Bob and Julie Dickerman would be the first to tell you how precious children are. The Greentown couple tried to have children on their own with no success, and turned to fertility drugs. The result was there now sweet four year old daughter, Molly.
But when the couple tried for a second child in 2007, they were told the possible reason of the failed attempts could be a divine intervention pointing them in a different direction.
That direction? Adoption. And since Julie Dickerman had been to the tiny nation of Haiti several times as a missionary, the choice was obvious. So in July of ’07 began the couple’s long road through the red tape filled process.
Their journey, was well worth the wait, they say. One year of the stress and worry, jumping through all the hoops and procedures-including home studies, dossiers, and other certifications, references and checks,- the couple were matched with a tiny eight month old girl named Schcania.
“It feels like your whole life is under a microscope,” the couple state.
Another year and five months, however, would pass by, before the couple could bring their daughter home.
“In Haiti, people make an incredibly low $400 dollars a year, on average,” says Julie. “Could you imagine trying to support a family on that? Jobs are important. The longer you take, the longer you have your job. That’s part of why things are so slow,” she adds.
Lots of adjustments
But what better Christmas present could there be for this couple, than the news that Schcania’s papers were done, and she could go home. On December 11th, 2009, one month to the day before the quake, Julie and Bob’s wish came true, and their daughter came to live with her new family for the first time. The two year old’s full name is Jewel Schcania Dickerman, which means “Precious, and On My Way.”
It was not without it’s trials and tribulations, however. Haiti is extremely warm, where Pennsylvania is just the opposite. Jewel had never seen the likes of an escalator, worn a coat, or rode in a stroller or car seat. One of the hardest things to get used to, was anything refrigerated.
“She was terrified of the dog,” Julie states. “But now she will go up and pet him.”
The child, who was only twenty pounds when she came to the United States, is gaining, and making progress in all directions. She now says about a twenty words in English from her native Creole.
Jewel Schcania Dickerman was baptized at Hemlock Grove United Methodist Church in Greentown Sunday, January 31. She wore her mother’s Christening gown, the same her older sister Molly had worn during her baptism. A rose bud was given to symbolize her new life in Christ’s faith, a white hanky, traditional back to biblical baptisms, and a monetary gift in Jewel’s honor from the United Methodist’s Women.
The Earthquake
“Before the quake, the ‘Crèche L’enfant D’ Jesus Orphanage, (Cradle of Baby Jesus), by Haiti’s standards, was an exception to the rule. It was considered state of the art, because it had a wing where adoptive parents and volunteers could stay, bathrooms and running water. Most orphanages don’t have these luxuries-something we in the US take for granted. Jewel, while there, slept in a crib in a room with twenty other infants. The Dickermans posted pictures of themselves above her crib, so she would see their faces every day, and know that they were coming for her as soon as they could. But since the quake on January 12th, 2010, that has all changed. The orphanage is running out of water, thanks to damage to the well. There has been structural damage so severe, that the children are sleeping like most of Haiti, outside in ninety degree weather. While not in the devastated epicenter of Port –Au- Prince, it is a clear twenty miles outside the city, and dwindling in other supplies such as diapers, formula, and food staples such as rice, beans and other protein giving food. Worst of all, the orphanage usually accommodates at least seventy children, now, they have at least a hundred in the facility, with more on the way.
The Dickermans have been active in attempting to keep the orphanage afloat by finding places to donate or even buying the needed items. The organization they adopted from, Chances 4 Children, have charted a cargo plan going out of Miami, Florida to Haiti as soon as the organization can fill it.
“We are shipping the items as we get them from the area at a flat rate, “Julie explains. “We have filled one cargo plane so far, and I’m praying we can fill another.”
Collection efforts will be ongoing.
“As disciples, there is a natural desire tobe used by God to reach out,” states Pastor Pat Lee, of both Hollisterville and Sterling United Metodist churches, which conducted donation drives in February. “We are doing something every month to help the community, to help the world. It is God’s Passion, to feed a child, weather next door, or a world away.”
Kelli Fantauzzo is coordinating donations for the orphanage project. She may be reached at Olsommer-Clarke Insurance Group, Hamlin, at (570)689-9600.
