Interested in Becoming a Foster Parent or Independent Nurse Provider?

Anyone interested in learning more about becoming an independent nurse provider and foster parent for medically fragile babies can call Linda West-Conforti at 1-800-974-4274 or visit her website at www.angelsinwaitingusa.org

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And Angels In Waiting Was Born

by Linda West

As a registered neonatal and pediatric intensive care nurse for over twenty years, I witnessed an alarming pattern in the number of medically fragile foster care preemies and infants who were becoming wards of the court A.K.A. Foster Children within hours of their birth.  Left alone in neonatal intensive care isolette for months, not knowing if they were going to be picked up to be fed, or picked up to be poked 5 times for an IV, existing alone- with out the touch of a loving parent.  They had nurses who tried to hold or comfort them; however with a demanding patient load and work schedule of nurses, holding and comforting a preemie is a rare luxury for today’s NICU Nurse!  I noted these preemies and infants were soon designated as “failure to thrive” usually with a magnitude of medical
complications.  I took notice as they’re affect changed and they became withdrawn, listless and were subsequently discharged to nursing institutions and group homes, only to be returned to our pediatric units. Their only relationships were transient ones as they were moved in and out of hospitals, nursing institutions and group homes and only returning to their same group home or institution if their bed was not replaced by another infant or child.  These infants were not going to nurturing home environments; they had no home to go to and were on the path becoming products of an ill-equipped systemic institution, not at all conducive to effective parenting.

When I inquired about their placements, no matter what county they came from, the story was always the same: they are special needs foster children and hard to place.  We do not have readily available foster homes that can meet their critical medical needs.  As a nurse, whose life and career is dedicated to improving the outcomes for others, I was determined to make a difference in this growing population of America’s Forgotten Children.  I started to inquire about and research available services. In this research, I came across a unique opportunity for nurses.  In California nurses can become independent providers for foster children, billing Medi-Cal directly for their inhome nursing hours.  Coupled with this, nurses can become licensed foster parents to have a child place in their homes.  This blend of nursing and foster parenting meets a child’s need for love and care found only in a home environment while offering nurses a unique way to serve the pediatric population.  This inspired me to create a network of nurses to expand the services to these children and Angels In Waiting was born in

AIW is a nonprofit tax-exempt 501 (c)(3) public charity.  AIW is dedicated to
recruiting qualified nurses to provide loving homes, nursing care, and other needed services
for Medically Fragile foster care infants and children.  We help facilitate the child's move
from hospitals, group homes and institutions into private residences under the care of
Registered Nurses and Licensed Vocational Nurses as their foster parents.  We provide
two essential ingredients for these children to heal – loving home environments and
individualized nursing care.

Alex's Story

Alex was a 36wkr born with a condition called OEIS Complex. O=omphalocele, E=exstrophy of bladder, I=imperforate anus, S=spinal. Tomorrow Alex, Rusty (my husband), and I are flying to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland where the Chief of urology, Chief of Ortho, and Chief of Peds Surgery have agreed, pro bono, to do a consultation for possible repair. Our goal is that they will say yes they can/will do the repairs. We then will have to petition the State of California to pay for the surgery. This has been a long time coming, it's hard to believe it's actually going to happen. Urologist and Ortho at Loma Linda are totally in support of our decision, are willing to write letters to the State of California on our behalf and, have agreed to do all follow-up care. Rusty and I will be handling all financial expenses for transportation, lodging and any tests that the doctors at Johns Hopkins may want. It's almost certain we will have to pay for xrays of the pelvis while at Johns Hopkins as the orthopedist there is requesting films and there were none taken at Loma Linda, even though I had requested we be followed by ortho due to research I had done ref. OEIS.

Judy had mentioned there was a possibility that we could get help for some of the financial costs invovled through donations. Although Rusty and I will do whatever it takes to make sure Alex gets the absolute best care, any help to off-set some of the costs would be greatly appreciated.

Wish us luck!

Rusty, Donna, & Alex

Sammy Needs Your Prayers

One of God’s astounding miracles is Sammy. Sammy was born four months too early, weighing only 17 ounces. (1lbs-1oz). As Sammy entered into this world; he also entered into our Foster Care System. A dismal, and heartbreaking place for any unwanted medically fragile preemie to reside in. A Nurse named Linda West- Conforti RN rescued Sammy, and he inspired her to create a foundation for the “Sammy’s in America”, and "Angels In Waiting" was born. Read their incredible story at AngelsInWaitingUSA.org

Sammy’s mother Linda, is requesting prayers for him. Presently, Sammy is 7 years old, and is doing wonderfully. However, due to his Prematurity, and his complicated hospital course, Sammy is Blind in his right eye, and has a growing cataract in his good eye. Sammy spent over a year in the hospital, and during his course of treatment, he contracted several serious “superbugs”. These colonized bacteria may make surgery on Sammy’s good eye challenging. Please, pray for "God’s little Sammy,” that he will be able to have the cataract removed and replaced as well as keep his vision without any serious complications.

Mothers and Miracles

‘To the world, you may be just one person; but to one person, you can be the entire world.’ — Linda West-Conforti, RN.  

Linda West, RN, prepares medication for her foster child.

Angels in Waiting founder, Linda West was interviewed by Luke Cowles in the article “Mothers and Miracles” which was featured as the cover story for “Advance for Nurses” in November 2009.  Linda West shares how she became a care giver/foster mother for premature and fragile infants, and from this created the organization Angels In Waiting.  She shares that nurses can still work full time but in the comfort of their own home while caring for a child in need.

Click here to read the article.

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