First and foremost,
a big giant thank you to each and every one of you.
Every phone call, text, Facebook comment, prayer, the encouraging words....
we feel it all.
We have learned that OUR joy is YOUR joy and that is why we have the best friends and family on earth.
You have made us feel like a piece of our girl belongs to you too and that feels really good.
So, among the supportive and heartfelt comments we have received lots (& lots) of questions.
Some of the questions we are trying to still figure out (China can be very tricky) but there are some pieces we know lots about and would love to share.
Here is what we know...
Evie Mae (Pronounced ev-ee, with a short e) is three years old and we think she is just perfect.
She is currently known as Fen Fen. She lives in Zhaoqing City, China and has lived there her whole life.
Zhaoqing City is located in the southern part of China where the spoken language is Cantonese (yes- she knows no English!)
There are about 70 kids living in her orphanage.
These children and the nannies that take care of them are the only family our sweet girl has ever known.
Evie was born with CHD (Congenital Heart Defect).
Specifically, she has Tetralogy of Fallot, a birth defect that affects normal blood flow through the heart. It happens when a baby's heart does not form correctly as the baby grows and develops during pregnancy.
Evie has already had open heart surgery about a year ago. Unfortunately there still appears to be an issue with her aortic valve and an unrepaired hole in her heart.
We feel very lucky to already be in touch with a team of cardiologists and a top surgeon at Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago that are up to speed on Evie's condition and are ready to intervene as soon as we can get her home.
We are doing everything we can to get our girl home and healthy as soon as we possibly can.
We are right in the thick of a paper chase- sending out one required document after another, waiting on the next approval only to have to wait and wait and wait some more.
We are predicting (and praying) for travel right in the beginning of March.
We will be flying as a family of four to Hong Kong and taking a train to Guangzhou where we will stay for about two weeks. We should have "Family Day" where we become a 'Party of Five' on about the fifth day after arriving.
Our hearts are full and we see God's plan unfolding right before our very eyes.
We know this is the path we were supposed to be on and continue to remind ourselves these things, especially through the nerves and the waiting.
This waiting is hard stuff.
We have completely fallen in love with this little girl at first sight. She was totally meant to be ours and we are ready to get her home and give her the life she has always deserved.
Please continue to pray for our Evie.
Pray for her fragile heart- that it will remain strong and fully functioning until we can get her the help she needs.
Pray for her transition and for clarity.
She is leaving the only life she has ever known and does not have a clear understanding of how drastically her little life is about to change.
Again, your unending love and support has continued to make this journey a success.
We thank you and someday our sweet girl will thank you too.
