This week, I walked into Jubilee Home, one of the 5 homes that house children in the SCH organization. It is a foster style home for children with special needs. Jubilee Home is where the eldest girls live. My team got to serve there this week, and we got to play with and get to know the special young ladies that live there. Let me tell you, they are incredible! But on the first day of serving there, I was completely overwhelmed. This letter is to the parents of one of the girls I met.
To Leah’s parents,
When I walked into Leah’s home this week, I was immediately frustrated with you for relinquishing your child and leaving her to someone else to take care of. But almost as quickly as the frustration came on, it dissolved away. As I looked around at the other girls in the home with your daughter, I was completely overwhelmed. I was unsure how to respond or what to do. In that moment, I understood your decision to give Leah up.
There is a stigma attached to people with special needs in India. As part of your religion or culture, you may have believed that you or Leah somehow deserved to be punished, and that as a result she was born with special needs. You may have been embarrassed by her, or completely unsure of how to take care of her. Caring for a child with special needs is a difficult job. You may have thought you were doing the best thing for yourselves to surrender her.
You may not have been able to afford her medical care. Often, raising children with special needs requires more financial means than raising a typical child. You might have been overwhelmed at the thought that you might not have been able to give Leah the medical care she needed as a small child, and knew that providing for her in that way for her whole life would always be a struggle. You may have thought you were doing the best thing for her to leave her.
You may have realized that you were insufficient for Leah. You might have realized that you couldn’t have taken care of her for her whole life. It may have broken your heart that she may never live on her own, or get married, or have children. It may have been too heartbreaking to look at her sweet face and realize she wouldn’t have the life you envisioned for her during your pregnancy. You may have thought you were doing the best thing for everyone to give her up.
Please hear me when I say this: you are forgiven. There is no condemnation or judgment for the impossible choice that you made. For any number of reasons, you chose to relinquish Leah. You are human and you couldn’t have known how incredible Leah would turn out! Whether you had her best intentions at heart when you gave her up (or not), she is doing so well. Maybe you knew that she would be okay. That she would grow up to be a beautiful young lady. That she would thrive at SCH. That she would be well cared for, have everything she needs, and be loved beyond measure.
Leah is funny and well-adjusted. She loves her home and the other girls that live there (her sisters). She loves her foster moms and her ayahs. She loves circle time and doing puzzles. She is creative, loves to sing, and is just a tad bossy. She is quick to hug and wants to include you and hold your hand. Leah is kind and patient and wants every person to feel known. She loves practicing saying your name, even when the letters and sounds are foreign. Leah is sweet and filled with kindness, despite the hard things she’s lived through. Leah is phenomenal and I wish so much that you could know her.
Parents, please forgive yourselves for leaving your baby in the care of others. Please know that I forgive you, the extraordinary volunteers at SCH forgive you, and Leah forgives you. Most importantly, God forgives you. He knows the struggle you went through when you left your baby girl behind, and he loves you. You are forgiven.
For more information on SCH and Leah, or to support their ministry (many girls need individual financial sponsors), please follow the link: SCH INDIA
