Dear Lilly

Dear Lilly,

You don’t know who I am, but I know who you are. You a precious and loved child of God, and a princess of the King! As for who I am, I’ll get to that in a minute.

You were born with Down syndrome, but it doesn’t define you. Never let that diagnosis define you or make you less than you were meant to be. It may make things a little harder to accomplish, and goals harder to reach, but you still can do it! You have a fighting spirit, I know you do or you would have given up living long ago. And that fighting spirit, and persistence will get you far in life. And I’m positive you will accomplish great things and change many people’s lives, because you already have make an impact on so many lives.

Because of your Down syndrome, you were abandoned when you were born, and sent to an orphanage, where you spent the last five years of your life. You have learned what hunger is, what neglect is, what laying down rooms are, what lying in a crib all day long every day can do to a child, what sedative drugs are, what the stench of unchanged diapers and soiled sheets is, and what death of those around you is. (**See note at bottom of letter.) You have been treated cruelly and unfairly, and it is not right that you have to know all this at such a young age.

But – it is by no fault of your own that you are stuck in that awful place. It’s not your fault. You did nothing wrong, and please don’t ever blame yourself for what happened to you. You did nothing to upset your mother, she loved you and wanted you. Sadly, because of the messed up ways of your country, and most countries around the world (including my own, in a way), individuals with Down syndrome are often seen as useless and worthless human beings. So they cast babies like you out and send them to hidden orphanages and institutions where no one has to see them. That is where children learn all the things you have learned, and where you learned all you have.

I told you I would tell you who I am, so I am: someone who loves you. I can’t explain the love I have for you easily. It wasn’t love at first sight. In fact I probably would have never noticed you if my friend, Rachel, hadn’t pointed your beautiful face out to me, and told me we should advocate to find you a family. For Rachel it was love at first sight. She saw your picture and was drawn to your face and your helpless eyes, begging for a family of your own. But with time, my love for you started growing more and more. The more time and effort I put into finding you a family, the deeper my love for you has gotten. And now I love you soo much that it hurts badly to think of where you might be, how you are neglected and how your heart it hurting (both physically and emotionally).

My heart breaks for you, and because Rachel and I haven’t been able to find you a family yet. We’ve been trying for a year. There have been many, many people that have told us they would LOVE to adopt you but can’t for one reason or another. It’s they don’t meet the requirements for your region, their husband isn’t ready to adopt yet, or they are waiting for God to make a way. Because of this, we are convinced there is a very special family that has been chosen since the beginning of time for you. Since before you were conceived, God had a plan for your life, and he still does. We are still struggling to find that special family, but we think we are very close. We just keep praying that all fears and doubts would be taken away and that this family would come get you as soon as they can! They need to get you quickly, because you are out of time, and you need to get out of that horrid place.

Beautiful girl, don’t give up. Keep fighting, for there IS a life better than the one you know now. You are beautiful inside and out, don’t ever forget that. I love you to the moon and back sweet girl!

Love,

Auntie Sarah

(**Note to readers: We have no proof of any of this, but from what we have been able to find out, she most likely is at a pretty bad place, and in pretty bad shape, so we are assuming these may be the conditions she is living in. We can not find out any more until she has a committed family.)