HOW: Introduction to HOW

HOW is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in the USA, whose staff consists of all volunteers. Its mission is to provide hope and care to neglected, abandoned, and orphaned children in deprived areas of the world with a specific focus on VietNam.

WHAT IS EB (EPIDERMOLYSIS BULLOSA) (Names are changed to protect the children and help)

EB (Epidermolysis Bullosa) is a rare genetic skin disease that causes the skin to be so fragile that even the slightest touch will separate the layers of the skin. The skin literally breaks, resulting in painful blisters and open wounds. A mother may never be able to hold her child tightly because the skin would peel off and bleed. Children with EB may never run or play as other children because even the slightest friction will cause them great pain.

In developing countries, such as Vietnam, these children have virtually lived an invisible existence. Due to the lack of medical technology and resources, children with EB are sent home without a proper diagnosis or instructions for care. The families, often already living in poverty, are left to fend for themselves and their sick children.

Now that you know a little bit about EB, we will tell you about precious little Be Bling's story. Helping Orphans Worldwide, HOW as called in January 2012, and told that there was a little girl who was 2 days old that was diagnosed with EB and due reasons we can only imagine, such as lack of knowledge, money, and wound care supplies her poor scared mother thought it would best for her to not suffer and she put her in a basket under a bridge in the bitter cold.

Little Bling, is a fighter and due  to her perseverance, her cry for help was heard and an anonymous kind soul heard her, climbed under the bridge and picked her up. What a very brave angel this individual was because when this person saw precious Bling's  skin falling off, bleeding, starving, and in very bad shape she brought her to a local hospital where she was turned away.


The hospital knew this baby and had given her mother the diagnosis of possible  EB only a few days earlier,  but still would not treat her as she had no parents to pay the bill. HOW immediately took action and asked the secret angel to please bring her back to the hospital and we would find the funds for the bill to get her proper treatment and cleaning to prevent septicemia as her skin had already began to smell of decay. We hired a full time nanny to stay with her 24/7 and our angel came daily to train the nanny in proper wound care treatment, we provided wound care materials (that are very difficult to find in Vietnam) but the hospital would not even give her fluids or any medical attention ($500.00 USD later) we took her out of the hospital and brought her to a place we thought would care for her.

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Since then we have been sending wound care materials, nutritional support, clothing, etc., for Bling but recently found out the nanny was not caring for her and we had to let her go, so our angel was spending her lunch hour daily and any free time (between her full time job and her family with 2 young children)  to visit Bling and we have been searching for her mother and father, so we can offer assistance so they  can be with their beautiful child, of course to no avail.



We continue to work on finding a home for sweet Bling but this has been very difficult for many reasons. We will continue to update Bling's stroy as things unfold but we fight daily for her and work to get her the care she so desperatly needs for life. To properly care for Bling's EB it requires 3 to 5 hours of wound care treatment per day. We continue to train kind volunteers to care for not only Bling but also other children that HOW helps with EB.

Please visit if you would like to make a donation where 100% of your donations will go to support EB: Transparent Fish Fund 

http://www.tfishfund.org/how.html

Thank you!!