All About Johanna, by her Host Mom
Beautiful Johanna Bido Duran arrived at the Kent County Airport on May 5, 1999 in a flurry of excitement. Host families were joyfully greeting their children who were part of Healing the Children's annual Dominican Airlift. Everywhere there were smiles, laughter, tears, balloons, cameras - and our darling slept through it all!

Of course, the first few days were especially difficult for a four-year-old missing her family, but we could tell that the physical problems that Johanna was dealing with were also playing a huge role in how she was feeling. She had absolutely no energy. Her lips and fingernails were a dusky blue, and her breathing was labored. We were advised to get her to the pediatrician and then to the cardiologist as quickly as possible. With an oxygen saturation rate of 37, Johanna was in trouble. Her heart needed attention soon.

Despite her poor health, Johanna adjusted quickly to her life in Michigan; we knew that she had been prepared well for this life-changing journey. Never had we seen a child so focused on a goal! Johanna knew that she was here for a reason, and she bravely endured all of the testing that followed her arrival with an incredible resolve. She wanted to get well, go home, and then - go to "esquela" - school!

Johanna could not walk across a room without curling into a "tet tuck". She sat this way in the carseat, in the bathtub, and even in our arms as we carried her; she was just too weary to walk. Even eating required too much energy. There were times when we saw goofy, fun, little glimpses of a different child. We knew she was in there; she was just too sick to come out for long. How thankful we were to the wonderful medical personnel who lovingly attended to all of her needs. Surgery was scheduled quickly at DeVos Children's Hospital with Dr. Rodolfo Neirotti, and Johanna started down her path to recovery.

We hit some roadblocks shortly after surgery. Johanna needed oxygen longer than expected post-op. We stayed in the hospital for 11 days - and finally we were blessed to see the miracle of healing unfold before our eyes! We literally watched those fingernails turn pink. Her lips were now a lovely rose color. And then, step by step, Johanna began to walk. At last she was able to hold her little body straight and tall.

We'll never forget the last night she spent in the hospital. It had been a long day, and we were all so ready to have Johanna at home with us. We decided to take another trek down to the playroom, dragging her oxygen tank along with us. Just for fun I said, "Let's run!" Johanna imitated my exaggerated walk in her slippered feet, and then she looked upat me with an amazement in her eyes that was magical and unmistakable:

"I'm running! For the first time in my life, I'm running!" She laughed and cried at the same time, and so did I. At that moment we knew she would make it. It would be all right. We had our blessing!

Johanna never slowed down after we brought her home. Everything was fun and new - an adventure! We were able to see her actually play for the first time. Climbing the stairs, an impossible task before, became a game. There were lots of things to discover that before had been out of reach before Dr. Neirotti worked his surgical magic.

About four weeks after surgery we began to hear plans for Johanna's return itinerary. We weren't ready to let this living miracle leave us so soon, but we knew her family missed her and would be absolutely amazed at the little girl who would step off of the plane.

On July 6, after celebrating Independence Day with us, Johanna left. She was about to experience a whole new kind of independence in the Dominican. Upon her arrival we received the sweetest words of appreciation directed to everyone involved in Johanna's recovery. Her mother was overwhelmed with joy and thankfulness. She could not believe that the healthy little girl who challenges everyone she sees to footraces is the same child that she sent to America. Last week we answered the telephone and heard a wonderful, familiar voice: "I LOVE YOU!" Even with all the miles between us, we knew her heart was smiling, too.

P.S. Yes, we just received the news. Guess who started school?

One Child, So Much Love

One awful moment; countless days of pain. One hurting child; so many caring friends - host family, doctors, nurses, therapists, teachers, classmates. This must be a Healing the Children story.

Suriel Castillo was only three years old when a tragic fire burned his tiny body from ear to knee: face, shoulder, arm, and leg. He arrived in Michigan on May 5, 1998 on HTC's annual Dominican Airlift; he was a shy, frightened child who could only hobble from place to place. Fourteen months and three surgeries later, Suriel left his host family - and all those friends - a very active, normal boy.

When host parents Dave and Jan first considered hosting a child, they had no idea how their lives would change because of the heart and spirit of one little boy.

Along with their three children, Dave and Jan opened their home to an exceptional child, and their own world would never be quite the same again.

Because Suriel needed a great deal of medical attention, Dave and Jan became quite familiar with the 30-mile trek from their home to Bon Secours Hospital, where his first surgery was performed on June 11th. Later, Suriel underwent two more surgeries, this time at Troy Beaumont. With each procedure, Dr. Albert Pierce was able to free more of his body from the contracted scar tissue and give him increased mobility. Says Jan, "Dr. Pierce worked miracles to restore him to a functional little boy.

Months of very painful physical therapy followed, which Suriel endured with great courage. It was not long before he began to enjoy the same activities as other children his age. Suriel enjoyed coloring pictures, reading in the tree house, swinging, and even riding a bike. Playing in the snow was another novelty for him; sledding and making snowmen were pure fun and magic. Dave and Jan believe their children were a major reason why Suriel did so well. "They were always challenging him to play a little longer, climb a little higher, run just a little bit farther."

Kindergarten was another first for Suriel. He joined his host brothers and sister at Woodland Elementary and was honored to win the Principal's Award for Achievement. It seems that no matter where he went, the community lovingly opened its arms to this beautiful boy.

The hardest part was saying farewell to Suriel at the airport on June 28, 1999. While Dave and Jan - and total strangers as well - fought back tears, Suriel bravely said good-bye and began his journey home to a new and brighter future.

Our thanks goes out to all those who helped set Suriel on his new course. One child; so much love. That's what it takes to change the world, one child at a time.