In June of 2003 as war started to break out again in Liberia the US consular started granting visas. At this point the airport was closing and opening in Monrovia as war took over the country. Our agency couldn't get an escort in place as quickly as we needed that to happen so they asked me if I would fly to Ghana to wait for Deborah to be flown to me. After my past experience waiting in a hotel in a different country than my child(ren) while war was going on I refused. We had no idea if the war would escalate at this point and there was no guarantee they could get my baby out of Liberia while the airport was closing every other day or so.Much to my surprise I got a phone call in early July of 2003 saying my baby was in Ghana and come and get her!!!!! Strangely enough my agency didn't think I needed a yellow fever shot to get into Ghana and I didn't have it yet! I managed to get it before leaving for Ghana but was very nervous since I was supposed to have it for 10 days before I left and it had only been 4 days. The customs inspector studied my yellow immunization certificate for several minutes before letting me through! I don't think I had full immunity until I arrived back in the US.
I was only in Ghana for 24 hours, a true pick-up trip since all of the paperwork was already done. I flew in at 10pm on a Monday night and was leaving on the same plane the following night at 10pm. Deborah was brought to me around noon the day I was leaving so I had a short while to spend with Deborah's caregiver (pictured with Deborah up above) who was absolutely wonderful and then we left to come back home.
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