Live Like Someone Left the Gate Open

You know how it is……………..it’s almost time to turn in for the night and you think “I’ll just check Facebook and see what’s happening before I go to bed”.  Well, that’s exactly what I did tonight and saw this on a friend’s timeline (thanks Kath!)

 

and it got me to thinking that that is exactly what some of the children in our care do on a daily basis; the likes of Rafi, Darius, Maria to mention but three of our lovely children.  All three children have a myriad of illnesses and all three are happy smiling children.  Rafi, as anyone who knows him will know, chases around like he is on fire yet he is, in fact, a poorly little boy. But he does indeed ‘Live like someone left the gate open’.  Darius, now confined to a wheelchair because of his illness, smiles constantly, is interested in all that goes on around him, can speak a few words of English (he is only 4!) and in fact when I last saw him, I wanted to take a photo of him and he cheekily smiled at me and said ‘Cheese’! ..................his sense of humour certainly hasn’t left him even though the use of his legs has, indeed, left him.  Maria, who came to us as a very poorly little baby and is now becoming a very confident little lady who attends school along with Rafi and older “brother” Florin. 

These children are a lesson on how to ‘live like someone left the gate open’.

We all have times in our lives when things don’t happen just how we want them to happen or we don’t feel as well as we would like to feel and then we begin to feel sorry for ourselves.  It is at these times that we should learn from the children and pick ourselves up and truly learn to ‘live like someone left the gate open’.  Life is, sadly, too short to do otherwise.

You could start to change your life by sponsoring one of our children and keep up to date with how they are doing.  Contact me at janerussell@childrenindistress.org.uk if you are interested in learning more about our children……………………..trust me, you will be making a huge step, not only in your own life but in the children’s as well.  Once you ‘meet’ the children your life will take on a whole new meaning; that I can assure you from my own experience.

Jane x

 

 

Love in a Box

What does a shoebox mean to you? Literally a box to keep your shoes in?  A box that comes with your new pair of shoes and then you discard it?

To an impoverished Romanian child receiving a shoebox at Christmas can mean everything! 

Each year, Children in Distress run their ‘Shoebox Appeal’ or, as it is commonly known, ‘Love in a Box Appeal’.  The charity asks its supporters to wrap a shoebox in bright, colourful Christmas paper and fill it with a variety of items which can include small gifts, sweets (but not milk chocolate), soap/flannel, toothbrush/paste, brush/comb, toiletries, gloves/scarf/hat, socks/tights, hair slides, small toys, small teddy bear, notebook, pens/pencils, felt pens, colouring book/crayons, puzzle/ball/yoyo/toy cars, balloons and a Christmas card.  We also ask that £2 accompanies each box to help transport the boxes to Romania.

If, like me, you are fortunate to have children and grandchildren, you are no doubt aghast at the amount of presents bestowed on children at Christmastime.  To a child in the Balkans, the gaily wrapped shoebox with its contents is more than likely the only present that child will receive for Christmas.  It is not that the parents don’t want to give their children lovely presents, it is, quite simply, that they cannot afford to do so and put food on the table so the food (quite naturally!) wins every time.  Last year some 7,000 Christmas shoeboxes were taken to Romania by Children in Distress and personally handed out by our very own Mos Craicun (Father Christmas) in churches, community centres, hospitals and schools.

Our ‘Love in a Box Appeal’ is now in full swing and, with your help, we look forward to sharing our Christmas joy with babies, children and OAPs once more in December.  If you would like to make up a Christmas shoebox for our appeal, please contact me either by email or phone to join in the fun – email janerussell@childrenindistress.org.uk or phone 01751 432089 / 07775 695611 for more details. J

 

The above photos show recipients of last year's appeal and also the lorry being loaded with the boxes

Jane x

One Child at a Time

Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of daily life we need to be reminded of why we do what we do so I thought I would introduce you to our work “One child at a time" to remind you of why we continue in our quest to care for “Europe’s Forgotten Children”.

Everyone who visits St Margaret’s in Bucharest cannot help but to leave with one little boy having left a huge impression on them; Rafi!  Rafael, age 4 is a human whirlwind, he bombs about the courtyard in St Margaret’s on his tricycle, is inquisitive about everything and everyone and is always hungry!  For me, I know I have arrived in Romania when I open the gates to St Margaret’s and Rafi charges down the courtyard shouting “Mama” and launches himself at me. J

Rafi was born with a cleft palate (now repaired) and also suffers with Sticklers Syndrome and one of the indicators has been recurrent problems with both eyes. Whilst at St Margaret’s he has had operations to deal with the pressure building up as result of glaucoma, the removal of a fast growing cataract and operations to repair a detached retina in his left eye. Recently he was diagnosed with Hepatitis C (hepatitis means “inflammation of the liver”); just another “bump” in Rafi’s road. 

Despite all his problems, Rafi is a very happy and loving little boy.  He recently visited the Park with his friends from St Margaret’s and encountered a duck for the first time – you will see from the photo that he was a little unsure of it.  He also loves to help Tante Voica, our much loved cook at St Margaret’s, to sort the fruit to go in the juicer; his favourite is oranges.

On a recent supporters’ tour visit to St Margaret’s, Rafi had to be held at bay by Laurentiu, one of our drivers, lest he cleared the table of food prepared for the visitors!

In this post I have introduced you to only one of the children in our care; in future posts I will introduce to you to more; Rafi is only one of twenty children living in the care of Children in Distress at St Margaret’s, Bucharest.  They live a happy and safe life thanks to our wonderful supporters and love and care of our dedicated staff.  If you would like to sponsor one of our children or make a regular monthly donation to our work, please contact me at janerussell@childrenindistress.org.uk to discuss.

Jane x

Rafi "helping" sort fruit for the juicer

Rafi being "held at bay" during a recent supporters' tour by Laurentiu

Riding his tricycle before going to school recently

Meeting a duck at the local park for the first time!