Staff Blog
How can people be so heartless?
How can people be so cruel?
Easy to be hard, easy to be cold
How can people have no feelings?
How can they ignore their friends?
Easy to be proud, easy to say no.
Songwriters: Ragni, Gerome / Rado, James / Mac Dermot, Galt
The words of this song from the late 60s were brought to mind recently when a 12 year-old boy was referred to us. His story reveals the heartlessness and cruelty of people, and the ways that some children have to suffer at their hands. We'll call this boy Roberto and his younger brother, Michael.
Roberto and Michael were brought to an orphanage in Cebu City when they were babies. The orphanage, which was connected to a Protestant church, was not a good place. When the boys were older they were abused. Punishment was severe, sometimes cruel. The lady who was in charge of the place was the one dealing out the beatings. Luckily, the place was closed down and the children were parceled out to other child caring institutions. CSC got three girls from that place, but we did not have room for boys at the time, so Roberto and his brother, then nine and 10, went to live at a home for children on a neighboring island. Shortly after there arrival there, one of the boys threatened Roberto. (The home catered to older kids, and their residents included some who had lived on the streets and were used to fighting and intimidation.) On the second night they were there, Roberto decided to run away. Michael was afraid to go out into the dark night, but Roberto was able to find a young boy, just five years old, to go with him. The gate was always left open so they had no trouble getting away.
Roberto only knew one place to go, back to the church where he had lived. He didn't know that it was 18 miles from where they were starting out. And they had to cross a long bridge that led to Cebu island. But he knew he wanted to leave that place, so off they went into the night.
It took two days and nights to get to the church. They slept
along the road, wherever they could find a spot that looked safe. On the second
morning Roberto woke up and discovered that his little companion was gone.
Without a trace. All he could do was keep going. When he finally got to the
church he found that it was closed up. The gate was locked. One of the former
orphanage workers said that he could be their family's houseboy, but that didn't
last for long. One day that family packed up and left, and Roberto had no place
to go.
Out of desperation, he found a big piece of cardboard which
became his bed for the 
next months. He slept just outside the locked gate of
the former church/orphanage. He would look for food wherever
he could find it, in garbage cans or occasional handouts from neighbors. Other
times he would steal food to feed his hungry stomach, which enraged people in
the community. He was often beaten by neighborhood boys. One family took pity
on him and would stop the boys from beating him, and would give him food. Life
was hard for Roberto. No place to live. Nobody to take him in. He missed his
brother and worried about the boy who had disappeared along the way. How can
people be so heartless? How can they be so cruel?
One of the compassionate neighbors knew about CSC and informed us about the situation of Roberto. We get lots of referrals and can not respond immediately to all of them. Eventually our social worker and counselor went to visit Roberto and hear his story. They were overwhelmed by the things that had happened to him. In the next few days we made contact with the place where Michael was staying and arranged a meeting with their social worker. Two of our social workers, Chris and our new Social Worker Director, Klaris, and our counselor, Eldie, made the trip to the neighboring island to discuss the boys' case. Michael was relieved to hear that Roberto was okay. He hadn't heard anything about him for a year and a half. Both boys wanted to be reunited and it was determined that this should happen the next day at CSC.
The reunion was so sweet for the boys. They were more than a
little amazed at the facilities of CSC and the course of events that had
brought them back together. After more counseling and some medical
tests, and a talk with a representative of the place where Michael was living,
our staff made the decision to admit Michael and Roberto. The boys would no
longer be separated and Roberto's days of homelessness would end. It was an
exciting day for all of us. They boys needed to go back to their respective
places, get the few things they owned, and say goodbye before becoming official
CSC kids. But first we brought them to Jollibee, a fast food restaurant near
CSC. It was so much fun to watch the boys eat and laugh. It must have seemed a
little surreal to them to be together at that place with a group of adults who
were concerned about them and wanted them to be together in a nice and safe place.
Roberto was not able to finish his chicken and we were surprised when he asked
if he could have a bag for "take-home."
When they got to the place where Roberto had been staying, he ran to one of the houses near the church, the place where one of the people who had protected him from the cruel boys lived. This was the first person who had shown concern for him, maybe in his whole life. Roberto wanted to give this guy the leftover chicken from Jollibee! It was one of the most touching things that we have known about in our many years of working with kids. A few acts of kindness had made a huge difference in Roberto's life and he wanted to say "thank you" in the only way he knew how.
Later that day the boys were
officially admitted, and spent the night in the infirmary while 
we waited for
their lab results. The next morning they moved into the Cherne Home, where
house parents Tarex and Pureza and the children welcomed them. It was the
biggest day in their lives, so far. And there are many big days ahead. They
will be making a lot of new friends and will soon be enrolled in our Children
of Hope School. They won't be apart. They won't be hungry. If they are sick
they will be provided with the best medical care available in the Philippines.
If they are sad they'll be comforted. And they will get the chance to learn
about a loving Heavenly Father and a friend and Savior who will never abandon
them.
Yes, its easy to be heartless. Easy to be cruel. But its also easy to be kind. Easy to be a needed friend. Kids need a friend. Thanks to all who make it possible for us to say yes to kids like these two and the many others who need the love and care of our Shelter.
Thomas Survives Five Hour Surgery
Thomas has come through his major cranial surgery well and is in the Intensive Care at Cebu Doctors Hospital. Although we have not had a chance to talk with the doctor yet, his vital signs are good and one of the attending physicians reported that the surgery was "a success." For the staff, it is comforting to know that in the ICU he is surrounded by skilled nurses, the best medical technology available in Cebu, loving CSC caregivers and the prayers of so many faithful CSC friends.
We will add updates as we get more information. Thanks for praying for little Thomas during this process and for your continued prayers as he recovers from this operation. We are so thankful for all who have taken Thomas into their hearts. One family reported that they pray for him together a couple times a day. Keep those prayers coming, dear friends!
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Gathered in prayer
The story of Thomas has been widely publicized on our website, he is mentioned in multiple blogs (including this one!), he has been named in countless e-mails and he is the subject of thousands of prayers around the world.
And well he should be.
As one doctor stated, this little one has been struggling each day of his life. He struggled to breathe before his nasal surgery in December and though that has improved, now he is experiencing immense pressure on his brain and he needs major cranial surgery!
All of that is very scary. However, when I look at him and I see his big, beautiful, soulful eyes, I can't help but feel hopeful. He is amazingly alert, attentive (his caregivers are quite positive he is practically reading books already!) and he smiles readily.
His story is a story of strength---his body has gone through tremendous stress and yet he is growing and is healthy, determination---our nursing staff have continuously fought for Thomas to receive the best care, love---his caregivers love him so thoroughly and God's protection---God has brought him through so much already!
Tomorrow Thomas will undergo surgery; 6 hours of taking apart his prematurely fused skull and putting it back together so that his brain can grow without constant constriction. Since so much of this is out of our control, we met today to do the only thing within our power: pray.
After lunch, the staff, house parents, Aunties, nurses and the children all met in the Duterte Home, where Thomas lives, to pray for tomorrow's big event.
We prayed for wisdom for the doctors, that the Lord would guide their hands, renew their strength as the procedure goes on, that Thomas' body would be strong enough to endure the surgery, that he would be strong enough for the recovery, that the medicine, the facilities and the nurses at the hospital would meet his needs perfectly, completely. We prayed thanksgiving for God's provision thus far in Thomas' life and we acknowledged that Thomas is indeed in the palm of His hand.
We will continue to pray for Thomas----for these things and more.
Will you join with us?
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Please pray for Thomas
Please pray for Thomas! His surgery will be on Tuesday, February 11 at 11:00 am Cebu time (9:00 pm on Monday the 10th, Minnesota time). He has a serious problem called craniosynostosis, which means that the sutures of his skull fused prematurely. Consequently, his brain is bulging through the anterior fontanelle, which has caused his head to become misshapen, and fluid has built up around his brain. The surgeon will remove the fused portions of the skull, and four areas of the skull will be re-shaped by making several small cuts in each portion of bone. The bones will be sutured together afterwards. His head has gotten very large, and his eyes are bulging so it has become an urgent matter to do this surgery as soon as possible. They are hoping that the procedure will reduce the build up of fluids so he will not need to have a shunt at this point. Thomas will be in intensive care for one week, and will be in a private room for another week, at least.
After a lot of discussion, soul searching and prayer, the CSC staff has decided against using the government hospital for this surgery. Although the operating room there has decent equipment, the Intensive Care Unit where he would have gone following the surgery is not well equipped, and he would be in proximity to children with infectious diseases. The nurse to patient ratio, and other factors made us reconsider the decision to use that hospital.
News: The surgery will be at Cebu Doctors' Hospital, the facility that we often use for our children. Having him operated on at CDH is a step of faith for our staff, as the costs will be much more than at the government hospital. We are trusting God to provide for this difficult and intricate surgery, and for the after care that Thomas will need. He will need to be in the ICU for a week. We want to be able to offer Thomas the best chance possible to survive the surgery and the crucial hours and days afterwards. We fell that we are doing that, though the cost will be high. Although it is very difficult to predict what the total costs will be for the surgery and aftercare, we are making an initial estimate of $25,000. We will update that amount here on the website as we get more financial information from the hospital.
Please pray with our staff, workers and friends as we surround that operating room in prayer.
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Paul and Mitch in Tacloban
On Wednesday, February 5 Mitch and I flew to Tacloban, Leyte, to see Paul Varberg. Paul is a missionary with Converge BGC, and he has been doing relief work in that beleagured city for the past three months. It was three months ago that super typhoon Haiyan ravaged Tacloban, killing thousands and destroying or damaging many, if not most, of the houses.
After three months, much of the city is still in ruins. Most homes still have no electricity, as the power poles and lines are still down. Many businesses have not re-opened. Tents given by the United Nations have been set up all over the city for the homeless. Some families are trying to repair their roofs, but others don't have the money to buy the materials. In some cases, the needed materials are not available to buy. Whole communities were wiped out by the typhoon, swept away by the storm surge that noone saw coming. For Mitch and me, the destruction in Tacloban is hard to comprehend. Mitch commented to Paul Varberg that, if the storm had been just a few miles south, Cebu City would be like this.
It was encouraging to see Paul Varberg in action, and witness his concern for the people in his church who lost so much. CSC decided to partner with him in helping rebuild homes, from the donations that came to us for relief work. Our generous and faithful supporters have been able to contribute more than $15,000 to help Paul reach out to these families with wood, nails, roofing materials, cement blocks and cement. He is a man of integrity and it is a privilege to partner with him.
Here are some pictures from Tacloban.
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Thomas faces another crucial surgery
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Thomas was born on August 2, 2013. His mother disappeared just moments after
he was born in a small village north of Cebu City. The midwife that delivered him brought him to a government facility called the Receiving Home, where he stayed until we brought him home to the Shelter on October 8, 2013 . He had several episodes of difficulty breathing at the Receiving home so was admitted to the hospital twice before we took him in. Shortly after we got him it was determined by an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor that he had a significant congenital nasal obstruction, which needed surgical intervention on December at a hospital in Manila. Stents were placed inside his nostrils, which allows him to breathe through his nose. He also has a serious problem called craniosynostosis, which means that the sutures of his skull fused prematurely. Consequently, his brain is bulging through the anterior fontanelle, which has caused his head to become misshapen, and fluid has built up around his brain. Several doctors from Cebu, the US, Africa and Manila have met and discussed Thomas’ case, and they have determined that our neurosurgeon here in Cebu should do the surgery as soon as possible at the government hospital called Vicente Sotto Medical Center. One of our nurses, Arlyn, a caregiver named Auntie Delia, Thomas and I went to see the neurosurgeon today. Dr. Gigataris explained the surgery, which is scheduled for next week. Thomas will most likely lose a large amount of blood so the doctor would like to have four donors standing by. Three of our "uncles" will be screened this week, and our volunteer speech pathologist from Hong Kong has offered to give before she leaves to go back home on Friday. Thomas will be admitted on February 10, and the extremely delicate and complicated surgery will start early on the 11th. He said that it will most likely take about six hours. The doctor said that there will be an intensive care specialist Please join us in prayer for precious Thomas as he faces this huge surgery. The surgery could cause severe brain damage but without it he will not live. When Dr. Gigataris heard about Thomas’s struggle in his short life he said that clearly he has fought for his life, and that now he will help him fight even harder. Could you join our staff in praying fervently for Thomas, Dr. Gigataris and the surgery on the 11th? We will post the exact time when we know it, probably in a day or two. Thanks for the loving and praying hearts who can make a huge difference in his life.
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working with him, and the anesthesiologist, of course, in addition to a team of residents and nurses. The surgeon will remove the fused portions of the skull, and four areas of the skull will be re-shaped by making several small cuts in each portion of bone. The bones will be sutured together afterwards. His head has gotten very large, and his eyes are bulging so it has become an urgent matter to do this surgery as soon as possible. They are hoping that the procedure will reduce the build up of fluids so he will not need to have a shunt at this point. Thomas will be in intensive care for one week, and will be in a private room for another week, at least. Thomas stared directly at the doctor the whole time he examined him, and smiled at him numerous times. We assured the doctor that many friends are praying for him, and he expressed heart felt gratitude when he heard that. His wife, a neurologist, will do the pre-op physical on Friday. | Show Comments | | | Leave a Comment | | | Category: | Shelter News |
