Being placed to volunteer in the Kid's Hospital puts everything in perspective on why I am here. It is not what you would imagine when you hear the word hospital. On the surface, the majority (mostly boys) are just rambunctious kids that need to run and get crazy. They crave and fight for my attention and hugs. They punch and kick and even bite. The first visit we were able to be outside and made paper cone hats, that is crazy with 20 kids fighting for my artistic input...these kids range in age from 5-15. The second day we made big clown hands but unfortunately due to rain we had to be inside, it was frustrating to say the least. I cannot imagine what they must go through during the winter with little daylight hours. They are mainly suffering from emotional traumas and many are orphans. On a positive note, they make me laugh and one very special boy stole my heart (didn't that happen to me in Africa??) because he is not only so adorable but so loving; I am so curious why he is there. Another girl who is 14 is so strikingly beautiful and quiet but appears to have an eating disorder and who knows what else. She does not talk and I found out that she speaks English very well do hopefully my next visit we can communicate on a deeper level. The common thread is that they need love and told they matter.
I was very fortunate to have been given permission to take photos and they are wonderful - I am unable to post for legal reasons but I will treasure the photos in a personal album for many years to come. They were quite fascinated by seeing themselves on my camera...just like my special children in Africa. I hope to be able to print the photos and make a collage to bring at my next visit. It seems like a simple task but nothing is simple in Yaroslavl!
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