March 28, 2011
They came from Poland, Russia, the hills of Mexico, the Ukraine, war-town El Salvador, China, the sunny beaches of Jamaica (British West Indies,) Guinea,
I'm blogging about this now because when I was with these children (for 6-7 weeks each...from arrival to departure,) it didn't occur to me to journal about it and of course, because it was the early '90s, I couldn't blog or discuss it on Facebook either...they weren't available! How our world has changed!! I'm writing now because I've been in touch with 4 of these children and their Moms, on and off, through all these years. Now in their mid-20's, they're living productive, happy, healthy lives. Until recently, we've exchanged letters and it took FOREVER to connect.
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| This is Dasha. She traveled about 5000 miles, her Mom in tow, from the Ukraine, to undergo a sort of rebirth...to receive that Gift of Life that would not only extend but greatly improve her life. The photo above was taken just after Dasha's surgery. She was 7 1/2 at the time. |
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| This is Dasha one year after her surgery and she's thriving!! |
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| Today Dasha is a happily married woman and mother of 2. She was my first GOL child and she and her Mom have a very special place in my heart. |
Although many boys and girls came in the hopes of being healed, my heart went mostly to the 3 of the girls AND ONE BOY...this is Jenia.
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This is not a proper introduction, but here's Evgeniy (Jenia) just hours after his life-giving surgery. He and his Mom always had so much fun together...they laughed alot and were clearly good friends. I'm surprised that he's not a stand-up comedian today!  Sveta and her Mom came to us all the way from Siberia. They probably had the roughest trip of all and the longest distance to travel...some of it standing up !!!  Notice how purple Sveta's lips appear...one of the symptoms of her heart ailment. They became perfectly pink almost immediately following her surgery...as it was with the others.   Sveta and her Mom weren't the only Gift of Life friends with whom I reconnected in their homeland. When my husband and I traveled to China, we met Ying Ying and her entire family. We, too, spent the day and evening together in Xi'an where we not only enjoyed one another but also enjoyed seeing some of the sights...the famous TERRA COTTA WARRIORS from the Qi Dynasty (221B.C.) as well as dinner and a cultural variety show.    Rotary International continues to sponsor the global Gift of Life program. As of 2008 (from 1974 when the program started,) many more than 10,000 children from our global family have a chance to fulfill any and all of their hopes and dreams. The GIFT OF LIFE is about family, community, commitment- it's also about friendship, love and thanksgiving...one family reaching out, caring for and sharing with members of our global family...working to save the lives of children who could be ours and return them to lives that should be theirs. These courageous families fought hard for that gift of the rest of their lives and thanks to Rotary International and local Rotaries who sponsored these children, moments were shared that no one forget...EVER! The rest of the story is being written every day by the Gift of Life children themselves... With a grateful heart, xox, abbyj |
