My World - is Your World!

The following is a true account about one of our orphan boys, as reported and written by Mirian Thomas. Mirian is Executive Director of volunteerbrazil.com, and manages all of our field projects in Brazil.

It was during February…. Carnaval time, time of enjoyment and fun in Brazil that he was found in the Metro station. We called him “special child”. He is an autist who was brought by the police to the boys’ orphanage in Recife. We do not know his name, his age, his back-ground… We thought he was deaf, but Sara, an Italian volunteer in the orphanage noticed that he could hear after saying some sounds to him, that he would repeat afterwards. When he first came he could not socialize or interact with anyone- living in his own world full of barriers…

Liz, one of our English volunteers used to talk to him in English and he could repeat sounds and some words… Great he can talk! We had to take him to a doctor and we called him “Pedro”. During his bath he used to protect his face maybe because the parents who released him used to beat him?? We do not know- but we know that he was scared and afraid to touch people or let anyone touch him.

We solved this problem by giving him warm and loving hugs- “carinho” in Portuguese language. The special child in the beginning could not play along with the other boys at the orphanage. He would sit alone looking at us as if we do not exist, get to pronounce some screams and play totally alone…

Yesterday I went to visit as I go there weekly to see our volunteers and he made my day! The special child ran to my arms and jumped on me making some kind of joy sounds! Now he can play along with the other boys, say some words like water, fire, mother, father, house, etc. We taught him how to draw and what a good surprise, he was very capable to do it so quick. He grabs my hand or comes to sit in my lap and start talking to me through his own words… Every time I see “Pedro” I have tears in my eyes for his progress. He brightens my whole day, my whole week!

The volunteers are taking good care of him trying to stimulate him to come out from his private world and communicate with us. He is now a totally different child a miracle of caring and love!

You will find further information on autism here:
USA Organisation UK Organisation