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December
15, 2004
Wednesday
Evening in Barlad, Romania
Two
more days to go. I am experiencing separation anxiety and my
voice cracks with emotion when I sing. Today one of the aides
told me that Marguerite, the woman who said "Ah, America" thought
I was crying because I missed home -- when I was really crying
about these beautiful babies.
Mihai
and Gloria: Mihai's parents are involved. He was just so tiny
that he needed care at the clinic. They visit him on Saturday.
Look at how he is worshipping me! You gotta love it!
The
big issue for me now is that I know all of these children. Being
a team of one and originally assigned to the "non-mobile" babies,
I felt so terrible that the other children weren't leaving their
cribs (except for the Toddler's and more advanced "mobiles"
who have a three hour teacher in the afternoon provided by Global
Volunteers), I have made a daily point of getting them all out
with me for at least 90 minutes. I am sure I am crazy.... and
my shoulder hurts from lifting and playing and hoisting into
jolly jumpers, etc. Three Aleve tonight! Their differences and
personalities have emerged so quickly and I know they recognize
me. I will be sick leaving them. There are two volunteers coming
for two weeks over Christmas and then none until March.... then
there are hundreds through the fall. It seems people think Romania
is cold in the winter -- or they just would prefer different
seasons. The weather here has been relatively mild... but I
am sure it's a variable as December in Western Mass. No snow
yet... but a dusting this a.m.
So...
let me update you and answer some questions...
The
children are at the clinic until three years old and then are
either placed in pretty permanent foster homes.... If Dr. Delia
doesn't think they are "ready" or if she doesn't see an acceptable
situation, she cajoles the physicians at the Barlad Hospital
to come up with appropriate diagnoses to keep them til she thinks
it is right. She is an amazing woman and single-handedly has
worked with Global Volunteers to make this work. She invited
them and works collaboratively. She is working on getting funding
for kitchen renovation which is badly needed. $30,000 to do
two rooms. I'll send photos of the little stove on which they
cook for 38 kids three times a day "from scratch". Foster care
is supervised by the Dept. of Child Protection and the money
stops if the kids get adopted -- just like the USA. So the kids
don't get adopted.
The
parents aren't here at all -- or "every year or so". Georgiana
and Daniel, twins, went home for two months and came back malnourished
and "covered with lice" (attractive, no?). Basically as I see
it, the parents are incompetent, crazy, poverty stricken, or
all of the above. To my knowledge, none go back to their parents.
They are effectively abandoned, although not orphaned. Saturday
when I went in there was a new Toddler who had been left by
his parents the night before. On sunday his Uncle and Aunt came
and got him... so people do step up to the bar.
We
had another cleaning rage today. I couldn't figure out while.
Michaela, the head nurse, told me she "wasn't happy" with the
job they did Saturday. To be honest, I think they clean far
to much and too often and don't spend enough time with the babies.
But apparently they are subject to inspections by the "authorities"
and if things aren't perfect, everything is at risk. The philosophy
of Global Volunteers is to aid the local people but be sure
they are in control. There are many "old wives' tales" like
"children should not be allowed outside in winter". I tried
to take three of the kids out yesterday and you would think
I asked to take them swimming in the Arctic.
Today
Bianca (my "terrorist", aggressive and beautiful little girl)
walked. And I brought in fruit yogurt and bananas so we have
"milkshake" snacks. Little Marian and Vioral ate it up. I swear
I see them grow by the day. It's amazing. Gellina, one of the
aides, changed Vioral and brought him in wrapped in a diaper
babushka. It was hysterical. He was a skeleton with mal-absorption
and rickets when they brought him in. Global Volunteers got
special medicine from America and he looks great today. They
called him "Michael Jackson" because of how weird he looked
at the beginning.
The
diaper rash was so severe on Maia and Maestra that it was bleeding....
so the nurse got a prescription for a specially compounded prescription
and I bought two prescriptions worth with money from one of
you. I have also bought a new mixer/food processor with the
power to prepare the volume of food they need: 5 meals a day
for 38 kids with a blender you or I would use to mix a whisky
sour. I also bought every bottle of baby shampoo in town. Each
store only has one... and it's too heavy to ship. We've bought
diaper ointment, a big stainless steel bowl to wash dishes (they
were using a pot), gentian violet to dry out rashes around the
necks from food that gathers...
I
spent tonight looking for a baby scale, but there's not one
in town. The one they have is held together with duct tape.
I also need to get walkers sent from the USA. The ones that
are for sale here are so cheap in quality that they collapse
the first time they are used... Some of you are sending Boppies
to hold the babies (a weird but effective pillow), Enfamil,
Desitin ointment and the badly needed plastic pants. They are
simply not available in Romania and you absolutely have to have
them when you use cloth diapers. Believe it or not, I found
a U.S. website www.clothdiapers.com and will order them. Many
of you have offered money and the offer is accepted. I will
do the shopping at home and let you know what is sent.. They
need Oatmeal which is not available at all here and bottles
and stuff. Sandy Long has a friends whose neighborhood is going
to send clothing and kid stuff because it's no longer used.
Thank you Leigh Geiger for organizing it. I am telling you all
this NOT to ask for more but to express overwhelming gratitude
from the staff here. The head nurse asked Ramona if there would
be volunteers next year. When Ramona said "yes, many", Michaela
had tears in her eyes and said "thank God. Without you all and
what you do and provide, we would be dead". She is right. Check
out www.globalvolunteers.org.
You'll see the great work -- all founded by one man 20 years
ago and now operating on six continents. I expect not much is
needed in Antarctica!
I
am getting to know the town. Yes, in answer to other questions,
I feel safe. I don't stray far since there's nothing beyond
a few square blocks. But I am comfortable and not at all lonely,
surprisingly. Tomorrow night I go back to Ramona's parents for
a farewell dinner of stuffed cabbage and other regional specialties.
I will definitely bring a flashlight. Friday is my last day
and there is a staff "party".
Usually
the volunteers would leave on Sat. on the van that picks up
the next group, but I will take the train to Bucharest on Friday
night and do some touring. Ramona has organized a car and driver,
so I will go into the People's Hall and the Village Museum which
sounds like Romania's version of Williamsburg. I then fly out
Sunday through Munich to Philadelphia and to Hartford.
I
won't write again...but I want to thank you all for your emails
and great notes of support and friendship. I am going back to
volunteer again on April 9th. Maybe some of you would like to
join me. Trust me.... it will change you forever.
Love
to you all. Glo
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