Prodigy Requests Help for Earthquake Victim

Emmanuella and classmate, Bethany Campbell, at Prodigy Leadership Academy

Prodigy requests Help for Earthquake Victim

By Mary Koeberl Rechenberg

“Truly I tell you whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25: 40 NIV. This verse is said to have been Mother Teresa’s favorite text in the Bible, which she often quoted.

Two year old Emmanuella was injured in the 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti. A concrete block fell on her head, breaking her jaw on both sides. Like many of the other survivors, she didn’t receive any medical treatment and the broken jaw joints healed into solid bone. For 6 years she could not open or close her mouth, meaning she couldn’t eat properly or develop properly. Her mother searched for help, and in 2016 came to an organization named “Respire Haiti” where she finally received help in getting Emmanuella to the United States for surgery to fix her jaws.

Emmanuella swinging with new friends, Josiah Armstrong and Jaylee Panice

Emmanuella spent 10 months with the Brown family in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Doctors performed a bilateral jaw replacement that finally allowed her to open and close her mouth.

She recently returned to the United States and the Brown family for a much needed second surgery. As her body matures adjustments to her jaws are necessary. Without it she will suffer from pain and an upper and lower jaw that are not aligned.

During her stay in the Cape Girardeau area, it was decided that Prodigy Leadership Academy was the perfect school for her because of their small class sizes and Christian focus. Prodigy educators are determined to meet her needs and give her the best learning support based on her ability. Presently, she is not fluent in English.

Russell Grammer, director of Prodigy said, “When Emmanuella visited the school, she told us she loved the school. The students made her feel so welcome. It is important that we give her our very best. She is now flourishing at Prodigy. She is making new friendships in her class and her learning is becoming increasingly evident. Her smile is radiant and frequent.

Emmanuella and SEMO graduate student, Ana Onagdaga, at Prodigy Leadership Academy

Recently, we prayed for and sought a connection with a university student who is fluent in French and one who would be willing to come and meet with Emmanuella on a weekly basis. We hoped to provide a relationship opportunity for her to continue French language practice. We also wanted her to have support as she writes her autobiographical story. Our final hope was for her to have an older, international student who would become a friend and mentor while expressing empathy regarding life in another country.

It turns out our Prodigy reading support teacher, Laura Norman, has a friend who is a graduate student from Congo named Ana Onagdaga, who is pursuing a degree in Computer Science and speaks fluent French. Ana met Emmanuella, and immediately sensed a wonderful connection. Anna has agreed to meet with Emmanuella two times a week to support and answer her questions regarding reading, writing, math and to practice French.

Prodigy is asking for your support. Please keep Emmanuella in your prayers asking God to guide her intellectual growth and her relationship development. Help with her tuition would be greatly appreciated to help cover the cost of tailoring the program to fit her needs. Prodigy is a 501c3 entity, so any contributions are tax-deductible. It is also our hope that you would make a donation to help Ana, who is an international student and works on campus to pay for her education. She did not ask for the extra commitment, but would be grateful to receive gift cards for restaurants, grocery stores and clothing stores. If someone would be willing to provide Ana transportation on Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:00 am. from Prodigy to SEMO, it would be a big help. The university is only 6 minutes away from Prodigy Leadership Academy.

Please consider Emmanuella your sister in Christ. If you are compelled to be a part of this mission, call Russell Grammer at (573) 225-3192 or send your check to: Prodigy Leadership Academy 232 Sierra Ridge Lane Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701 (Please designate “for Emmanuella” on check.)

Photos: compliments of Prodigy Leadership Academy