Letter to Jody About Baby Alex

Dear Jody,

Kim has just left to go back to the city. She is a beautiful person and it has been quite the emotional rollercoaster.

I think that she handled it very well.

Alex has adjusted very well to be being back with his family and he looks wonderful. He is quite the celebrity in his village.

The mother and father met Kim at the airport. Alex apparently did not want to go to them and kept wanting to go back to Kim. He fussed a little but sat with his parents for most of the trip.

When they arrived back in Pana we put them up in the same apartments as Kim, they stayed next door. We went out for dinner. The parents said that Alex did well that night. The next morning we all travelled to Tierra Linda together, the extended family was there to meet Alex.

We were ushered into their large mud brick room. They had a table with a pretty cloth and chairs for us to sit in. One by one each of the family gave an emotional speech about what it had meant to them to have treatment for Alex. That they had tried to find medical help for them but they were quoted $7,000US for the operation and it was not possible for them to be able to afford that amount.

They each spoke about how happy they were that they had received this help and that Kim had looked after baby Alex like her own son. They said that they had no way to repay the people that had helped Alex go to the U.S. or to repay Kim for all that she and her family had done for Alex. They said that God would reward Kim one day and that they hoped that there would be many blessings for her and her family. Both the parents were in tears when they spoke. They thanked Kim for putting photos and videos of their son on the computer for them to see.

They presented Kim and I with a beautiful shawl. I believe they also gave one to Aida in the city as well.

They then gave Kim a present for her husband and one for her son, Alex. These were only small gifts they said but that they had no other way to thank Kim.

Kim did beautifully during the whole ceremony until they brought out the gift for her son Alex and then she was overcome with emotion. We all were. I get a lump in my throat just writing this!

Kim made a speech and I translated it for her. The family hung on her every word and wanted her to continue. They really wanted to honor Kim for all that she had done.

After that they served us a lovely, colorful fruit salad that they had gone to a lot of work to prepare. They brought out cream and honey. This is from a family that often does not have enough to eat themselves.

We visited the room that Alex would live in with his parents. It was a very humble . A mudbrick room, with a dirt floor and a tin roof. But it was very clean and well kept. There was bed in the room that is a home made with boards and blocks. It does not have a mattress. They do not have many blankets.

They have one wooden box that they store their clothes.

Alex certainly has a lot of love around him. All his family was hugging him and kissing him. The children were playing with him.

He seemed to settle in very well.

Kim said in her speech that it was obvious when Alex arrived that he was a much loved child. It was certainly very obvious by the way that the family embraced him on his return.

They also totally embraced Kim.

When Kim left this afternoon, I told her ” now you have a family in Guatemala as well”.

Thank you for all that you did Jody. COTA is a magnificent organization and we are proud to be able to work with you.

Kim and her husband, Jay, are just amazing people. They have given so much to Alex and given it freely with great love.

It was such a pleasure to meet Kim and I am proud to know a person like her.

abrazos,

Sharon