By Donna Nocero

A Dying Baby is Saved and Thanks to One Tremendous Spirit, Everything is Coming Up Roses and Angels for Playa's Children

On a typical Playa del Carmen day, in 1999, a young lady from Bend, Oregon was walking down the street to do her typical shopping. She was here in Playa like most – to live on the beach, run a small business, and live a quiet life and raise their children.

On her way to the Super Maz, the local shopping market, she saw a young lady holding a baby. They baby was blue, and to her, the child seemed to be dead. Since she hardly spoke any Spanish, she didn’t know what could she do? She turned her back, and drove home to her busy new lifestyle. And that’s where the story would have ended. Except, as she was driving away, she stopped, turned her car around as if a force grabbed her! The voices grew loud and strong “You have to go back, you have to go back and ask this woman what is going on.”

She caught up with the young mother “My baby is dying” the young mother explained.

“He has a hole in his heart and to fix it would cost 100,000 pesos (about $10,000 usd). I do not have any money and so I am just waiting for God to come and take my son from me” the saddened mother explained.

The baby was not getting enough oxygen needed to live. He was completely under-developed and it was unbelievable that he was still alive. She quickly went into action and called her brother, Steve Bailey, who happened to be the head of Cardiology at a major hospital in San Antonio, Texas and asked for his help. She told here brother that she had a sick baby. Her brother said “LaVonna bring him here! “Just like that!” Okay, I am coming. LaVonna said.

LaVonna Redman, originally from Bend, Oregon – living in a strange land, raising her children, and working for living, was about to change the world – her world, the world of this baby, and the world of Playa del Carmen.

“Now, I had to figure out how to do it.” LaVonna said.

I sold my car for $ 5,000. Then, I called American Airlines and pleaded for assistance. It worked and they put us into their Miles for Kids program whereas people donate their miles to needy children. It was coming together fast.” Lavonna explained.

So the infant, his mother and Lavonna left for San Antonio. The baby’s father joined them later.

The baby literally had never been out of his mother’s arms - too weak and frail. The doctors took little Carlos Manual Reyes to check his condition. They laid him on a hospital bed, and within 10 minutes, he flat-lined right their on the table – he died! They pushed LaVonna out of the room. After all they fought for, this was it! The mother and LaVonna prayed. A miracle was at hand when, for whatever reason, the boy revived. The doctors performed 2 surgeries. He was so strong afterwards that they called him “KING KONG”. He was so hungry, he ate and ate! He is now 5 years old and is my defiantly my little angel!

Upon their return from San Antonio, Carlos’ mom, Guadalupe, told the whole town what LaVonna did for them and soon thereafter, many others came asking for assistance.

Angel Notion was born!

Since 1999, Angel Notion headed by LaVonna has taken at least 2 children each year to the United States – wherever she could arrange to have their surgeries performed. From Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Portland, Maine. Ronald McDonald House provides the families accommodations. In 2003, they took 7 children to the states for surgeries. But, it is very hard to travel with sick children and their families. So she approached Mayor Mendicuti and asked for assistance. Hence, the new clinic in NicTe Ha (a community in Playa del Carmen) opened 2 months ago. They also have another little boy, Tadeo Valdez Fernadez of the Ejieo, 16 months old, going to Portland Maine for heart surgery on the 30th of April, and they need donations to help fund his trip to make this life saving surgery possible.

Sr. Roman Quian, a private citizen, pays for electricity and water and the salaries of three employees. “He believes in what we are doing” LaVonna says with great pride.

Angel Notion’s Alternative Healing Center is now open full time and assisting patients on a regular basis. The Clinic offers a medical and alternative option for community health care. They have approximately 400 new patients who will be receiving treatment and/or attending courses:

Nutrition, Yoga, Preventative Medicine, Physical & Muscular Therapies, Massages, Acupuncture, Reike, Homeopathic Treatments, Chiropratic, Orthopedics, Hypnotherapy, Colonics, Counseling sessions, Nurses Aid courses, Herbalology courses and much, much more.

The clinic is open from 8am to 5pm. In the mornings, from 8am – 12pm the Clinic is open to the local community and charges 20 pesos (about $ 2 usd) for general services. It is never over 100 pesos (about $10 usd) for any service. If someone cannot afford to pay, we exchange our services for volunteer work in the clinic, as well as Medical doctor services and surgeries. In the afternoons, from 1-5pm, we are open to everyone and the specialists charge their regular rates.

The new, and first of many, Angel Notion Clinic, in NicTe Ha also served over 300 new patients ranging from general medicine, to physical therapy, muscular structural and cancer cases by diagnosing these patients for future treatments. The doctors and staff of Michigan State University volunteered their services for 10 days and worked with individual patients to teach them about relieving stress and pain by teaching them different forms of exercises. Combined they treated over 100 patients and performed over 40 surgeries.

LaVonna works as Director of the Clinic from Monday through Friday from 8am to 1pm. Then, to pay the bills, she sells Real Estate.

“In the next year, I plan on having a full garden of herbal treatments to teach the community how to use local plants to help with their well being. Nutrition program that will bring health to the community, programs of interest that will educate the local people. A comfortable place to go for the older generation to come and enjoy. A place where everyone will feel welcome and important.

In 3 years, I hope to have local people managing the clinic and hope to move to larger center where we can have the latest medical equipment and technology combined with the best alternative therapies. That would be a great goal to achieve.” LaVonna says.

The Nic Te Ha Clinic (www.angelnotion.com) is located on10th Avenuein Nick Te Ha. To Contact the Clinic, please contact LaVonna Redman at tel: 044-984-100-5525 or email This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it They cannot do without your support. They need funding for programs, translators, donations, clothing, medical and office supplies and equipment. Come on out and see them. Everyone is welcome!

Contributions may be sent by wire to:

Bank: Bank of America

1850 Gateway Blvd. Concord, CA 94123 U.S.A.

Aba:121000358

Account Name: Casa de Cambio Monex, S.A. de C.V.

Account#:1315205838

Beneficiary:Angel Notion/Lavonna Redman

Or

Via check or money order to: Angel Notion, 20088 Thomas Dr., Bend,OR 97702 U.S.A.

For EQUIPMENT DONATIONS: email ANGEL NOTION at: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

Angel Notion would also like to thank everyone out there that has helped them get where they are. They appreciate you all very much! "We could have never come this far without your help. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts!" LaVonna

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