Who We Are

God's Littlest Angels is an independent, non-denominational ministry founded to care for premature, malnourished, and abandoned children in Haiti. GLA is a faith mission relying on God to provide funding and other needs through churches and donors throughout North America and Europe. GLA was incorporated in Illinois as a not-for-profit organization in April, 1997. In 2002, offices were moved to Colorado. We have independent Boards of Directors in both the US and Canada. GLA has 501(c)(3) status from the United States Internal Revenue Service. GLA Canada has charitable status in Canada. In Haiti, GLA is licensed by the Minister of Social Affairs of Haiti through IBESR.

God's Littlest Angels was founded by John and Dixie Bickel on Christmas Day, 1994, when a 1 pound 15 ounce baby was born at the local mission hospital. Because of her size, she was not given much of a chance for survival.

With the parents' permission, Dixie took the baby home. John put his skills to work making an incubatorAngel Noël weighing 1 lb 15 oz and 12 inches long. Held by Dixie. out of a cardboard box and a heating pad. At the time, Dixie didn't have access to IV supplies, so she kept the baby alive by feeding her with an eye dropper every 2 hours. Within 4 days, she was drinking from a doll bottle.

Angel Noël survived and went home to her parents in April of 1995. She is now in grade school and is very bright and outgoing.

God continued to send babies in need of medical support. In November 1995, John and Dixie followed God's call to leave the mission they were working with and moved into the community to work with Haitian families and their infants.

Haiti's health care is underdeveloped and has few facilities to care for premature infants. Haiti has the highest infant mortality rate in the Western Hemisphere.  Out of all the infants who die in their first year, 60 percent die in their first month of life. There is no other program in Haiti that focuses on these newborn babies.

Intensive Care NurseryDoctors and clinics refer babies that are in need of intensive nursing care and nutritional support to GLA. The ministry has developed from a Child Survival Center that cares only for premature, malnourished and abandoned infants under 2 years old into an orphanage that facilitates adoptions for children of all ages.

Today, the orphanage is a fully functioning nursery with incubators, warming beds, and the capability to provide oxygen, intravenous fluids, and monitoring support for critically ill infants.  While at the same time, we are providing full-time child care for all of the children.

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