Monday, July 11, 2011

Silent

He sits in silence. All day, every day.
For at least 10-12 hours, every day: Silence.


One lonely boy in a wheelchair, hidden on a seldom-traveled path between the buildings of an institution for unwanted boys with special needs.


Legless and alone. Wheelchair-bound. Separated from all of the other boys, for some unknown reason.


With no books, computers or toys to divert his attention. No one to visit him or keep him company. No job to occupy his hands or his mind.


With no parents, no friends and no one in all of the wide world to care about him, he simply sits, all day, every day: Silent. Alone.




He is just one of the many Lost Boys who sit all day, every day at Aaron's old institution. Like all of the Lost Boys, he never experiences anything that remotely resembles a childhood.

He is one of many reasons why our hearts broke last year when we were over there retrieving Aaron: this poor legless boy in the wheelchair.

Every time we saw him, we smiled at him and waved.
Sometimes he would wave back, but only sometimes. Most of the time, he would just look away.

We were not there for him. We were not there to help him or take him out of there.

This picture from the Hartmans gave us sad confirmation that he is sitting there still. It grieves us to think of him still sitting there, nearly a year later, with no company and nothing to do.
Day after lonely day.  Year after lonely year.

He is one of the many reasons why we cannot turn our backs on the Lost Boys.

One of many.

.....to be continued.

10 comments:

  1. I will never understand how people can think a child, any child, is worth less than they are. It breaks my heart to see this young man being treated like garbage. Some might argue that he has sunlight and he likes it outside, but EVERYONE needs human contact, someone to talk to, or just hear their voice. He will be in my thoughts and prayers.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh, my heart breaks for him! This is NO life at all for anyone!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. could that possibly be any more sadder or cruel! my heart remians broken for these uncared for souls x

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am not prepared, again, to meet the eyes of the little babes we will see tomorrow who for 99 percent of them - they are just a year or two from a similar fate at some lifeless institution, dank, cold, and loveless. They have so much life in them now, and this is what awaits them. It is almost too hard to look at them, and your head wants to turn away so they don't see your face or your eyes saying sorry, I can't take you, and you, and you, and you, and you - with me. Lord help me tomorrow, and show me the way to keep helping them. The Clarks and I offer up 3 suitcases filled with new clothes, socks, underwear, PJ's - and we will return with more the last trip. For tomorrow, that is all that I can do. I pray for them and they are all, never far from my mind. This child too, is now in my prayers, oh how it stings my heart and breaks it. I am however, so glad that he opened my eyes, I am forever changed by this boy, by our boy, and the millions like him.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Somedays I just can't stand the heart ache. The ones left behind, the ones still waiting....I always think my heart will ache less when I hold my child after months of waiting, but while I rejoice and overflow with joy, my heart still hurts as so many more still wait their turn. We cannot forget them or stop advocating...please wake up, church! Please go rescue the least of these. The hidden, cast off, ignored that are actually priceless treasures waiting to be discovered.

    ReplyDelete
  6. oh my breaking heart. We really do need to do more for these poor children. I am sure when we travel to get our girl my heart will break even more. Thank you for helping me see the need.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Today after reading your post I watched my little boys playing outside with their dad..I watched all this thru the glass of my front door Just then Dash came and pressed his face to the glass and waved...And for a moment I had a glimpse of what it might be like to see a face staring at you, wanting to be let inside, like so many of those children waiting in their orphanages tonight... and my heart broke again for them...just like it does everyday...

    ReplyDelete

Loving words from kind people make our hearts glad!