Blogging about life in Minnesota, raising our six kids with Down syndrome while battling Breast Cancer.

Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor in the morning the devil says, "Oh shit! She's up!"

Thursday, January 06, 2011

I need 300 people

Since April 8th, 2010, I have had this thought in my head. I've never written about it here, or anywhere else. It was weeks before I was even able to tell Dean about my experience.

It was the day I was in the dying room in an orphanage in Eastern Europe.

It is a fact of life that everyone dies. It is also a sad reality that many of the hospitals in parts of Eastern Europe will not take those children who are "the least of these"; those with Down syndrome, or severe hydrocephalus, or conditions and syndromes that will cut their lives very, very short.  When those children reside in orphanages and institutions (and most of them do in Eastern European countries), and are really in need of hospice care, there is nobody to sit and hold them each day as their body slowly gives up the fight, and the child looses his will to live. When that child lets go to rest in the arms of The Father, they do so alone.

ALONE.

That thought has haunted me ever since.

I saw these children. I cried for them. How I wanted to pick them up out of their crib...hold them...rock them...to pray for them...sing to them the lullabies every child should have a chance to hear as they say goodbye to life here and say hello to Him. To let them know where they're going is better. It's OH so much better there.

I am not writing this to be condescending to anyone. I know that those in charge are doing the best they can with what they have. Every facility is extremely short staffed, and they have to take care of those children who are "living". Until there is drastic cultural change in parts of Europe, I accept that this is just the reality there. It is all I can do...accept it.

So why 300 people?

Although I have to accept that at the moment this is the reality in some countries, I don't have to sit back and do nothing!

Do you know how many children are sitting in dying rooms across Eastern Europe? In my dream, I would send two teams of three people every week for 52 weeks of the year. That way there could be 2-3 people in two facilities at a time. Those facilities would always have someone to be in that room. Every day, for an entire year. During that year no child in those facilities would have to be alone in their dying. They could die with dignity and love.

Who could do this? Who is physically, emotionally, mentally AND SPIRITUALLY strong enough to do this for a week?

14 comments:

Melissa said...

The laying rooms hurt my heart. The dying rooms break it. It would be so, so hard to travel and hold these kids. It would be hard to see the things you would see. But I can only imagine how the experience would change everything. It would be so hard, and so worth it.

Jo's Corner said...

If the chance came, for me to go...I would be there!!

Stephanie @ Ralphcrew said...

I know. I can't sit back and do nothing. I've got a hundred ideas floating around in my head that need to be fleshed out. This is a good idea and if you can pull it off you can count me IN.

Linnea said...

I know I am not physically, emotionally or mentally prepared for this how could one be? I would be willing to go if I prayed and God opened the doors. No child deserves to die alone. After watching those videos or actually while watching them I imagined I was there and could sing sweetly praise songs to those babies and let them know that God was there with them though at that point I am sure they know that.

It would be an honor to sacrifice my time and my emotions and my heart to do this.

Once our eyes are opened we cant pretend we dont see. And when I ask for God to break my heart for what breaks His, well...this certainly does.

Be blessed

Ashlee

Molly said...

If I can go, I want to. We were talking about what we'd do if we won the lottery and I said "I'd go to eastern europe and snuggle the children with no families"

Email me? nobabynoblog at gmail dot com

Rachel said...

I'm in.

Ilze Lachkaya said...

I don't know if I am physically, emotionally, mentally AND SPIRITUALLY strong enough, but with God's help - I can do anything. If I had a chance I would like to go.

Kaity Hall said...

If the opportunity arose and the funds were available I would drop everything to give a week to serving these special, dear children.

Ali said...

I would be interested in going. Do you have any information yet? You can email me at a1ison_m @ yahoo .com.

Tiffany said...

Tell me more information. I would like to be involved. Financially or physically...I'm in, somehow.

Morgen said...

I'm in too. I know i'm not ready but I'm in. Tell me more.

junglemama said...

Count me in-- seriously. I would go with a few of my daughters-- and it would be especially awesome to go with you. Let me know.

Unknown said...

I have been on a hunt for something like this for months. View my blogs and you may understand why. www.lovinglaynee.blogspot.com
www.theholmeshome8@blogspot.com
Please email me at
jgjbmj6@gmail.com My 18 year old daughter and I greatly desire to be used in some capacity with orphaned children, especially those with DS.

Vickymumof2 said...

Im in !! and I have 6 people also ;-) (at least)