hopeless.
rejected.
forgotten.
defective.
worthless.
These are the words used to describe so many orphans in Bulgaria. In too many places actually. Words that speak of complete disregard for the very life God created. Unfortunately those have been the words that have driven a mentality of some people for decades. People could not see that these precious children just needed someone to see the very worth within each of them. Some children need very intense medical intervention while some merely needed the love of another human. Medical intervention/care costs thousands of dollars and there is no denying that kind of money is very difficult for many families to come up with. But what costs little, well in fact nothing, is love and human touch.
Doctors now believe that human touch can do some things medicine simply cannot. The power of the love that can come from a human touch cannot be copied, made into a synthetic, or even reproduced by a robotic figure. It simply is a gift God gives to us all. What we choose to do with that gift is called free will. God does not make us love another human or reach out to help another. He instructs us to do so but He also gave us free will.
When our son Mason was in the NICU and weighing a mere 1 pound 7 oz and suffering from a rare and most dangerous disease the doctors told us to touch Mason, talk to Mason, love on Mason. We thought how could we with him being in an isolette? I asked the doctor "will my touch even make a difference since I am not his birth mom?" The doctors assured me that love knows no blood type or person of birth. He said our love will make the difference and with that love our touch would reach Mason. Soon our sweet boy began gaining weight, becoming more responsive, and was even having meds and tubes reduced. The doctors told us it was because we shared our love and touch with Mason. Despite the fact that Mason would soon go on to spend his eternity with Jesus, we were assured most adamantly that it was the love and our touch that gave Mason those extra weeks of life filled with something man has yet to manufacture: L-O-V-E!!
There steps into the orphanages of Bulgaria a woman who would soon change the course of many children's lives. A woman who knew that these children were not useless, worthless, rejectable. She knew that these angels simply needed the love of another human. At no time did this woman think that love would conquer all of the damage done by years of abuse and neglect but she knew it could and would make a difference in the hearts of the children. Oh there was much to overcome. A mind set of people who did not think that these children needed nor would even know what love was, finances to bring a dream to life. That would not deter her. Soon, Siobhain and a couple other wonderful and driven ladies would launch a program through an organization known as TBACT - The Bulgarian Abandoned Childrens Trust, that would bring the love and touch of another human into the dreary and dark halls of children's orphanages in Bulgaria.
Pleven,Bulgaria is one such orphanage that has seen a baba program make a difference. Literally a difference between life and death for some children and even a difference for some children who would go on to Heaven. The difference would be in the spirit of the child. Some children could not overcome their physical ailments but that was not the purpose of the granny program. The purpose of the granny program was to give some love to children for however long they could. For a few children that love went with them on their journey to Heaven and for others it still is with the child several years later.
Pleven has been in the news and on many people's blog for about a year now. The treatment of the children by the staff and director was something we could not accept. But what we did not see was the women who would become known to us as Babas Bulgarian word for grandma, giving love each day to their "child". Many babas admit to being a bit nervous about handling their "child" because of the frail nature of that child but with time that fear would be replaced with a love a pride comparable to that of a child's grandma. The baba program was not created to come in and point fingers at those who were doing wrong by the children. It was not designed to come in and replace the staff who worked there. It was not even intended as a replacement for medical intervention. It was simply designed to give love to children for however long it could.
Oh so many children benefited from the program and even more are still receiving the priceless gift of love from a baba. One little boy was very sick when Siobhain first saw him. He was quite a bit older and not in good health. " Would a baba even benefit this boy?" she wondered. The eyes of this little boy told Siobhain she needed to try. This little boy would be the oldest child at that time to receive a baba. Fast forward about 4 years and now that once sickly boy is a happy and loving boy. He did not receive extra nutrition from the orphanage nor did he get better medical care. The only difference in that time has been that he has had a baba who has loved him like her own. She comes every day to see him and play with him and teach him nursery rhymes etc.. He has learned what love is. That human touch does not have to be hurtful. This little boy has learned he is special to someone. Another little child received a baba at what was thought to be her final days. This sweet angel was so severely neglected that not only was her health almost on the brink of death but her emotional needs had been so deprived she could not even stand the simple touch of another human. She needed a baba even if it was only so that she would not die alone and unloved. But this little girl did not die. Her new mommy and daddy believe that it was the love of this baba that literally saved their little girl's life!! The babas make a difference every day.
The baba program employs an older lady from the community who must be interviewed first. This lady will be assigned a child or even two to love and care for. Each baba is paid a bit of a salary as well as receive insurance and even a bus pass to get to the orphanage. The baba program also provides an extra diaper each day for the child as well as a bit of extra nutrition. All of these things cost money. Siobhain and her friends have worked tirelessly to raise the funds needed to maintain the much needed baba program at Pleven. They need our help. They need us to help them help the children. They want to work with those who are truly interested in providing love and comfort to these orphans. So many children have already been blessed with a baba but there are more children then there are babas that Siobhain is able to employ. This can change if we all work TOGETHER!!!! Different groups can team up to sponsor a baba or even individuals can make a donation to help this program keep the love alive for the children. Please take a few minutes to watch this video and see just what one baba did in the life of a sweet little girl who was considered to be worthless. Watch it and think about how you can help change the life of a child!! Please consider making a donation to TBACT , a registered charity, to keep the baba program going strong and even to help it become stronger. You can make a donation, commit to sponsor a baba monthly, purchase a beautiful handbag of which 100% of the net proceeds goes to the baba program, or even sign up to have a bit of what you spend as you shop online go back towards the program. It does make a difference to each child!!
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