No one knew for sure how much time had
passed when they were found. Three fragile children huddled in the
back seat of car with no driver, no mother, no one around. It was
purely by accident that someone saw them at all – not one
of them had made a sound, as if they learned to stop waiting for
someone to arrive. All of them lay still, nearly naked in dirty
diapers and a blanket. All of them quiet - even the youngest at
five weeks old, knew there was no one to answer his cry. His sisters
– 18 months and three years – silent, sitting hopelessly
quiet, almost resigned to being abandoned.
But at last they had been found, saved.
Upon arrival at the Heartland Family
Service children’s emergency shelter a series of events was
set into motion to professionally assess what was all too apparent
– the infant and toddlers had been hungry for too long; their
basic needs went unmet; and all of them were touched, loved too
little. Jesse, just over a month old, couldn’t make eye contact.
Sarah, 18 months, not only didn’t play, but hardly moved at
all. And three year-old Rebecca hadn’t learned how to use
silverware – all the natural child development was stunted
in these children.
As the healing began, a structured routine
was provided and the children received the medical care they desperately
needed. But most important of all, they were given the caring attention
that would begin to awaken their spirits. It was important that
they all stay together and within weeks a loving foster family was
found. Today, Rebecca has learned to feed herself and has begun
potty training. Jesse has learned to roll over and hold his head
up, and Sarah is learning to enjoy how to play. All of them were
given a foundation in which to grow, learn and love.
And the basic rights of every child that
were taken away . . . were given back.
You can make a difference in the lives of people
who are less fortunate than yourself:
When you look at everything that’s going wrong
in our community, it’s easy to feel helpless. Like there’s
nothing that one person can do that will amount to any good. But
there is. When you support an agency you can trust, an agency that
is already doing so much good in the community, it makes a true
difference. You make a difference.
Consider a donation
Look into our Donor Opportunities
Read more client stories
Have a question? Contact
us
(Note: Please understand that our client’s
stories are deeply personal. The names and photos have been
changed to protect their identity.)
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