A Broken Heart

I have spent the last week in Eastern Europe, working on adopting our new son! He's a cutie pie. We still have a few more weeks before he'll actually be home, and we're loving him up while we are here.

Look at those teeny fingers! You may notice that they look slightly blue. Not awfully, just enough to notice. That's because our little boy has a hole in his heart. It's fixable, and once we get it fixed, he'll be stronger and grow like a weed! But he's 3 already, and his heart hasn't been fixed yet. Before we got here, we could pretend that it hadn't been fixed because his country didn't have the technology, or because it didn't really need to be fixed, yet. But that wasn't the truth. I knew that, but I didn't want to believe it.

The truth is, my son's heart hasn't been fixed because he has down syndrome. Oh, that makes me cringe.
He has been brought to the heart hospital in Capitol City several times, where they refused him surgery. Because he has an extra chromosome. That's why. that's the reason.

Our facilitator (whom I adore!) told us that everyone will understand if we decided not to adopt our son after meeting him. He is a "difficult case". So, the social workers and inspectors and orphanage staff would understand if we walked away, chose a different child. One who was not a "difficult case". But us walking away would mean the death of our son. As our facilitator said, "There is no line for [our son]." And yet, everyone would understand if we chose to let him die.

There's more that I tried to pretend wasn't real, before I got hear. I'd heard many stories about the horrible institutions, they way people were treated, and the hopelessness of children who were "imperfect". I've even told others. But I always tried to pretend that things weren't like that anymore, that that's the way things USED to be, or RARELY are. Of course, that's not the truth. Things are getting better, and there are a lot of people who care. But there are still buildings where people of all ages are treated like animals, because they can't defend themselves. Places where there are not enough medicine, where there isn't enough warmth, and where there is CERTAINLY not enough love.
In most places, the caregivers are doing the best they can with what they have. They do really care. But there just isn't enough to go around. For example, if you don't have enough money to buy enough food for all the children, there definitely isn't enough money to buy things like birthday presents. Or more than one pair of underwear. Or mattresses that aren't stained, holey, and useless.

I refuse to accept this. I refuse to go on living as if I didn't know what was happening. There are so many ways people can help. Why aren't they? Where is the Church? Haven't we been called to help those in need?

The need is great. God is greater. Go and be His hands and feet. 



"He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me, declares the Lord." (Jeremiah 22:16)

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in." (Matthew 25:35)

"Remember those…who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering." (Hebrews 13:3)