The Padre Julio Children’s Center and Shelter recently welcomed three new babies to La Maternidad. These beautiful girls – Milagros, Sofia, and Samara – were directed to the Center by the local child welfare authorities and the local orphans court. Their stories provide striking examples of the importance of this service at the Maternidad and the compassionate care from the professionals who support the Center.
Since the late 1990s, the Maternidad has cared for hundreds of abandoned children until proper homes could be found. In 2011, the Padre Julio Center was built to expand the space dedicated to caring for these children. The enhanced facility provides appropriate care, sleeping and activity areas, as well as room for physical therapy for the physically disabled children. Stays at the Center can be for just a few weeks or for years. The Center requires 24/7 staffing and professional medical care for a changing range of mentally and physically disabled infants and children in advance of adoption or other appropriate care.
Sofia
Sofia was the first to arrive and was brought by the Court to the Center after she was abandoned by her 23-year-old mother. Sadly, her mother was both using and selling drugs. When the mother was arrested, the police found drugs stashed in Sofia’s stroller and immediately placed Sofia in protective care. The Court contacted La Maternidad to ask them to care for Sofia while they reached out to members of the family who could take custody of her. Fortunately, Sofia was only at the Center for a short period of time before the Court located a responsible relative who they trusted to assume care of this beautiful little girl.
Milagritos
The second to arrive, Milagritos had been abandoned by her parents at the Chimbote regional hospital at the age of two months. She had been born prematurely at only 26 weeks, weighed just 1.6 pounds, and was suffering from a detached retina, anemia, bone metabolic disease, and severe chronic malnutrition. After treatment at the local public hospital to address the most immediate medical issues, Milagritos was transferred to the Center. She is now thriving at the Center with an individualized nutrition plan, as well as physical and sensory therapies. She continues to be treated for eye issues as she has lost nearly all vision in her left eye. A sweet and tranquil baby, Milagritos is progressing very well thanks to attentive care by the staff and now weighs 10 lbs.
Samara
Samara was the last to arrive at the Center. She is a beautiful three-month-old baby who was very sadly the victim of physical abuse by her parents. Both of her parents were arrested and Samara was taken immediately to the National Institute of Child Health (NICH) in critical condition for treatment of her injuries. While at the NICH, her story was captured in a Chimbote news report highlighting Samara as “a symbol of strength” who captivated the hearts of the doctors and nurses who cared for her. Samara was a month old and weighed only 5½ pounds when she arrived at NICH. She spent one month in the intensive care unit at the hospital. Now at La Maternidad, Samara is lovingly attended to by the staff at the Center and is largely healed from her physical injuries. She is a sweet and content baby and has increased her weight to 11½ pounds. Given the extent of her prior injuries, the staff needs to take her periodically to Lima – a 7-8 hour drive – for checkups by medical specialists.