Christmas Child
We have been holding this bit of news for a while: About 2 months ago we were introduced to a Karen family in the city of Hot. We went there because we were told that the mother of the family was pregnant for the 5th time, but they couldn’t afford another mouth to feed. They were considering abortion. In Thailand abortion is a very common procedure, but there are no counseling services available with realistic advice. Because they were discussing this option, a mutual friend asked us if we could talk with them.
We found out that they are truly wonderful people and good Christians too. They are just really poor and that is why they were considering what they them selves call a sin. The oldest of their four kids is in bible school, which is pretty impressive considering their subsistence lifestyle; the costs of the school however have increased financial pressure on the family. Their pastor told me the food they eat costs them about five baht (16 cents) per meal. Childhood malnutrition is likely the reason the dad is only 4 foot 2. We noticed his height doesn’t seem to be an issue for him though.
We have helped them see it is better to let the baby be born, and agreed to become the parents. This week the couple came to Chiang Mai and we took them to a government hospital where we received the report of a healthy baby who is probably a boy. Our main concern now is that the mom is quite thin, 43kg (94 lbs). She needs to be putting on weight. We got her some B complex vitamins with iron, and she says they give her a strong appetite. We are hoping she will eat as much as she can.
We have agreed to cover their medical costs too. Thailand is less expensive than the west for medical care, but it still is going to be a big bill for us. If anyone wants to make this a personal project, we would more than welcome the help.
The little guy is due in December, so this year’s operation Christmas child is the real deal for us.