Roma's Story  

I met Roma for the first time at the orphanage in the village of Ilinka. He was a little boy - I thought - of about three years old and when I was told that he was seven I was very much surprised. He spoke very poorly for a seven-year-old, was small and often cried. I think he cried from pain. On his ear was a large bandage. At my question, the caregiver answered that Roma’s wound had not been treated at home and now was not healing with treatment because the illness had already gone into the bone next to the ear.

I visited these children often, the orphanage being close to my house. And I

brought them shoes and clothes, also fruit and treats for their birthdays. On Saturdays Vicky (my daughter) and I taught the children to sing and draw, read them Bible stories and taught them English.

Later we put on a show which included songs in English. This very much surprised all present. Frequently, children from orphanages are considered not very clever and not talented. But they are CHILDREN like all the others who have a mom and dad! Love, care, attention, human warmth and hope are very necessary to these children.

Returning to Roma’s story: Each time we came, Roma was there with the same bandage on him. I decided to ask a good doctor whom I know to examine and treat Roma in the hospital. After several weeks of treatment, the skin began to heal and the bandage was removed. At the hospital Randy - my husband - got acquainted with him. He and Roma became good friends. We went for a walk with him and Randy bought him a package of candy. Roma liked them very much! After treatment, Roma again returned to the orphanage.

On another trip to visit the children I did not see Roma, and the caregiver happily informed me that his grandmother had taken him home. We all were glad at such a happy event. Such does not often happen in the orphanages.

Some time passed, and we arrived at the orphanage in the village of Mir, whose children we also help as well as at Ilinka. Suddenly Roma came running out towards me, already a teenager. The grandmother had returned him to the orphanage because she did not have the money to care for him. I was very sad to see to Roma again an orphan.

Last autumn (2006) Vicky informed me that Roma’s mom and stepfather had again taken him to live with the family. This message did not now please me, but only left me wary. And the caregivers also said that they thought it would be a short stay. Roma would be back. His mom is an alcoholic, as is his stepfather. And it did happen soon, much to our regret.

In the winter I was talking with Vicky by phone, and she informed me that she had seen Roma taking food from a garbage can. He was dirty and poorly dressed, and when she called to him he rapidly escaped.

In June of this year we again arrived in Khabarovsk, bringing gifts and footwear to the children in Mirnoe. And suddenly Roma ran out towards us, joyfully hugged and kissed Randy and exclaimed, "I know you, I know and I remember!!! And do you remember me? "...

Tears appeared in my eyes. Certainly I remember Roma, as if it were possible to forget. Certainly I remember and I love you. Now Roma is 14 years old. And there is pain in his sad eyes.

We love these children very much. They need our love. They always put their heads under our hands when we come, for us to pat their heads, and we speak to them with kind and warm words of love and support. To us, they are simply children who need us. They require us; we are necessary to them. And we also love them for it.