BOTSANI, Romania - In a snowy, remote area of Romania, 14 orphaned children wait for Santa Claus to bring them presents, just as children do here.
Sometimes the children don’t get very much. These are lean times in one of the poorest countries in Eastern Europe.
But this year, Santa Claus came, thanks to the generosity of some American elves, many of whom live in Kansas City.
Theirs is a story that is seven years in the making, and still unfolding today. The 14 energetic children are the stars, but it is too soon to know how their story will end.
All of the children were abandoned as babies. Most of them were in the process of being adopted in the United States when Romania ended its international adoption program.
So they have grown up in a home, Deb’s House, named for the woman from Kansas City who gathered them together -- Debra Murphy Scheumann.
The children who range in age from 6 to 12 may not have American parents, but they do have advocates -- a small but dedicated group that made the long trip to the northern edge of Romania in September of 2009.
I was honored to organize it.
“This is my fifth trip,” said Mark Shields. “They have kind of become like my kids. They have become my Romanian kids.”
With bright eyes, the children wait for the Americans to walk in the door. With feet kicking and arms wiggling they have a tough time containing themselves.
This visit, they are especially proud of themselves. They have prepared a special program of songs such as the ABC’s, Wheels on the Bus, and “I like English.” The adults were of course, thrilled.
“I think the first highlight was we when got there and the children had the program for us,” said Pam Turner, a nurse from Kansas City.
The highlights lasted a whole week. The group was there for 7-year-old Renata’s birthday. Decked out in a green poofy party dress, she glowed during the first birthday party she ever had.
The orphans had adult hands to hold on the first day of school this year. It was a proud moment for them, as they are often ridiculed by other children for being “orphanage kids.”
“We give them home where there may not be any for them,” said Turner. “They deserve love just like any other kids.”
Deb’s House is a happy place. During the recent trip the sound of giggles roped everybody in as the Romanian kids became cowboys for a day. They marveled at their first experience with silly string and spent two days shouting “Yee Haw!”
My own daughter, Maggie, and her friend Sarah Bradshaw created lasting memories for the children. They gathered dozens of photos of the kids the Americans had kept from past trips to Romania and presented each child with his or her own photo album to keep, stuffed with pictures of themselves.
“This is the best thing that ever happened to us probably,” according to Maggie.
But loving the kids is not all play. On this trip the Americans spent several days fixing the house, painting the rooms, cleaning the storage space, hauling out old furniture and purchasing new things.
Dr. Pamela Ramsey gave each child a full medical exam.
“As a doctor it is a really wonderful feeling to be able to use your skills to help people,” Ramsey said. “Giving of yourself to a wonderful group of children like that is one of the ways you can find happiness.”
But underlying the fun times is the heartbreak that never quite goes away. The children do not speak much English yet, but they can make their wishes known.
Ten year old Ana Maria really wants just one thing, all of children do. They want parents.
“She says I am her father,” comments one of the translators.
Vasile, who is 12 knows enough English to say, “Elizabeth, you mom.”
Ancuta, who is also 10, begins almost every thing she says with “I love you!”
While the Americans are unable to give the kids parents, we can give them a healthy start in life. Over the past year the Americans have increased financial support and provide a quality education to ensure the children can one day take care of themselves.
As the week wound down, and the time came for the Americans to leave, the tears began to fall, from the eyes of the children and the adults.
And the questions began from 14 little mouths. “When are you coming to see us again?”
