DAY 2

Today was such an awesome day! We arrived at Escuela Especial right after the first van of kids got there. They greeted us with huge smiles and hugs! There were these two beautiful little girls that both gave me a big hug and then skipped off holding hands giggling from excitement. It was the cutest thing ever! Right after we met some of the kids, Max and I got to go on the first home visit with the physical therapist, Carmen Margarita, and one of the translators, Aleyda. They are both super nice and a lot of fun! We went to five different homes all in Rivas.

     The first was very disheartening. The mother got pregnant when she was 16, she has a four month old boy with down syndrome named Angel. The grandmother did most of the talking. When Carmen Margarita asked the mother if she had been doing the therapy she showed her she said no. Carmen Margarita did exercises with him like moving a flashing light on a toy around so the baby would move his head. She also bounced him around on her lap to move his torso. Carmen Margarita said she was not where he should have been with the Physical therapy The mother did not act like she was grateful for the help, but instead annoyed that we came. Carmen Margarita showed them some other exercises to do and said that if they don't do them he will be very behind. We touched his arms and cheeks and gave him hugs and kisses. Carmen Margarita got him to smile and laugh a little when she would sing to him and dance him around. If only he was given more love from his family. 

    The homes were extremely small and hardly anything in them. They cooked outside on a fire and had clothes lines. One mother's story was super sad. She has a daughter Breisa with cerebral palsy and the father left her alone with the two kids because of Breisa's disability. She is a teacher, so the government gave her the house she lived in. She was an amazing mother and you could tell she had endless love for Breisa. It was so inspiring to see her strength. We helped Carmen Margarita tie Breisa to the back of a rocking chair to help her stand. She hated it and cried like crazy. We all tried to get her to laugh or play with toys but she continued to cry. The mother was so sweet and patient with her.  

    Michael, a year and a half year old boy with down syndrome, has a super poor family. The house doesn't even have a floor. It was really amazing to see the living conditions not just in their house but in all of the surrounding houses as well. Carmen Margarita had to bring them food from the school. The mother was 41 and she had a 16 year old daughter who had her son at 14. They were all very skinny. Michael was sleeping and wouldn't let Carmen Margarita do any therapy. The mother did care about him, she said she had been doing the physical therapy Carmen Margarita showed her. We weren't able to do the physical therapy at the other two homes because only the babysitter was with Jorge and they need the mother's permission. No one was home at the other home either. 

    It is crazy how someone as caring and compassionate as Carmen Margarita tries so hard to help and some of the families don't appreciate it. Hopefully, seeing our affection for the children in the homes showed them to open their hearts.