Most of the Children of the Americas board members have hosted medically fragile Guatemalan children in our
homes as foster children. When one of our own is preparing to return one of our foster children back to their Central
American parents we understand what they are going through. The sleepless nights with a sick baby who isn't yours
biologically pales in comparison to returning that same baby, who now feels like your own, to his or her parents.
Compounding the list of worries are the conditions our foster children return to: seldom do they have running water,
concrete floors or electricity, and almost always they live far from competent medical care should they have a recurrence of their physical issues.
All of the above is reason enough for many people decline the opportunity to open heart and hearth to a sick child.
Nurturing a sick foster child creates invisible heart strings that stay forever attached. Being willing to travel on
this emotional journey is not for the weak. Below is the story of the return of Ceele, our most recent returnee in our
foster program, and two very emotionally brave foster parents.
"I am not sure how many of you know but Warren and I will be returning
Celee to her family in Guatemala on Friday. This will not be an easy
transition for anyone concerned. She has been told that she is going
back to her mother and we talk about it and show her photos all the time
but I am not sure she really grasps the concept that she will be
leaving Bebe and Papa B. She knows there is something going on that is
different and she has been clingy and a bit bratty the last couple days.
Who can blame her though. She has become very comfortable here and she
has been a joy to take care of. She cannot say PAPA B so she has
shortened it to POP which she screeches every time he comes home so you
can imagine how tightly wound around her little finger he is. POP is
going to miss her a lot as am I. She has really become quite the
personality in her 7 months with us and her devilish smile will be
greatly missed. She appears to have the best outcome surgically of the 3
girls we have had with this problem. She seems to have more of the
normal nerves and muscles that these kids are usually missing which
should bode well for toilet training and less leakage in the future.
Keep us in your thoughts. We meet with the parents on Sunday and go to
her village on Monday."
Bev (foster mom)
A few days later, Bev wrote this:
" This was the easiest transition we have ever experienced... Amazing as
that sounds. Celee was very nervous on Friday and got upset when either
one of us was out of sight. Saturday was spent with Cristy and Dr. Marco
The Reunion
and she was much more relaxed. Sunday we went to a resort near her
village and after several hours her parents arrived by a micro bus. They
had been warned that she might not remember them so they were in tears
when we entered the restaurant at the resort. I immediately went to give
the mom a hug. Celee was walking with Warren and her mother held out
her arms and Celee slowly went to her. She sat in her lap for ten
minutes just staring at me as if to say "I know I belong here but I am
going to miss you". After ten minutes she was giving her mom a run for
her money playing and laughing. It was so encouraging to watch. The
trip to her village was over the worst roads I have ever been on. She
will be very isolated but Dr. Marco is not too far away and the parents
know they can call him with any questions. There are more stories...
more than my typing skills will allow. I do have many photos tho. I
could not have asked for a better transition although we will miss her a
lot. She is no longer in Cherry Hill but she is in a home filled with
love. Bev."
( Below written by Warren Brandwine, Ceele's foster father and COTA board member. )
"Well, things went amazingly better than expected. We stayed in a little hotel
not too far from the road to where the parents live. They came to the hotel
Sunday afternoon and, as instructed, just sat and let Ceele wander around and
get used to things. She recognized her parents and sat on her mom's lap for a
while and things progressed nicely from there. By dinner time she and the
parents were running around having a great time. We asked Ceele where she wanted
to sleep and she elected to stay with her parents. Late that night there was a
crying baby knocking on our door but it was a better start than we anticipated.
Monday afternoon we drove to the parents house. Two inches on the map; two and a
half hours of driving. Good road to bad roads to horrible roads to no road to a
path. When we got out of the cars there were at least 60 people crowded around
us, all in native garb, incredibly excited. They all knew the story of Ceele and
she was the first person from the village to go abroad. Some people had told the
parents that we would sell her organs and they would never see her again.
Music playing, they all crowded around and walked us to the house. We spent
about two hours there and these people stayed there every minute. They watched
while we ate, while we talked. When I took the baby out for a walk, the crowd
parted like the sea. When we sat down, they all gathered around and stared."
"It was very hot and humid. We were all sweating. We said our good-by's, they all
stood on rocks and hills and trees and waved. Ceele stayed inside with the
mother. I do not know what happened after that.
The mom cannot read or write and speaks only K'iche. I think she is quite smart
and will be very careful and thorough in her care of the baby. Unfortunately,
medical help is several hours away. They have one electric light and one outlet.
A small refrigerator would blow the fuse. The older sister, Catarina, is 15
years old, smart, pretty and very devoted to Ceele.
I think things will be OK."
Warren
