Where It All Began... The Chernivsti Baby House

Seven and a half years ago, in a town in Ukraine, a little boy was born.  He was born 6 weeks early, weighing 4 pounds, 2 oz and just 17 1/2 inches long.  He was blessed with beautiful blue eyes and sandy blond hair... and cerebral palsy.  I don't know all the details, but in what had to be a heart wrenching decision, his mother decided to give her son up to institutional care, believing that the state run orphanages were better equipped to care for a child with special needs.

That little boy lived the first two months of his life in a cold hospital bed, surely wondering what had happened to his nice warm safe surroundings.  A stark contrast to how life should have been.  At two months of age, that little boy was taken to the Chernivsti Baby House, where he became it's newest little charge of over 100 children.  He was issued a crib, a stack of diapers and a string of caregivers in charge of feeding him, changing him and keeping him alive. While baby houses are never ideal, Seth's first six years were safe.  He was well fed and generally cared for.  I know he didn't make it out of his play pen very often, but his baby house is considered one of the better ones in Ukraine.  His director was a kind, no nonsense woman who knows each child by name and would never stand for abuse or massive neglect. And for that, I am thankful.  The neglect that Seth suffered was due to the nature of institutional care- numerous children with many needs, not enough caregivers, not enough funding, rotating care, not enough hours in the day to stimulate the brains of over 100 young children... and so children lay in cribs and learn to entertain themselves all day long with virtually nothing.  That is the heartbreaking reality of even the best baby houses in Eastern Europe.

This is a peak inside Seth's baby house, where he was cared for for 6 1/2 years.  This place has a special place in my heart, because they took care of my boy before I knew he was my boy.

The entrance to the Chernivsti Baby House (that's our awesome facilitator):

 

The playground (Seth was not allowed to go outside, but I am sure many children enjoyed it):

 

Ludmilla, the director who said she loved Seth and that he was smart and sweet:

 

 

The therapy room, one of the few places Seth was able to go:

 

 

Hot tub donated to the baby house by my friend Stefanie for water therapy.  Ludmilla said Seth loved water therapy.  And he still does.  :)  Can't you just see him in there?

 

 

A caregiver working with one of the children:

 

 

Massage therapy.  I'm not sure how often they receive it or how effective it is, but I appreciate that they are doing the best they can:

 

 

Speech therapy, which they do as often as time permits.  With 100 children, it surely isn't enough.

If you look over in the sidebar to the pic of Seth in his overalls, you'll notice the same curtains and same white door.  Different table, but this was two years later.  I don't know if this is the room that pic was taken in, but that's a little surreal to me. 

 

Before we left Ukraine with Seth, I knew I wanted to go meet Ludmilla.  I knew I wanted to tour the baby house. I knew I needed to see for myself where Seth had spent so many years.  To understand him, I needed to see where he had lived.  I found Ludmilla to be gracious and efficient.  When she asked me what I'd like to know and I stumbled to say "Nothing really.  I just wanted to thank you for taking care of Seth and I wanted you to know he has a family who loves him now", she looked at me as tears welled up in my overtired, stressed, worried eyes and kindly gave me tidbits about my boy, insight into the little boy he was before he was transferred.  Little did she know that the boy she was describing was nothing like the little boy who was waiting for me just outside the baby house doors, in a parked car, with his new daddy beside him.  Little did she know how badly transfer had effected him and how changed he was because of the whole experience.  Little did she know that her words would become my life line for several months while we tried to reclaim and bring back the little boy she had loved for six years. 

Now I have an opportunity to give back to Ludmilla and the Chernivsti Baby House.  And I am beyond thrilled to have this chance.  Ludmilla has agreed to allow Life 2 Orphans an opportunity to help give Christmas to the more than 100 young children in her care.  It's called "Operation Christmas Cheer", and for $100, the children in the Chernivsti Baby House will be given a Christmas.  Each child will receive a small present, food and a Christmas party.  That works out to roughly $1 per child.  And they will be thrilled! What a treat for the children living inside.  What a joy Christmas morning will be!

Could you help be a part of this?  It won't take much.  Ten people donating $10 each will get us to our goal.  Or five people each giving $20.  Life 2 Orphans is a non profit entity, so this is a tax deductible donation.  This is their website:

http://www.life2orphans.org/cms/node/83

Click on the link.  Right under the pic is a link that says "Donate on-line".  Click on that and it will direct you to their paypal account.  There are some very important parts to this.  Grab a pen and paper and pay attention to this part. 

1. After you enter your payment, you will get a page that says "Please review your payment".  On that page, there is a blue link that says "For special instructions to the seller".  Click that and a box will open.  Specify in there that it is for "Operation Christmas Cheer" and that you want it to go to the Chernivsti Baby House, and

2. Let me know.  This is important.  Leave me a comment (or a fb private message) telling me how much you were able to donate.  I have committed to raising at least $100 for the baby house.  Your comments are the only way I have of tracking donations and knowing where we are on our goal.  I moderate all comments, so if you'd rather it be anonymous, tell me and I won't make your comment public. 

I know Christmas is a tight month.  We're all providing for our children.  We're all busy.  We're all broke.  :)  But this, to me, is what Christmas is all about.  As a family, we can surely part with $10-$15 to make Christmas happen for children who have nothing.  I can pull that money from somewhere.  To help her. To help them.  I can do that.  Can you help? 

 

***  Update!!  Thank you so much to everyone who helped us reach our goal of $100.  We did it, and I knew we would.  It makes me so happy to know those sweet children will feel loved on Christmas morning.  If you'd still like to contribute, you are welcome to.  There is nothing that says we can only donate $100.  Only that we commit to raise at least that much.