Sick with the flu and have spent the day on the couch thinking about the abandoned children in the world. A memory that I had long ago forgotten about, came back to spend the day with me.
When I was 35 weeks pregnant with Mister, I had an Appendectomy (that's a whole other post I'll save for later!). Because I was pregnant, I spent my hospital stay on the maternity floor. I was the only woman on this floor that did not have a new born baby. The woman I roomed with was recovering from a c-section, and I woke everytime her baby needed a feed. I didn't mind... I was so in "Mommy" zone... all I wanted to do was to hold and nurture an infant. My baby at home (Muffin) was 16 months old and an hour away. I missed her dearly and found myself just craving to "Mother". One evening as I walked down the hall, I saw a bassinet beside the nursing desk. I found it odd that it wasn't in the nursery, or in the Mother's room. I peeked in and saw the most beautiful little baby boy. He literally took my breath away. The nurse noticed me admiring this little angel and gave me a smile. "He's adorable." I said.
"Yes, he's pretty special isn't he." I gazed at him for a few more moments and went back to my room.
The next morning, I was doing my rounds past the nursery again and I noticed this little angel being rocked in the nursery by an older hospital volunteer. I knew something wasn't right. I looked over and noticed the nurse I spoke with the night before. I decided to just put it out there... "Is the baby's Mother ill?" I asked.
"His birth Mother left 2 days ago." My heart immediately broke for this little prince. Upon further inquiry I was told that they thought this infant may have FAS.
Later that afternoon, as the nurse was doing her rounds, I asked (almost begged) if I could look after the abandoned infant... I explained that I had nothing else to do, and I would love to feed him, or rock him to sleep. She apologized and explained that only hospital staff and certified volunteers were allowed to care for the babies.
I spent the rest of my stay walking the hallways, trying to catch a glimpse of him and love on him from a distance.
Today, he would be 6 yrs old. I wonder if he found a family to love him and rock him to sleep. His Mother was a lady of the streets and he was likely exposed to not only alcohol but drugs as well. Despite his unfortunate start, he was beautiful - a gift from God, and he deserved to be loved.
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