Just One Story of Many

In reading another blog, this particular part of their story is just one of millions of stories that can be told just in Ethiopia. I hope she doesn't mind if I post this, but I don't remember where I got it to ask permission. It just broke my heart how brave and strong these women are over there. To the ends of the earth (or at least the hospital) they would go to make sure their children have opportunity.....Tinsae is their newly acquired daughter who has HIV.

Like her birth mother, Tinsae is a fighter. Her mother's immunity was weakened by HIV and battled several infections for many months and sought treatment as she could afford. However, another infection took hold and she checked herself into a hospital with Tinsae in her arms. The next day she died. A form of meningitus took her life. Tinsae was there beside her mother when she died.


The hospital cared for Tinsae for a month in hopes that a relative would come to visit the mother or see what happened to her. If someone came, the hospital could then find out more information about Tinsae's mother and determine if a relative was available to claim Tinsae. No one ever came to visit. No one ever came to claim Tinsae. After a month, the hospital then declared Tinsae to be abandoned and turned her over to the police who then turned her over to an orphanage.


Estimates indicate there are over 4 million orphans in Ethiopia. There are not enough orphanages to take care of the lost children of Ethiopia. Many dying mothers are turned away from orphanages because they are full. Many children are found next to dying or dead parents with no one to take care of them except for maybe an older sibling. Some children have been left outside the gates of orphanages. We believe Tinsae's mother knew that Tinsae's only chance to get into an orphanage and receive care was if she died in a hospital. We believe Tinsae's mother did not go to the hospital to save herself but to save Tinsae. The last act of Tinsae's mother was one of love for her baby.

I know WE don't live in a third world country, but when you know what goes on around the world such as stories like this and war, you've really got to reexamine what we have and where we live. When you see such pettiness going on in some people's lives, it's just embarrassing. The above story has a happy ending with Tinsae being adopted by 2 amazing people. I pray for only the best for Tinsae and I believe there are some very big plans for her life.