Fatherless Friday 1

My friend Julia runs a series of posts every Friday called "Fatherless Friday", where she talks about some of the orphans who don't have a Mom and Dad working to come get them. Some of those left behind. (I don't know if she came up with this idea, or if she got it from someone else, but I got it from her.) I don't know if I'll always run a "Fatherless Friday" post, but I do want to talk about some of the other orphans who have touched my heart sometimes, and maybe it will be every Friday.

Honestly, there are so many of these little ones that I'm in love with that this post could be about a mile long. But today I want to start by talking about two orphans who are living in the same orphanage as our daughter. Meet Carolina and Ryland:




Carolina is 5.5 and has CP.

Ryland is 5.5 and is HIV+ and has CP.

They are both precious. I have been blessed to be able to connect with a whole group of moms who've adopted from the region our daughter is in. Some of them have met her, and have been able to share pictures and stories. All of them have been able and willing to share information and anything else they can to try to help the orphans they had to leave behind. Some of them have met Carolina and Ryland. I've heard a few sweet stories and seen more pictures of both of these sweeties. I so want them both to find families.

The truth is, right now they are at a pretty good orphanage. An orphanage is far from an ideal place for a child to grow up, but if you had to choose one to live at, this wouldn't be a bad choice. It's a child's home for kids ~4-7. It's not very large, and has a decent number of caregivers who seem to care about the kids there. There are missionaries who visit regularly who bring the kids toys and give them one on one attention. While I wish our daughter was home with us right now, I'm grateful she's in such a good place while she's waiting.

Unfortunately, Ryland and Carolina won't be in this good orphanage much longer. Soon they'll have to leave. If they're lucky, they'll be able to go to the orphanage for older children in their region. It probably has 200 kids, ranging in ages from 6 to 16. The caregiver to child ratio is very low. I have not heard good things about this orphanage, and if they are transferred there they will be the youngest and smallest as well as being physically disabled. It will not be a good life for them, and the director of the orphanage is not very open to adoptions, so there's a decent chance they'd live there until they turn 16 and are put out on the street with nothing. And this is the scenario if they're lucky.

If they're unlucky, the orphanage for typical kids will refuse to take them because of their physical disability. Both Carolina and Ryland can walk and are pretty self-sufficient, but the fact is, in their culture those with physical disabilities are looked down on, seen as less, and often labeled as mentally deficient. If they aren't allowed at the older kids' orphanage they will be transferred to a mental institution. They will likely lose most of their current skills, including their ability to walk, as they will receive no therapy to keep their muscles from tightening. To see what just a few months in a mental institution did to a little one with CP, you can read Laura's blog. Thankfully, Seth is now home with his family, but he has had to regain so much ground that he lost in horrible conditions. I would hate for that to happen to Carolina and Ryland. I hope that their parents find them soon!