How You Can Make a Difference

Update:  My email is burmanshelly@yahoo.com if you can help with formula donations.  I do not know how to answer questions left on my blog via comments so I will answer here a question by Portland Granny. Yes, there is formula over in Bulgaria but the cost of the type of formula we are sending is about 3 times the amount we pay here plus we are hoping that people do not necessarily have to go buy formula but rather know someone who may have some or even have some themselves.  For example. the Neocate formula we took over costs about $130 USD per can over in Bulgaria.  I have gone to my pediatrician as well as other doctors to ask them if they have free samples they can give to the children. So that may be an idea for you to try.  Thank you.

The Need Is Great!!

Not long ago Madelaine and I took the first trip over to meet Kelten and Teagan in Bulgaria.  With us we brought suitcases full of donations:clothes, toys, diaper cream, diapers..but nothing was more needed than NUTRITION!!!!!!

In our suitcases was over 60 cans of highly specialized formula and approximately 80 pouches of another type of specialized formula.  These sources of nutrition are like powdered gold to these children.  Something they have never seen in all of their say 11, 13, 14, and even 16 years of life!  No I am NOT making this up!  The children in Pleven have received the most basic of food; only enough to sustain them.  I cannot even say they received the minimal of nutrition because it is not nutritious.  The day Jenny, Madelaine and I presented the formula to Dr. L, who was examining the children at Pleven that day, was one of the happiest yet saddest days for me as a mommy. Happy because we knew this would help so many children just like it had our sweet Carrington.  Sad because we knew it would not last very long because there are so many children there.  

This sentiment is shared alike by parents who have been to visit their little one there and by those who are on their way. So what can we do?  What difference can we make?  Through our small group of families we decided that we were going to make a change in a big way!  We are sending nutrition to the children!  Things with customs are way to bureaucratic, not to mention expensive!  How? How can we do this?!  Well, never underestimate mommies and daddies! We have a plan and this is where we need YOUR help!!  How many of you get cans of formula you don't need or use?  How many of you know someone else who gets cans of formula they do not need of want?  We WANT it!  The children NEED it!! 

 If you know of formula just waiting to enter the tummy of a sweet little one or would like to purchase formula to donate please email me right away.  

I am coordinating formula donations with all the families who are traveling to Bulgaria in the next several months.  Each family that can is ready to take over formula in their suitcases so we can get it to the children quickly! Please put this on your FB, blogs, etc to get the message out.  Maybe someone you know who lives somewhere and has formula will be able to get it to a family who may be living right near them.  We can do this!! We can get proper and desperately needed NUTRITION into these children so they can grow like they should.  We should not be seeing children like...

4 1/2 year old Teagan

15 year old Sophia and
 11 year old Amelia

13 year old Kelten

5 year old Lina

14 year old Faith

in these conditions!