Last year when I visited Casa de Fe in the summer, I really connected with Cintia. She is actually the first child that Patti Sue took in as her own foster child- abandoned as a newborn due to her disabilities. She has a certain type of syndrome, autism, and she's partially deaf. She loves to fixate on one item and then self-stimulate for hours. My favorite is the huge blue exercise ball...she spreads her legs and leans over to where her head is resting on the top. Then she proceeds to bounce her head up and down until she can't take it any more....which is an amazingly long period of time. :-)
Check out her crazy hair. It's always out of control....I love it. - Totally adds to her personality.
This is her special rocking chair.I don't know what it is, but I just love to get in her personal space and play with her. She doesn't speak, and she usually keeps to herself. She loves to make certain noises...specifically anything that makes her lips move a lot. So, I just get in her face and imitate the noises...which just fascinates her. Strangely enough...noone else ever does that with her. The tia's look at me like I'm crazy.
Well, I was working in the office the other day, and I could hear her crying. She hardly ever cries, so I went to check it out. There were 2 guys from the group sitting in there with her, but they had no idea why she was crying. Finally one of the guys told me that she has walked over to his guitar case and started fiddling with it. He said he gently turned her the other direction, and she walked to the middle of the room and started crying. I reassured him that she was not upset for him turning her the other way. She CONSTANTLY has things taken out of her hands that she's not supposed to have, and it doesn't upset her. I asked him if he had been playing earlier, and he said yes. I told him that I thought she was probably going to the case b/c she wanted him to get out his guitar again! I asked him to play for her, and I had to grab the camera. All of the other kids were off playing, so Cintia had him all to herself. Remington did an awesome job, and he felt so much better to know that he didn't make her cry. :-) Zoom into this picture if you can, so you can see the smile on her face. I love it!
She wanted to touch the strings so badly while he was playing. She loved to see his fingers moving around.
Now she's attempting to take her shoes apart. If you leave her with anything that can possibly be destroyed...she'll find a way to do it. :-)
Anyway...just wanted to share more about one of the 55 (currently) kids here at the orphanage. I hope to do blog posts on each of them as we go through this next year. There's no way you can understand how special they are unless you're here though! Yes...I'm once again pressuring everyone to come visit. :-)
Hey Tandy,
ReplyDeleteRandee in TX here. I have an Idea. Maybe you could run it by Mrs. Patti Sue, But, I was just thinking as I read this post. Do you think that you could maybe post the Mailing Address to the Orphanage. And maybe the people who reads this who wants to send the Staff and Children letters and Cards like during special Holidays and all. And , to let all of the kids there know that not only does God and Jesus love them and this goes for you and Mr. Dwight too. But, like I said I'd ask Mrs. Patti Sue , Or who ever started the Orphanage. what she / They thought of the idea. I love and miss you
Hi Suannah in Humble, Texas. You might try simple sign language with Cintia and see if she responds. You might have to repeat it hundreds of times before she understnds. If you don't know any sign language no problem its availble on the internet with videos of how to sign properly. Different countries have different sign languages but I would stick American sign language. Check out babysigns.com and http://www.babies-and-sign-language.com/glossary-photos.html Never hurts to try something new you never know what a child will respond to. Awesome work you are doing!
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