*** WARNING: Graphic photos in article ***
Bondservant News October 2005 Hopes for Others Arad, România
“And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, {even} the least {of them,} you did it to Me.’” Matthew 25:40
Every once in a while I get a free day when I don’t have a nursing home to visit. On those days I often have home visits or hospital visits to make. I mainly mix the hospital visits in with the nursing homes, just later in the day. But since coming back from our visit to the U.S., I have also gone with Heidi, Benjamin, or Anne to the state hospital to visit some of the abandoned* babies.
Heidi and Benjamin began visiting the abandoned babies in July of 2004 and have continued ever since. But a change in the law has changed the location they visit. Last year many of the babies were kept in The Center for Placement #2. As of January 1, 2005, the government of Romania no longer allows children below the age of two in the care of the state. For the most part this is doublespeak to help Romania meet European Union standards. The fact is that babies continue to be left in hospitals when their mothers are released. The Romanian solution to this problem is to leave the babies in the hospitals–in either the maternity hospital or in the state hospital. Generally, the breakdown is that well babies stay at the maternity hospital, while sick babies go to the state hospital. We are allowed into the state hospital where at this time there are twenty-three abandoned babies.
Heidi and Benjamin have been going there almost every day and they do various things. They pick up the babies and hold them; they work with developmentally slow children encouraging them in their developmental skills; they feed the babies or hold them while they have bandages changed. Sometimes they are allowed to take some of the toddlers to play in the park.
Parents who bring their children to the hospital are expected to bring their own diapers. The hospital does three changes a day. If someone has not brought disposable diapers, the baby is wrapped in a cloth diaper and then a plastic bag to keep it from leaking, and then a blanket is wrapped to keep the bag from being pulled off. The children lay in bed with their legs at 60’ angles from all of the bundling. Heidi said that when she started visiting, she thought all of the children were bowlegged and would try to push their legs together until she understood that it was not their legs, but the diaper wrappings that prevented the legs from coming together. [It would be so nice to have a truckload of disposable diapers for the hospital.]
Often Benjamin and Heidi come home talking about this one or that one of the babies. Some they give pet names to like Snorter or Frank. Most of the babies are known only by a family name. Before long they seem to develop a favorite. Benjamin’s favorite is Florin–the name that Benjamin gave. His real name is Stoica, but Florin seems to fit him well. Benjamin was drawn to him because no one else wanted to touch him or even to look at him. Florin came in the spring. We were told he had been born with cancer in his skull and, as it grew, it was pushing one of his eyes out of its socket. Now, five months later, Florin is one of the most popular babies in the hospital among the volunteers. They all want to hold him. As people saw Benjamin’s love for Florin, it became contagious. The nurses now talk to him. All the volunteers look forward to turns with him. Everyone wants a chance to try to make that crooked smile appear even just for a minute. Florin’s smile is ever more crooked as his tumor distorts his face more and more.
Before Florin, Narcissia was maybe the least cared for. She has a strong resemblance to a monkey, being very hairy and very small. Two years old and still no teeth, they say she has a heart problem. When you pick up her small body in your arms and touch her face or neck, an immediate smile bursts forth. But someone had to be the first to pick up this homely child and love her, then the love became contagious and the next person also wanted to make her smile.
It is a very different time with the children than with my older folks, but in many ways it’s the same. In many cases my old folks are also abandoned by friends and family and will just sit in their beds looking at the ceiling or the TV. But when I am able to come into a room with the love God has given me for them, the love becomes contagious to others even within the nursing home.
Sadly, baby Florin only lived 9 months. However, because of wonderful people such as Heidi and Benjamin, he was the recipient of much love in those 9 months.
Please click here to view video of Benjamin’s song for baby Florin…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4FBhIP0oIQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player
* Although these babies are called abandoned, many do have parents who live too far away to come to visit or have other children to care for or are unable to stay at the hospital to care for the baby. When the hospital deems the baby/child healthy, they will call the police in the area where the family lives and ask the police to inform the parents to come and get the child.
Prayer requests:
1) That God will provide more volunteers to work with the babies and toddlers.
2) That more Romanian people will want to adopt or be foster parents.
3) That there will be a greater supply of diapers and sanitary materials for the babies and for the old folks.
