Recently we took in three boys who were surrendered by their dad. They had been referred to us several months ago but we didn't have room at the time. When a sibling group of three left for adoption a few days ago we decided to take them in.
The boys' father could be described in many ways. First, he is extremely vertically challenged. I guess he could accurately be described as a midget. I don't have any idea how his height has impacted his life, how it may have affected his ability to find work. He was married to a woman of normal height, and they had three handsome boys who are not vertically challenged. Recently his wife died and, shortly thereafter, he suffered a stroke that has left his right side partially paralyzed. He has difficulty walking and his speech cannot be understood except by his boys. From all we have heard, he was a hard working man who did all he could to provide for his family. But suddenly that was no longer possible. In the space of a few months he was a single, disabled and destitute parent. He had to bring his boys to a government center to live. He was able to find a place to live where he could help the owner feed the chickens for his room and board. But he had lost just about everything.
I can 't remember ever feeling more sorry for an adult. We have dealt with a lot of people in desperate circumstances in our days in Cebu, but there was something especially pitiful about this man. On the day that he brought the boys to the office he was very concerned about their making a good impression. He knew that CSC was a better place for them than the government center. He wanted us to like them. He was proud of his boys, but he was also dying a little inside, knowing that he had to give them up and what that might mean. He was torn in two, but was trying his best to do what was best for them. His tears when he bid them goodbye - well, they are not something I will probably ever forget.
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