Dearest Readers,

   Thank you so very much for your prayers, kind notes, and words of encouragement this week. We so appreciate you!!

Hopefully Benjamin will be coming home tomorrow (woohoo!!!). In this entire hospital stay, as in the ones years past, my mom has been by his side the entire time. She left only briefly yesterday. (And yes, we enjoyed every moment she was home!)

Every time we are in that hospital room, I'm blown away by my mom's love and care. Despite her extreme exhaustion, she jumps up whenever Benjamin needs her. And every time we are in that hospital room, I find myself wondering about the children who are in the hospital without their mothers beside them? I have wished numerous times during the week that I could DO something for children left alone in the hospital. And although they're not in the hospital, I do know of three precious ones who are at this moment lying in a bed without their mother beside them to comfort them. I wish with all of my heart that they had someone to hold them in their arms and love them. And since I can't magically transport myself to these precious little ones, (Mason's been introducing me to Doctor Who this week...I couldn't help myself :)) I can make sure that one more person knows about them. 

So without further ado....meet Seeley, Linny, and Marla. 

This picture breaks my heart. Sweet Seeley's little arms. He looks as if he's just laying there, waiting for someone to swoop in and tenderly hold him and love him. I've looked at it so many times these past couple of years, and yet no one has ever come to pick him up and take him out the doors of his orphanage. He still lies in that crib alone.

There are many children like Seeley listed on Reece's Rainbow. They're referred to as "crib babies" because they are bedridden. The saddest part of Seeley's story? His mother cared for him until April 2012. He's been alone ever since then. I can't imagine having your mom by your side, and then one day losing her. I would be devastated.  Precious Seeley has had to endure that. 

Sweet Linny. Another crib baby...

I know for a fact that sweet Linny has been in the hospital recovering from surgery. She had an operation to repair her spina bifida. She was developing typically physically and mentally after this operation. At 21 months old, however, she was admitted to the hospital again, this time for head trauma. She endured yet another surgery, and is now paralyzed on the right side and unable to walk or talk. Was she alone during these hospitalizations?

Precious Marla, who will soon be transferred to
a mental institution...

And then there's dear Marla. This precious angel is six years old. In an earlier picture, she was laughing. Here she looks so heartbreakingly alone. Once transferred to an institution her hope for a family, for a life outside of a crib,  will be practically non-existent.

These are just three of many, many crib babies in the world. They all contain so much life inside of them if only they would be taken out of those cribs!

Please pray for these little angels on earth. Please pray that someone will see their value and lift them out of those cribs. I'm thankful to know that even though they don't have mamas beside them, Jesus has never left their side.