Romania's Lost Children

www.cnn.com ^

[marthemaria]

The little baby boy lay awake in his cot. He was bound in swaddling, as is the tradition in these parts, and I was aching to pick him up. The doctor told me his name: Emanuel Bizgan. He was five months old, the son of a homeless woman, and had been abandoned at the hospital.

Emanuel is one of a new generation of orphans in Romania. These days babies abandoned at hospitals are likely to stay there until their second birthday. New laws banning the institutionalization of children under two have backfired for them. Only when they turn two will they be legally allowed to go to a children's home. Not that that would be much better.

The doctor in charge, Dr. Monica Nicoara, has become a babysitter for dozens of newborns and toddlers. There's nothing medically wrong with the children – they've simply had the misfortune of being given up by their parents.

"They have no affiliation, no stability; 'that’s my mummy, I go to my mummy, I am safe with my mummy. I have many mummies – anyone is okay, but which is mine?,'" she tells me. "It is not a personal relationship here."

We filmed Dr. Nicoara and her charges at the Baia Mare hospital in northern Romania. Some of the older babies who could sit up were rocking – child welfare experts say that's a sign that they’re suffering from a lack of stimulation. I noticed something else odd about the ward – the babies weren’t crying. There were a dozen little ones there and they were all quiet. They'd given up on crying. That above all was hard to learn – the best way babies can communicate their needs and these ones had given up.

[swmobuffalo]

I can’t stand these stories. If I had any money at all, I’d have a houseful of these kids.

[goodwithagun]

My husband and I might not be able to have kids. We have recently started researching Ukrainian adoption. I have had a lot of scrutiny from my fellow publik scewl teechurz about adopting outside the US. You know, I’m a conservative so I should help America first. I calmly tell them that children outside of the US are suffering from so many illnesses, in addition to poor nutrition. Our poor in America are “suffering” from obesity. The poorest in our country have too much to eat.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

Go for it (the adoption outside the U.S. of A.), and God bless you.

[ringgold]

I would say that it’s none of their business. Wherever you feel led to find a child, you will be making a difference in that child’s life. We are currently in a foster to adopt placement with a brother and sister (8 and 7 y.o.) through our state DFCS. They have been with us for 6 months, and I hve never been so tired in my life! But we are hanging in there and know that we can make a difference. God bless you in what ever you decide to do!

[QQQQ]

Well said!Bravo!!

[jabchae]

We have adopted several children from abroad.

We don’t hear comments any more about how we should have adopted a child already in the U. S., but when we did, I thought a good response was, “I see you are very concerned about American children in need of homes. You must have adopted a houseful. I’d love to hear all about it! You must be so blessed!”

Did I ever meet anyone with this attitude who actually had adopted any? No, of course not. Apparently, it’s a societal problem only the infertile are expected to work on.

[keepitreal]

We used to hear these comments also when we were in state mandated adoption preparation classes. We took classes with those who were foster parents who would chastise us all the time about not adopting foster children. I would just smile, nod and walk away. No need to fight with folks you won’t have to see again after a five week course.

Good luck with your international adoption. We have been blessed in ours.