Happy Mother's Day to Jokey Jo's Liberian Mom

There are very few moments that will forever be etched in my memories and one of these are the last time Joseph's mom held him in her lap. She had walked an hour to come say her goodbyes to her precious son and as I sat next to her I could not hold the tears back. She was telling him how much she loved him...She was trying not to cry but her tears came just as easily as mine. We locked eyes and I knew that I would never be able to give up one of my children as Siah was doing. She was an incredible woman..She told me her story of when Joseph was born, he was having problems breathing and she took him to a clinic that was two hours away from where she lived. He was diagnosed with a hole in his heart and they could not help him..He was sick ALOT she would take him back and forth to the clinic and they would put him on antibiotics and he would do ok for a day or two and then get sick again..He was in the hospital for weeks at a time but the staff at AOH told me she would NOT leave him..She nursed him and sat with him, he was never alone or without her...When I was coming to get him he had to be in the orphanage for at least three weeks and she brought him there and came every day afterwards and would sit on the front porch in the big rocker and nurse him and comfort him. If for some reason she could not come Linda at the guest house told me she would call and check on him...This is unheard of in case your wondering....
The day we had to go to the embassy over there she was brave and a rock for us all.
When Joseph got his pass-port she shouted Praise God!!!Then she got on her cell phone and called her mom and said "Joseph has got his pass-port". She NEVER stopped praising the Lord.

The last day we were there she came up and hands me a box..Inside is a sterling silver necklace and earrings that I have seen on her every day for the past 11 days and in every picture we got of Joseph before coming to Africa. She gave me these
as a gift...Then she hands me the only picture she has of him when he was two months old. It's a little picture but she wants me to have it.
I ask her what she wants Jo to know about her and she says " That I loved him and I did everything I could to help him and for him not to forget Princess his sister"
I hugged her and told her that I would get him the BEST help I could...I feel like we have held up that promise to her....

She had his life in her hands for the first 18 months of this relay and now it's my time and I wont let her down.....I love Joseph deeply and when I look into his face I see his sweet mother there....She has left apart of herself that time and miles and sickness can Never take away........... When he smiles I see her smile although it was tear stained it's still recognizable.....

Happy Mother's Day Siah and may God bless you and keep you safe in Africa......

love,
Robin and Joseph

The little girl in the above photo is Jo's sister 6year old Princess