just a swelling in her right arm and hand that was getting progressively worse, and more painful - that even the neurologist couldn't seem to find the cause or solution to. Finally, me and my father gave in. A little history, my mother is close to 75 years old, Haiti is not a place, that even though it is her home, that I feel comfortable with her going by herself. Anyways, my father takes her. They start the treatments and the swelling in her hand and arm starts to go down. (THANK YOU TO THE DOCTORS IN CROIX DES BOUQUETS HAITI - FOR TREATING, AND FINDING THE SOLUTION TO MY MOTHERS SWELLING) Well, now that she was feeling better, my mother goes her homeland, by herself (big mistake) My mother goes to her homeland Jeremie the second week of march and we don't hear from her ............all the numbers we have do not work...........the address we had, no one lives there........oh my goodness....the helpless feeling...not knowing where to turn......people saying pay me.....I'll find her........I can't describe the feelings I felt...At one point, I just dropped down on one knee in my store, and though I didn't question........I cried.....I cried.......I cried some more.....I got lost in tears...I lost concept of where I was......Time for once had appeared to just stay still........All I can think of was the foot prints poem. i said lord, I don't need you to carry me yet, but I beg you give me the strength to get up so that you will not need to carry me....Finally, a friend, by the name of Pat, who came in was brave enough to just put her hand on my shoulder and say not one word, until I came back to the reality of where I was .........You do not know, and for those of you who do know...that feeling....Helpless....Useless.....Pain......Fear! !!!!......!!!!!!

Well, getting to the story, after reaching out to family I've never met or spoken to, after reaching out to friends like Papa Jube, and Harry from Nouveaute Magazine, Pat and the others who want to remain nameless as they privately assisted me in locating my mother, I want to say

THANK YOU

To those of you who helped me and the kids continue doing what we still needed to do on a daily basis, such as go to Accepted Day, the basketball games that they participated in, night school, day school, and practice

THANK YOU

To those of you who helped me keep it together, prayed with and for me and my family

THANK YOU

To those of you that I have never met, but that didn't stop you in assisting me

THANK YOU

To the doctor that is treating her

THANK YOU

Most and foremost, Lord I THANK YOU DAILY, as I have always done, in putting you first. Because in you, I know, can't no man do, what you have not intended.

My mother, has come back to CROIX DE BOUQUETS on Saturday, safely. Though she is to get treatment and was not able to travel on her scheduled day, they will be coming back to the states soon. She's safe. She's guarded.

Again, I thank all of you, for not only helping my mother get home, but helping me get through it mentally, and emotionally.