The Story of Oslene's Quilt

I was horrifed when I saw the devastation that was caused by the earthquake in Haiti. It was a country I'd never really thought about. Vague neative mind ticklers but nothing specific. No desire to ever go there.

The initial pictures of the disaster evoked memories of other disasters in my lifetime. Hurricane Andrew. Oklahoma City. Katrina. The tsunami. Wildfires. Most of all 9/11 and my mother saying over and over again "The children, the poor children, so many orphaned."

Haiti became personal when my dear daughter-in-law Tina forwarded a message from her good friend Shushawn. Shushawn and her husband David were in the process of adopting an 11-month-old baby, Oslene, from a Haitian orphanage.

Never underestimate the power of prayer and determined people! Emails began to fly around. These orphans needed to get out of Haiti and into their loving forever homes! Fox News and CNN broadcast coverage of the orphanage around the world. Nothing happened immediately then American Senators and other government officials and aid groups began to respond.

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Every baby needs a loving home and a quilt. I looked through my books and found the ideal one for Oslene in P.S. I Love You Two! by Nancy J. Smith and Lynda S. Milligan. I had made the Bye Baby Bunting quilt from that book for my grandsons Lukas and Nikolaus.

I went into my stash of fabrics and discovered I had good amounts left from those quilts. I began cutting and sewing, early work mornings and evenings and weekends.

The news from Haiti was not good. Many of the children had made it to Miami but not Oslene. Paperwork this and that. I didn't stop work on the quilt. I was learning much as I worked with it.

Then the joyful news from her parents. They were to fly to Miami immediately to get their daughter!

Shushawn asked those in her circle of friends and acquaintances to respect their need to introduce Oslene to her new world slowly. That was fine with me. I would bring her quilt, now almost finished, to Denver when I visited for Valentine's weekend. I could even sign it there. That was my only remaining task to finish the quilt.

That plan changed as soon as I arrived at my son's home. Tina needed to pick up Lukas from daycare "and Shushawn may be there picking up her son."

No signature on the quilt but that wasn't important. Important was heading out the door!

At the preschool there was Shushawn ... and Oslene! We chatted for a few moments then Shushawn tucked the quilt around Oslene and I snapped a few photos. "Send me one with Oslene and the quilt," I asked.

Shushawn did.

Oslene is beginning to adapt to her family and new life in America. The road ahead will likely contain bumps but one thing is assured: Oslene is surrounded by a loving circle of people who wish her only the best from life.