Anything is possible - Baby "B"

Baby ‘B” was only the second baby for Hearts of Hope to receive in 2008.

‘We have a hospice case – given up at hospital for adoption, very small will you take him?’.   A ‘hospice case’ is a child with limited prospects of survival and in a dire state. Although we weren’t a ‘hospice’ home, hearing his circumstances, we couldn’t say no.

The tiniest little baby arrived, four days old and weighing 1.8 kilograms – he was smaller than the length of a forearm.  A wizened old face, so tiny and so weak. But he had an indescribable depth to his eyes that had endured over time.  An old soul of wisdom and fortitude.  

And so the fight began, there was no way we were going to let this precious child go. Within 2 weeks he became very sick and had to be fed with a syringe, 2.5ml at a time.   The medical staff diagnosed him as ‘failure to thrive’ – failure was not an option for us- or for him. We knew that as much as were prepared to fight, this little boy was fighting too. We approached a local Breast Milk Bank and asked for a donation of breast milk.  Being very expensive, they could only give us 3 days’ supply. Slowly with much prayer and love he began to turn the corner.  8 months later he developed chronic eczema – no treatments worked. His skin was so bad that it peeled off in layers leaving pure raw flesh underneath. Eventually we came across natural products and we smothered him in the cream and bandaged him like a mummy for 3 days, changing the dressings three times a day – so hot and so uncomfortable but although he cried, he looked deep into our eyes and fought. 

A vegan diet with no sugar for the next 18 months helped him fight his skin condition and grow stronger. Although he was diagnosed with many medical conditions, each one life threatening, he became our walking, talking miracle. Everyone was astounded that he had been through what he had, that he was so bright, intelligent, talkative, active …  

We never thought adoption would be possible for him. It is something we pray for each of the kids that come to us that they will have a forever family, if possible with their own family and if that isn’t an option, then adoption.

As ‘B’ got older, the likelihood of his adoption decreased. We purchased a new home for our ‘permanent’, ‘unadoptable’ kids, planning for him to be one of them. But God had other plans as at the same time a new family was being prepared for him.

Another phone call, another memory ….  “we have a possible family – send the updated reports and photos, as soon as you can

Many emails, reports and agonising waiting months later, finally, confirmation. The adoptive family sent a book of family photos – we use this to prepare the children and show them what their new family will be like. 

When ‘B’ met his new mom and dad for the first time, he eagerly said – come and see my book!

Always wise, his memorable words the day before he left he said to us – obviously not having missed the silent tears – “You do know I am never coming back ?!”  Such wonderful news, he had already bonded with his new family, he was ready. Never coming back physically, but in our hearts forever. A child that enabled us to believe anything is possible.