A Miracle Baby in the Rubble of Haiti

By Tenaya Wickstrand, Plant With Purpose Intern

For months the stories of Haiti’s vicious earthquake have shaken our lives. As accounts of broken homes and broken lives continue to appear in the news, a light shines through. The headline of a recent article, “The Story of Baby Jenny”, caught my eye because of my love for babies and children of all kinds. This passion developed from my upbringing with an adoption attorney mother, who dedicates her life to helping and protecting infants who can’t protect themselves.

When the earthquake struck, a 2-month-old baby girl named Jenny was trapped under her family’s collapsed home with her unconscious mother, Nadine. Nadine was pulled from the disaster without her child.

Aid workers found baby Jenny mixed in the rubble of Port-au-Prince. Remarkably, she was alive and was immediately taken to medical tents where she was then transported to the U.S. for further medical care. Her parents had no knowledge of her rescue and didn’t know if she was alive or dead.

Doctors in the U.S. didn’t expect Jenny to survive due to the severity of her injuries, including a fractured skull. But miraculously, Jenny pulled through and has recovered beautifully. After months of trying to rejoin her with her family, last week Jenny was welcomed back into her parent’s arms.

This miracle is just one of many, though not all are witnessed globally. It touched me, and the work I do at Plant With Purpose, to see such a clear act of God’s amazing work. It makes me so glad to say I am a part of a Christian non-profit working in Haiti to help these families in need. This story also gave a face to the many thousands of children in Haiti who have been affected by the earthquake and other natural disasters. My work with Plant With Purpose helps expand the awareness to all borders of the U.S. Just to know that we help families such as this one to improve their quality of life, restore their relationship with God, and help make them self-sufficient creates a deep satisfaction for me personally and a desire to do more.

There are many families in need of help, and they don’t get the attention that Jenny’s situation did. By providing the public with knowledge of the situation in Haiti and of the impact Plant With Purpose has through its various programs, we are stepping in the right direction to transform Haiti’s communities into a more sustainable way of life.

Note: the mother and child in this picture are members of a community where Plant With Purpose works. They are not Nadine and Jenny.