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Tuesday, July 01, 2008
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Raising Malawi .... Please Read
Raising Malawi
Our Mission
Since 2006, Raising Malawi has been dedicated to bringing an end to the extreme poverty and hardship endured by Malawi's one million orphans. Co-founded by Madonna and Michael Berg, Raising Malawi uses a community-based approach to provide immediate direct physical assistance, create long-term sustainability, support education and psycho-social programs, and build public awareness through multimedia and worldwide volunteer efforts.
As a part of its activities, Raising Malawi works to distribute financial support that will help community-based organizations provide vulnerable children with nutritious food, proper clothing, secure shelter, formal education, targeted medical care, and emotional support. We do not create or manage our own programs in Malawi; rather we support dedicated people on the ground and in the villages, the ones closest to the realities that exist. We believe in empowering the smartest and most caring of those people, the ones who understand the challenges and the solutions.
By choosing to work at a community-based level, rather than trying to impose Western beliefs and methodologies on a different culture, real and lasting change is occurring in the lives of hundreds of thousands of impoverished children in Malawi.
Our Background
In the impoverished nation of Malawi it is thought that 15% percent of the population is HIV positive. It could be even higher, but very often, in many of these villages not a single person has been tested for the virus. A lack of proper medical care and nutritious food leaves sick Malawians unable to care for themselves or for their families.
The stigma and superstition surrounding wasting disease perpetuates a misunderstanding of how illness is contracted. And with an entire generation of parents dead or dying, twelve year old children suddenly find themselves the heads of their desperate households. Without the tools for transforming their fragile lives, these children will grow up to perpetuate the tragedy into which they were born. If they grow up at all.
This is a cycle that must be broken.
Raising Malawi is an organization that has become synonymous with reclaiming human dignity for children whose lives have been devastated by disease, starvation, abuse and neglect. Bearing witness to the brutalities of the developing world, Raising Malawi works tirelessly to save lives, and strives also to bring the plight of suffering children to the forefront of the global community.
There was a moment, forty-five years ago, of great expectation for Malawi and her people. After decades of colonialism and dictatorship, the former Nyasaland became independent as Malawi in 1964. Peace Corps volunteers, who had just been granted permission to work there, were optimistic about the future of this fertile new country. The political and social climates were changing, and the people of Malawi were prepared to rebuild their nation.
But then, as in so many other nations in Africa, a humanitarian disaster began to unfold in Malawi that would be unrivaled in modern times. Political corruption and violence would soon take hold of the country. A scourge of diseases ravaged its people and crippled their infrastructure. Famine and droughts left the lush landscape barren. Extreme poverty would eventually render this nation of thirteen million utterly without hope.
Moved by compassion and a desire for increased understanding of the global emergency of AIDS and extreme poverty, Madonna and Michael Berg began a journey that would bring them to this impoverished and often overlooked country. A country that had become home to one million orphaned children. What began as a modest effort to increase humanitarian aid for impoverished kids soon began to transcend the limits of what many thought possible in the developing world. By choosing to work at a community-based level rather than trying to impose Western methodologies on a uniquely African culture, Raising Malawi is empowering those who best understand Malawi's challenges to implement lasting solutions there.
An intermediary between the planet's most vulnerable children and those who possess the greatest resources in the world, Raising Malawi holds fast to the belief that we can never truly be happy in life until we care for other people at least as much as we care for ourselves. In reaching out to Malawi, Madonna, Michael, and dedicated volunteers all over the world are heeding that call. Many have shared their wealth with those who need it the most. Others have worked to create worldwide awareness of the realities of extreme poverty. Some have traveled to Malawi to provide direct medical care to dying children. All remain hopeful that a generation of children who once suffered so needlessly will now do more than just survive – they will play an active role in the rebirth of their nation, and go on to create a better world.
To date, hundreds of thousands of children have received nutritious food, proper clothing, secure shelter, formal education, targeted medical care and emotional support through Raising Malawi. Tens of thousands more will be reached this year. Join Raising Malawi in bringing sustainable change to the lives of children who need it most.
Raising Malawi
5:18 AM
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Monday, May 26, 2008
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Baby Liam May 11, 2008 - May 18, 2008
The past two weeks have been somewhat of a blur, but I will try to post this all the way through.
Saturday May 10th, on the way home from an early Mother's Day Dinner, we were sitting in traffic on the 5 freeway and were in a car accident. We were hit by a drunk driver. It was not a hard hit, and not a lot of damage was done, very minor at that, but being pregnant, my husband and I thought it best to go to the hospital to be monitored.
While we were there, my blood pressure was sky high, and for some reason, the baby's heartbeat would drop, but then immediately pick itself back up. They kept us overnight to continue monitoring us.
On Mothers Day - May 11th - my doctor decided it best to have an emergency c-section... Liam was born at 4:25pm - 8 weeks early. For some reason unknown to us, Liam was incredibly small. He should have been around 4.5 pounds, but instead was less than 1 pound (15.9 ounces to be exact) and was 10 3/4 inches long.
They are doing a biopsy on my placenta to see if it was not working correctly, which would lead to Liam being so small. There may be other reasons, and so we are doing tests to find out.
The first day after he was born, he was doing very well. Unfortunitely, they call that the honeymoon period, because it does not last long. Liam started having a hard time with his lungs.. he was not oxygenating correctly, and they brought in a few different ventilators to help him, but to no avail. The only thing that was working, is called hand bagging, and they literally manually pump oxygen into his lungs.
Thursday night, the doctor came in and told us that were going to have to transfer Liam to a level 3 hospital. Friday morning at 5am, they transfered him to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.
After being there for about an hour, Liam took a major crash. They somewhat hat him stable, but within the next 24 hours, more problems crept in. His small intestines died, which is not compatible with life. He was not circulating his blood, and they could not level out his blood pressure. They had him on dopamine, versed, epinephrine and hydra cortazone shots. Nothing was working. They told us Liam was not going to make it.
Saturday night was the first time I was able to hold him. It was the greatest feeling ever.
On Sunday the 18th, we decided it best to take him off the machines. His heart rate was going down right infront of our eyes, and his body was crashing.
I held him in my arms until there was no longer a heartbeat.
Pony and I are very grateful for the week we had with Liam. We were able to hold his little hand, and look into his big eyes. It was definitely not enough time, but we are glad we had it .
Liam's service was on Saturday May 24th, and thank you to all of our friends and family who attended. And another thank you to those who sent their condolences.
Our life has been completely flipped upside down. And I don't think it will ever be normal again. But we are holding in there. Pony and I are very thankful that we have eachother through this. Pony and Justus are the only things that are keeping me going...without them, I don't know what I would do.
" Life is not Forever... Love is "
6:17 PM
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Monday, July 30, 2007
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Wedding pics up!!
I just posted some pictures in the photos section of our wedding. Keep in mind folks, this was a civil ceremony.. there were no bangs or whistles.
<3
12:07 AM
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Thursday, July 26, 2007
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PONY AND I GOT MARRIED !!!
Yes we sure did!! At 1pm today, July 26th, 2007, Pony and I became husband and wife!!!!
Pictures coming soon!!!
<3
8:01 PM
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Monday, April 23, 2007
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Being in Love.....
A few weeks ago, something wonderful happened. I got engaged... to the most amazing man I have ever met. I'm completely, head over heels, in love. I always knew this feeling existed, just never quite experienced it to this extent.
I just wanted everyone to know how incredibly happy and excited I am to be starting a new life with someone who I respect and admire so much. I happen to believe I am the luckiest gal on the planet!!!
PONY BABY... I love you.....
11:36 PM
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Tuesday, November 28, 2006
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CHRISTMAS WISHLIST
For those of you who have been asking me about a Christmas Wishlist.. I decided to make one on Amazon.com
You can either do a wishlist search for : April Atomic
or you can go to the link below...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/registry.html/102-9983986-3352124?ie=UTF8&type=wishlist&id=3NEHU29UE0Y5Y
Its mostly books... haha.. i love to read!
2:25 PM
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Thursday, May 11, 2006
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13th Annual Blessing of the Cars
July 29th 2006
6:00am - 6:45pm
Located at Hansen Dam Park, Los Angeles/Sylmar CA
www.blessingofthecars.com
I've been lucky enough to be asked to participate in this event as a trophy girl, along side some other gorgeous beauties... so hope to see you out there!
8:39 PM
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Thursday, February 16, 2006
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NEW YAHOO FANCLUB !!
I use to have one of these years ago...but since I got rid of it, I decided to start another one!
Its free so so dont worry .... just join !
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aprilatomic/
xoxo
April Atomic
9:34 PM
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