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Our formula program
unofficially started in 2007. We have always
given formula and/or milk to families in need who wanted to be able to
keep their child, but were unable to feed them. We do not believe in the
philosophy that we will take any baby brought to our gate. If the family
loves the child and is physically able to care for them, but does not
have the means, we do not see the need in separating families. So we
have helped the families whenever possible to feed their infant or small
child.
We currently have 11 babies in our formula program. Since we have
started this 20+ babies have come through the program. Below are a
few of those children and their stories. Of course, the cost of formula
is going up and its getting hard to feed our babies in addition to all
the other needy babies out there. If you would like to give some money
towards this program, please put a note with your check for the "Formula
Program". You can send any funds to our addresses below or donate
online.
In USA:
Children of the Promise
PO Box 97
Prinsburg, MN 56281
USA
In Canada:
COTP-Canada
c/o J and M DeJonge
995 Concession 2, R.R.1 Selkirk On. Canada
N0A 1P0
Babies who get formula all get a can of Similac a week
and have a formula card. They have to bring us the card and empty can
(that we mark) when they come for formula every week. We weigh the baby
once a month to make sure they are gaining weight. In addition to all
this, even though we give formula to families, we encourage a mother to
breast-feed whenever possible.
Several children who started out in our formula program
eventually were admitted to our care because the family was having a
hard time and needed more help. Some of children's stories are below.
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An example of a woman who needed
encouragement to breast feed -
There was an 18 year old here a month ago with
her baby Jessika. Jessika was really small, about 6pounds, and
the mom, Gertrude, told me she didn't have any milk. I sat with
her and showed her how to breast feed and helped and
encouraged her. She is a really sweet girl, but she just didn't
have any confidence in her own parenting skills. They came back
today and Jessika is thriving. She asked for help with money to
take Jessika to a clinic, I
was glad to see them so I could encourage her and let her
know how well she is doing as a parent. I've also given her
vitamins in the past so that she is healthier and hopefully
Jessika will be healthier too :)
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The twin girls, Berline and
Bervelie, were born on June 18th and weigh 3lbs 11oz, and 4lbs.
They are both tiny, but doing well. Their aunt and grandmother
have been caring for them as their mother is sick and their
father recently died. They believe their mother has lost a lot
of weight due to the stress of loosing their father. Please pray
for the girls and their mother. |
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Joses
Pierre was also admitted to our formula program. He was brought
to us by his mother who is no longer able to breastfeed him. He
is 6 months old and weighs 10lbs 7oz. |
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Naïka and Nailine
are twin girls who were born on March 3rd, 2009. Their parents
came asking for help. They have 8 other children, but want to be
able to parent the girls as well. However, the mother hasn't
been producing enough milk. We have given them a can of formula
and encouraged the mother to keep breast-feeding as much as
possible. Both girls weigh about 5.5lbs. |
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Caleb came to us a few months back
with some serious medical issues. He was able to have a shunt
placed in Haiti, but he can not have his other needed surgery
there. There are some people that are working on trying to get
him a medical visa so he can have the needed surgery. Please
pray he is able to get out soon. In the mean time, we are
helping his mother with formula for him. |
Formula Program
Graduates

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UPDATE:
Cheldeline has now graduated our formula program. She has
recovered from her severe kwashiorkor and is eating and walking
on her own again.
Chedeline came to us with her mother. She has
a severe case of kwashiorkor.
Her mother can no longer afford hospital bills and her daughter
has refused to eat. We gave her some money and sent her straight
to the hospital. She has already been hooked up to IV's and
given blood transfusions. Please pray she recovers quickly. We
have given her mother protein powder as well.
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UPDATE:
Florcie has now graduated our formula program. She weighs 12lbs
9.6oz and is eating table food and drinking cows milk. She is
very attached to her dad and they are very happy together.
Florcie was a little baby who was in our care
for several months before rejoining her father back home. She
was a preemie that need a lot of TLC. Once she was bigger her
father asked to take her home, but still needed help with
formula. Please pray Florcie continues to thrive at home.
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UPDATE:
Wilna has now graduated the program. She now weighs 11lbs 11.2oz
and is eating table food and drinking cows milk.
Wilna, who came to us 10 days ago, is now in
our formula program. Pray she does well and her family is able
to continue caring for her.
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Update:
Odelande has graduated our formula program. She weighs 14lbs.
7.4oz.
Odelande was in our care for only a little
while. She was fairly healthy, but her parents wanted her back
home and didn't have the means to care for her. So we told them
she could be in our formula program and they liked that idea.
Please pray that Odelande does well and will continue to thrive.
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UPDATE: Jean
Marc has graduated our formula program. He is 6 months old now
and doing very well. He now weighs over 16lbs.
Jean Marc was born on November 15th. His
mother passed away shortly after his birth. He joined our
formula program Dec. 20th and is now over 13 lbs. Please pray he
continues to thrive.
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UPDATE:
Soudeline Sylvester has graduated our formula program. When she
started in January she weighed 8lbs 8oz and now she weighs over
16lbs. She is a beautiful little girl.
Baby Sylvestre has just joined our formula
program. Her mother's
milk never came in so she came looking for help. Please
pray she is able to gain weight steadily.
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Update:
Wilkendy has also finished our formula program. He weighs just
over 13lbs and is eating solid food. Please pray he continues to
thrive.
We first heard about Wilkendy when he was in
the hospital. A friend of the family is helping care for him. He
was born July 6th 2008 and weighed 9 pounds 13.4 ounces on Oct
17th.
(photo of Wilkendy with family friend)
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UPDATE:
We
are unsure why, but we got word that Jameson passed away. Please
pray for his caregivers.
Jameson was brought to us by his aunt and
uncle. His mom died in the DR and his dad is still somewhere in
the DR. We started him in our formula program so his aunt and
uncle can continue caring for him and his 3 older siblings.
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Update:
Evens is nwo finished with our formula program. He weighs over
14lbs and is 6 months old. He is healthy and doing well.
Evens is the first child to his parents. His
mom isnt producing enough milk to feed him. He was born
September 11th 2008. He weighed 8 pounds 9 ounces on Oct 20th
and by Nov 4th he was up to 9 pounds 4.6 ounces.
(photo of Evens with his parents)
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Update:
Jedna is now finished with our formula program. Last time we saw
her she was doing well and thriving.
Jedna just started getting formula recently,
she's from Lagosette, we brought her mom, Monette, who is
18years old, to the hospital when she was in labor. After the
baby was born on Aug 30 the dad came and asked us for help with
milk. We had him bring a doctors letter to say that the mom
can't breast feed. When the mom came here she said she was HIV
positive. She had wanted us to take Jedna for a few months as
she can't feed her but when I explained that we could help with
formula she was happy to be able to care for her at home,
Jedna's starting weight on Sept 27th was 7 pounds 5.2 ounces so
hopefully she'll do well
(Photo of Jedna with her mom)
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Update:
Roselinda has graduated our formula program. She has been doing
well and now eating food.
Roselinda Pierre is from Blue Isles, she was
born on 12 June, her mother is sick and her aunt cares for her.
Her aunt loves her and wants to keep her, she also cares for her
3 year old sibling as well as all her own children but she
had been feeding her labouil when she was only a month old and
giving her sugar water. We started giving her formula on July
29th when she was 6 pounds 12.2 ounces. She had been sick
recently so we brought her to Milot and helped with her bill but
she is doing much better now.
(Photo of Roselinda with her aunt)
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Update:
Midelin
has graduated from our formula program. He weighs over 15 lbs
and is doing well. he has started to eat some food now as well.
Midelin Joseph, a little boy, is also new to
the formula program. He was born on Sept 21 and he is the 7th
child in his family. His mother has been told in the past not to
breast feed, the way she described her milk was that it had
something bad in it, like blood and didn't flow normally. She
had breast fed 3 children in the past and they all died, the 3
she didn't breast feed are all doing well so she was afraid to
breast feed Midelin but doesn't have the possibility to buy
formula for him. He started at 6 pounds 7 ounces on 10/06.
(Photo of Midelin with grandmother day after
he was born, with his mother a few days later)
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Update:
Francesca
has graduated our formula program. Hopefully she will continue
to do well.
Francesca is a little girl that stopped by
here October '08. Her mother had breast fed her until she was 8
months old and then her mother abandoned them and now her dad is
caring for her. She's a year old and weighs 13 pounds 13 ounces,
she's small but she looks healthy. She loved laughing at me and
made lots of cute funny faces too! Her dad wanted to admit her
for a while until she gets bigger, but his aunt is helping care
for her. They already buy her food and some kind of milk. I gave
them a can of protein powder yesterday and told them to come
back next month when it is finished for another can. Hopefully
this will help her.
(Photo of Francesca with her dad)
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Update:
Faresca is done with our formula program. Her baby brother is
currently living with us and both are doing well. Please pray
she continues to do well.
We've been giving Faresca Jean-Pierre formula
for almost a year. Her mom always wanted to care for her
herself. Faresca is HIV positive and has never done very well.
She gets sick a lot and her weight changes a lot to. She's only
12 pounds 7.8 ounces now. We will be switching her from formula
to protein powder.
(Photo of Faresca with her mom)
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Update:
Wilderlim has graduated from our program. He has done well and
is now eating food at home. He weighs just over 19lbs.
Wilderlim St. Martin was born on 31st of May
'08. We started giving him milk when he was 3 months old because
his mom was on anti-depressants and other medication and could
not breast feed him. She brought all her meds and doctors
letters with her. Wilderlim is healthy now. We started giving
him formula on Aug 30th when he was 16 pounds 0.4 ounces and he
is gaining well.
(Photo of Wilderlim with his mom)
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Little Gessina was born on June
18th 2008. She was given formula on October 27th and weighed
12lbs 7.6oz. She was referred to us from the local hospital. Her
mother is in the ARV program and they only help parents with
formula for a little while. UPDATE:
Gessina is now 7 months old and weighs over 15lbs. She is able
to eat table food and have cows milk. |

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Dieumane Titide is the youngest of
6 kids, his aunt cares for him as his mother is dead. He was
born Nov '07 and we started him on formula the end of Jan '08.
when she came here looking for help. She had been feeding him
tea and crackers at home. His starting weight was 6 pounds
5 ounces and now he weighs 16 pounds 6.4 ounces.
(Photo of Dieumane with his aunt at admission
and with another aunt when he finished the program)
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Laura is the niece to a few of our
employees. Her mother had a c-section and just cant get any milk
to breast-feed. UPDATE:
Laura's mothers milk has come in. Her aunts are helping to make
sure her mom eats enough so she is able to breast-feed Laura. We
are so happy for them. |
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Ruth Chtel was born in March
07. We helped her with formula from July 07 until March
08. Her starting weight was about 8 pounds and when she was
finished she weighed 16 pounds 6.2 ounces.
(Photo of Ruth with her mom)
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David Bien-Aime was also getting
formula until he was 6 months old so he finished in July 08 and
weighed 13 pounds 6.2 ounces, he started getting formula in
March and weighed 8 pounds 4.8ounces when he started.
(Photo of David with his mom)
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Ferlando Noel was cared for by his
aunt because his mother was mentally unstable. He was born Aug
28th 07. We started giving him formula him in Oct 07 when he was
9lbs. We stopped when he was a year old. He looks great
now and weighed 21 pounds 15.4 ounces.
(photo of Ferlando at beginning of program and
at the end)
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Rosaline was refered to us by one
of our nannies. She was very sick in the hospital and we helped
her with her bill. When she was discharged we started to give
her formula. She just finished getting formula in Sept '08
and now weighs 20 pounds 10.6 ounces.
(Photo of Rosaline with her parents at the
beginning of the program and with her mom at the end)
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When Jesula was born her mother
already knew she would need help. Jesula's older sister was
already in our care (Jeniflore) and her mom was HIV+. When she
had Jesula we gave her formula so she didn't have to breast
feed. Jesula has done wonderfully and grown very well. Even
Jeniflore has been able to rejoin her family after getting
healthier and stronger.
(photo of Jesula with her mom)
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Another baby that was in our
program was Guiventz Predinord. He started when he was 10
months old in Sept 07 and only weighed 8 pounds 13 ounces.
He passed away at home in March
08 from unknown causes.
(Photo of Guiventz with his mom)
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