The Arms of a Mom

Mother's day is over. The expectations of the day can be overwhelming, but most of the day I spent pondering on all the mothers who are missing their children, or the children who have no mothers.

Peter has a mother, his mother loved him. She cared for him, and she offered him a chance at survival, what an amazing and loving woman!  She did not have the wealth of resources and support to provide for his basic needs. Food. Shelter. Medicine. She recognized this, and admitted to the need., as hard as it was, she did the harder thing and gave him to the Forget Me Not home to provide for his needs. Unfortunately even they could not protect him from Malaria.

Malaria is such a minor illness, it is painful, and it is dangerous, but the medicines and solutions are simple. For a modern facility they give a round of antibiotics and fluids. Then send them home once their blood counts are normalized.

However this was another resource that was unavailable  to the FMN home that was caring  for his needs.

Some days I  cry out wishing there was a way I could provide for Peter's Mothers need enough so that she could care for her own children, including Peter.  Wishing there was a chance that he could remain with his natural born siblings and mother, wishing that Malaria was not a risk for his well-being, wishing that poverty and famine did not take so many lives in his home country. even that would not be enough, Peter's mother has other children, and in order for her to remain with them, she must work very hard to maintain her present relationship. She terminated parental rights to keep him safe, healthy and give him a chance in life. With 5 other children, she was not able to care for his special needs, and especially provide care for his ongoing medical needs.  She will always be the woman who gave him life, she will always be a precious part of our prayers.

I am ever so grateful, I want to have this little boy in my arms every night, I want to see his eyes light up with every new discovery, I want to cradle him when he has a boo-boo, I want to see him master sign language, grow, gain weight, get tall, most of all I want to see every minute of his life. I want him to be mine.

I share him, I share him with a mother who lives 5,000 miles away, who probably cries herself to sleep at night wondering how her little angel boy is doing. I wish there was a way I could speak with her, let her know he is being a good boy, he is being cared for, loved and fed. I worry , i wonder. i hurt.

A mother does not cease to be a mother, if her child is not in her arms.


Malaria has robbed Peter of the chance that he will ever live in his Mother land. he is too fragile, his liver too damaged, and his spleen nearly ruptured during his last bout of Malaria.

There is not a vaccination against Malaria, There is no real long term protection from the infection.

If Peter is forced to return to Liberia, it will only be a matter of time for him. At best a year, the odds of an infection are nearly 100% in the first year back in the country.

Please join me in prayer. Prayer for Peter, for his Mother, for his extended family, and for his American family, that are doing all in their power to make his future full of hope.