Violet is a very petite girl, born in September of 2010, who appears much younger than her age. She is very shy and afraid of strangers, but is extroverted and cheerful around her caretakers. In fact, this cuddly girl loves to be held by her nannies. She gets along with the other children and likes to play games with them. Though she is behind other children her age, Violet continues to make progress in her development. She now speaks in short sentences, such as “I want to eat that” and she can answer yes or no questions. When she became scared of a stranger visiting, she told her nanny “I want to leave.” Despite Violet’s tiny size, she can run very fast and is able to go up and down stairs by holding the railing. Her self-care is good. She feeds and dresses herself and can climb up into a bed that’s taller than she is. She can point to body parts when asked and can do simple counting. She is also able to follow basic directions.
Violet is diagnosed with developmental delays and a congenital heart defect-VSD, that she has received surgery for. Though she was previously on a medication for pulmonary hypertension, she is no longer taking any medication. She was not re-tested for PH. Violet also had a test that showed a ring abnormality of chromosome 15. You can read more about that here.
Agency staff who met Violet said that it appears to be understaffed based on observations and conversations with caregivers, with a higher than typical child to caregiver ratio. As a result, most of the children do not receive any rehabilitative services or therapies. Most of the children do not attend school and do not receive any lessons within the orphanage. Many of the children spend most of their time in their crib. Due to this, these children may have delays more significant than typical institutionalization. This could potentially be part of why Violet has developmental delays. Though she is behind other children her age, Violet continues to make progress in her development. She needs a patient, gentle, and loving family to help her adjust and provide the stimulation and nourishment she needs to learn and grow.
A family that traveled more recently said: “The children in this orphanage are in a group of 13 (ages 6-13) with 3-4 nannies. They were happy and loved, excited to see us and all smiles. My daughter has been home since 1/28/20 and learned English words and how to write her name in country. They watched Paw Patrol and other cartoons and have learned preschool skills from the shows. They do not go to school, but do have craft classes. My daughter can cut with sisters, paint, draw, and color in the lines, so I know someone worked with her. I met Violet and she is very sweet and social.”
There is a $1,500 agency grant for Violet’s adoption with her current adoption agency.