Valentine
IMMINENT RISK OF TRANSFER!!
Boy, Born March 2006
From his medical records: Intracranialbirth trauma. Ischemic cardiomyopathy.Anemia is the third degree.
Valentin has CP. He is able to stand with help and will greatly benefit from therapy and an encouraging family!
The facilitation team says, "He is absolutely mentally healthy, very intelligent boy, smiling and sociable." Please help us find him a family!
(The above information is from Valentine's Reece's Rainbow profile -- doesn't he sound like a great boy!)
Valentine's Question
Valentine: "Where am I going nurse?"
Nurse: "Oh, Valentine, I didn't want to tell you, but you are a smart boy and I don't want to lie to you so I will tell you. You are going to a place some distance from here where they keep older children/adults. It is a mental institution."
Valentine: "But why nurse -- is something wrong with my mind?"
Nurse: "No Valentine, you are a very smart boy. I wish you didn't have to go, but since your legs don't work right, you can't go to the institution for healthy children."
Valentine: "But nurse, I can stand with help, maybe if I had enough help I could learn to walk."
Nurse: "I'm sorry Valentine, there isn't enough money to pay for someone to help you learn. There are too many needy children and not enough money or workers."
Valentine: "What will the new place be like?"
Nurse: "Don't let it scare you Valentine, but they'll probably leave you in bed all day. The other children will be moaning and crying. There'll be nothing to do. I wish I could give you more hope, but it really isn't a nice place to live."
Valentine: "I'd rather stay here with the babies than go to a place like that."
Nurse: "I know Valentine, I wish you could stay, for I have grown to love you, but we get more babies all the time. There is not room here for the older kids to stay."
Valentine: "If only I were grown up and could care for myself -- maybe I could get a job and live in a real house."
Nurse: "But Valentine, you are 5 years old. You could never get a job at your age. You couldn't even go to school because your legs don't work right and people would stare and laugh at you."
Valentine: "But Nurse, my brain works! There is no reason I couldn't learn at school -- I'd love to learn to read!"
Nurse: "I know Valentine, but in our society it just is not possible for you to go to school."
Valentine: (Crying now) "But nurse, is there no hope for me?"
Nurse: "There is one hope for you. I've heard that in some other countries there are some people who choose to adopt children like you. They love them and send them to school, and provide therapy to help them learn to walk... I hope that happens for you!!!"
Valentine: "Oh nurse!! I would love that -- but how will they find me?"
Nurse: "Well, Valentine, your picture is listed on Reece's Rainbow -- they could see your picture on the internet."
Valentine: "But aren't there lots of kids pictured there? How will they ever choose me?"
Nurse: "You have a beautiful smile Valentine, maybe they'll notice you."
Valentine: "I hear it costs a lot of money to adopt a child. Didn't you say my 5/5/5 grant has only $341 in it -- that's not nearly enough."
Nurse: "Well Valentine, there are some kind people out in this world who can't adopt right now, but maybe if we found lots of people who could each spare $5, $10 or more... maybe it would all add up. Then maybe some Mama and Papa would fall in love with you, want to adopt you -- and without money as a barrier --- maybe they'd actually be able to do it!!!"
Valentine: "Oh Nurse!!! That would make me so HAPPY!! Just think -- my own Mama and Papa, maybe brothers and sisters, my own house, I could go to school and learn to read, maybe they'd let me have a puppy, maybe I'd learn to walk...... Oh what a beautiful dream!!! If only it could be for real!!!!"
Valentine: "Oh Nurse, I'm scared. If they don't save me soon I'll have to go to that horrible place!!! Please nurse don't let me go there! Tell my Mama and Papa and all the kind people who'll help pay for it... Tell them to hurry!!! I don't want to go to that awful place not even for one day! I want to go home!! PLEASE tell them to save me SOON!!!! I could never thank them enough but I'd give them all the love I can....."
Valentine: "Please nurse, tell them I'm waiting ......"
P.S. I do hope Valentine has a loving caregiver and is being encouraged that adoption would be a great benefit to him. Not all children are so blessed. Here is an article that tells the experience of two older children adopted at ages 7 and 10 and the fears they had because they were lied too, and because of the rejection / separation from their biological family. Do pray for the older kids -- that they not only are adopted but that the hole that lies and rejection, and mistreatment have made in their hearts can be healed and they can have meaningful, loving relationships with their new families.
UPDATE (1/21/2011)!!!! Valentine has a family now! They are working hard to adopt him! You can read their blog here! You can donate to their Reece's Rainbow adoption fund here! (Donations are tax deductible in the US!)
Beautiful post and oh boy,that article!these kids need so much love xxxx
ReplyDeleteBeautifully written! And now Valentin does have a family on the way--
ReplyDelete