Update 2012, Esther is doing better but missing her brother. We have made arrangements for them to be in the same home as soon as she is strong enough.
Arrived October, 2011, Easter came with a heartbreaking past, but can now look forward to a bright future! Esther is 2 years old, but because of malnutrition and untreated TB and HIV, she was the size of an 8 or 9 month old baby. Whe she arrived she had a beautiful smile but was too weak to stand or even crawl. She could sit up, feed herself, drink from a cup, and didn’t miss a thing going on around her! She was quiet, but you could tell that she was bursting with personality!
Esther’s mom died in November 2010. She was in the hospital for some time being cared for by her 8 year old son. He was also taking care of his baby sister Esther. (Here, when you’re in the hospital, you also have to have a “caretaker” staying with you. Her dedicated son took on that role. Amazing!) When she died, he walked all the way back to their village (approximately 20 miles), carrying his sister on his back, to tell his grandma that her daughter had died. He started his new life of caring for himself and his sister. What a hero! If it wasn’t for him, Esther never would have survived.
One year later, their condition became so desperate that a concerned villager reported their situation to the children’s department. The children’s officer was shocked when he went to the village to investigate. He knew he needed to rescue the children, now ages 9 and 2, immediately! He drove them to Kitale and called us to go and pick up Esther. Her big brother was taken to a rescue center, temporarily while the children’s office looks for a home to take him in permanently. Phillip has been placed in a home where we can easily arrange for him and Esther to regularly see each other and to grow up knowing and loving each other!
You may be thinking we should just take the boy in and don’t think for a minute that thought wasn’t spinning around and around in our heads, but we just can’t! There is a reason for our policy of only taking in babies. We can’t risk the masses to save the one. I know it sounds cold, but it is the reality of our world! (If anyone feels they need a more detailed explanation of our policy of only taking in babies, please feel free to inbox me.)
Footnote:
Esther’s brother Philip, is the hero of this story! He hasn’t been to school because he was taking care of his sick mother and then Esther! What a special kid!
October 26, 2011, Esther is a special kid too! She’s a fighter! We took her to the HIV/AIDS clinic. She will start antiretroviral medications in a few weeks. First, she needs to get her strength up, take some antibiotics, eat a balanced diet, etc. She will also start TB meds, which are hard on the body but necessary for survival of the disease. She has a long road ahead of her, but she’ll be ok!
Sponsored in honor of Terry & Sandy Kiser
