Daseme

On my first trip to Haiti, when I visited the Real Hope for Haiti Rescue Center, I met a little boy named Daseme. He was wild! Full of personality, happy and healthy, ran around with all the big kids and always wanted to hang on you. I wouldn't forget him after spending just two days there.

I returned 4 months later and found sweet (sometimes ornery!) Daseme. Not much had changed. Licia explained to me that Daseme had been in the Rescue Center for years. He was admitted as a severely malnourished 6 month old and weighed 13 pounds. His mother was dead and his father brought him to the clinic. His dad was looking for work and his plan was to leave him in the Rescue Center for a few months while he found work and got back on his feet. The hope was that Daseme would gain weight and get well and he would be able to find a job. He called Licia to check in after one month and said he was in the Dominican Republic and had found a job. He said his mother would come visit Daseme. Licia told him no one had been to see him. He called back 2 months after that and asked Licia to please wait for him, he loved his son and he would be back soon. His Dad asked Licia at least 3 times to please wait for him, he would be back.

More than two years later this is Daseme with peanut butter and cracker face.

Not one word was heard from a family member for over two years. Licia sent word to the village where he was from and still nothing. She hired someone to go up to the village and they found a house that had been empty since Daseme's dad left. Lots of families asked about adopting Daseme. He was legally abandoned and was going to be placed in an orphanage.

The week before he was going to go to the orphanage, a man came running through the gates of the Clinic. Everyone was frightened by this man who didn't even stop and knock at the gate. He ran straight up to Licia and told her he had come to see her. She asked what for and he handed her a card with Daseme's name on it. We were all overjoyed! The staff was so excited. We got Daseme and brought him to his Papa. His Dad explained that he had been in jail in the Dominican Republic and had been waiting to return to find his only son still at the Rescue Center. He repeated the conversation he had with Licia years ago, "please wait for me, I love my son, please wait for me." It was such an amazing day. Daseme went home at 34 pounds with his Papa last August 2009.

Last week that oh too familiar face returned to the clinic weighing 28 pounds and now has Kwashiorkor. He has been living with his aunt since he left last year. Daseme will be put on the Medika Mamba program and need to lose the fluid weight before he starts gaining.

My heart aches in places I don't like to know are there when I think about Daseme. I will never understand what it is like to be a child with deep hunger pains and not able to feed yourself. I cannot even imagine what it is like to be that hungry. You may be wondering how a parent could let this happen. I know his Papa loves him, he returned for him after years of being gone, and he is doing what he thinks is best for his child. You and I have no place to judge that. The reality of it is you and I will NEVER have to know what it is like to be a parent who deeply loves your child and not be able to provide food for them. Daseme is so loved by everyone at the Rescue Center and by his Papa. Most importantly, his heavenly Father is crazy about him.

Please pray with me for Daseme. Pray that his fragile little body will recover from the malnutrition. Pray for his Papa who has given the care of his son over to someone else. Pray for those who are caring for him right now, that he would know the love of Jesus because of them.

I can't wait to see sweet little Daseme in a little less than a month!