trippingdifferently

i wrote about Samantha and Kristina back in August 2012. A pair of orphaned sisters who have some disabilities and some mental delays and have been transferred to an adult mental institution. i wrote about how they needed a mummy, a loving family and how they could reach full potential with a caring family supporting them.

i want to thank all the generous people who have contributed and helped to grow their adoption grant. They now have over US$6000 which is a good amount, although it isn’t even half of what is needed to pay for all the paperwork, flights, travel expenses, medical exams to get them into a forever family.

BUT… these sisters are still waiting… and the longer they wait, the more effects of institution-living they will suffer. i have read a heartbreaking list about the various effects of such baseline care (i can’t even really call it care.) which is most of the time all the institutions can afford. Here’s a bit about how Samantha and Kristina could be affected (beyond just their disabilities).

When a child has spent their entire lives inside any type of institute and has never had anyone work with them, read to them, take them anywhere or teach them the basics, that child may…

• Come out not knowing ANYTHING.
• Be unable to talk or have an extremely limited vocabulary.
• Struggle to learn a new language.
• Be academically and cognitively behind by years.
• Have an extremely poor attention span and be unable to concentrate. (ADHD)
• Be so overwhelmed by new information that they can only take in small bits at a time.
• Not know what to do with pencils or crayons or paper.
• Be extremely sensitive to the sights and sounds of the outside world.
• Be terrified out in public to the point of frantic fighting.
• Be unaware of dangers around them.
• Be prone to wander and explore – even outdoors – even in the middle of the night.
• Become obsessed with the electronics in the house (light switches, appliances, water faucets, outlets etc.)
• Never have had their teeth brushed.
• Never have had more than just a sponge bath.
• Be terrified of water and getting a bath.
• Be obsessed with water and want to get multiple baths during the day.
• Choose to watch TV shows, read books or play with toys that are for much younger children.
• Have a total lack of interest in playing with their peers.
• Gravitate towards playing with much younger children.
• Gravitate towards interacting with the adults or older people in their life.

…

When a child is physically disabled or has health issues, they are often unable to get the treatments and therapies they need. Because of this many children….

• Are unable to walk.
• Are unable to feed themselves.
• Have enlarged tonsils from lack of treatment.
• Have numerous and on-going ear infections and sinus infections.
• May have hearing loss.
• May have heart defects that are past the point of repair.
• May have lung damage.
• May have rotten teeth.
• May have incorrect diagnoses and undiagnosed problems.
• May have increased symptoms.
  

…

When a child has been transferred from their babyhouse to a mental institute that child may….

• Regress.
• Lose the ability to communicate.
• Imitate the behaviors of the children around them.
• Blank out and stare for long periods of time.
• Rock, moan, groan.
• Grind their teeth.
• Wet or poop in their pants.
• Withdraw and refuse all eye contact.
• Become sensitive to touch.
• Exhibit inappropriate sexual behaviors.
• Lose the ability to walk.
• Be terrified of the dark or being alone.
• Struggle to communicate in their native language. (Some of the children are transferred to an institute where the child’s language or dialect is different. This often leads to loss of language skills in their native language.)
• Struggle to learn a new language.
• Have been drugged.

When a child has never had anyone listen to them, help them process their thoughts and feelings or help them understand the world, that child may…

• Struggle to express their feelings or emotions.
• Throw fits of rage over seemingly little incidences.
• Withdraw, check out or blank out when feelings become too hard to handle.
• Cry silent tears.
• Rock back and forth when afraid.
• Latch on to anyone who spends any time with them.
• Talk incessantly.
• Talk loudly.
• Manipulate with their words – I love you if…
• Want to touch everything and everyone in an inappropriate, excessive way.
• Be unable to laugh or understand when something is funny.
• Laugh at inappropriate times.
• Laugh or respond inappropriately when told no or when reprimanded.
• Cry when happy.
• Hit themselves in the head, face or jaw when upset or angry at themselves or someone else.
• Hit themselves when told no.
• Be unable or afraid to ask for something they need or want.
• Choose to steal, lie or go without before asking.
• Repeat the same phrases or conversations over and over again.

The whole list is so very much longer. It is written by a dear orphan advocate who has adopted an amazing little boy 2 years ago and has seen first hand how institution-living greatly affects young minds. She writes:

It is not written to scare people away from adoption but instead to draw families in.  To break hearts.  To bear witness to what so many children are going through on a daily basis.

You can read the whole list here: Micah Six Eight: The List.

Now can you see why i am asking and asking, all the time, for you to help these orphans; to share their stories, to give towards their adoption, to pray for them?

Would you please help Samantha and Kristina find their forever families by sharing their stories far and wide?

Could you be that family who would love them for who they are? You can learn more about them by clicking on their names or pictures.

Would you please pray for their needs, daily and medical? Pray for their forever family to be brave and step forward for them.

Would you be able to help grow their adoption grant to ease the journey their forever family would have to bring them home? They have a donate button on their profile page here.

Thank you.

syc