Triumph

Sylvia is my sweet, pretty girl. She had a rough start in life. A very rough start. So rough that it hurts my heart to think about it. It's hard to wrap your mind around the fact that an innocent little baby would have to suffer so much, both physically and emotionally.

But God reached in and rescued her. He saved her life. And then some compassionate orphanage workers took excellent care of her until she was strong enough to be given to us, her Forever Family, five months ago.

A year ago, we didn't even know that she existed. A year ago, she was suffering so much that I'm glad we didn't know about her then. It would have been too hard.

Sylvia is a part of our family now. She has a big sister, a Mamma and a Pappa. We have watched her personality bloom since we met her in May, and we have watched her progress both cognitively and physically, at her own pace. We haven't pushed her to learn new things or to make progress; we have mostly concentrated on loving her and being there for her and meeting all of her needs, because that is what she has needed the most. All the extras are like a bonus. Mostly, right now, we just want her to feel loved and to stay healthy.

A year ago, Sylvia was all alone in a hospital bed, fighting for her life.

Today, Sylvia walked 8 steps.