We visited Orhei today. Those of you who have been there know… This is an orphanage for severely handicapped boys.  The handicaps are as unique as each child and almost every child was severely physically and/or mentally impaired. Severely. The group we spent the most time with were young men actually. It was shocking to see so much physical and mental brokenness in one place. But the boys were so happy, for which I was thankful. And they were beautiful. And kind. Sweet Sleep gave beds to this orphanage four or five years ago. One of you who was on that team can tell us when; it was before my time there. The beds were fantastic. They were neat and pristine clean and well cared for. The boys told us about how well they slept and about how they dreamed in the beds.

Martin, a celebrity among Sweet Sleepers, has crippled legs. He explained how this bed is easy for him to get into and out of and that his body feels good in the morning when he wakes. Eventually we came upon a few of the younger children. There was a boy with Down’s syndrome and several others with deformities and mental handicaps that were profound. These kids were my kids’ ages. I am personally very aware of how much children can benefit from early intervention. I think what broke me was knowing how spread thin the orphanage workers are in caring for these children and that they will not receive the interventions, therapies, and surgeries that they desperately need. They just won’t. These children need care that cannot be provided in this setting. They need a home. They need a family.
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