Update on Natalie

I wanted to give you an update on Natalie. Natalie was brought to us in April by the Cabaret police. She had been abandoned and found wandering through the market. Apparently, she had been living on the streets for some time.

After taking Natalie in, we soon discovered she has many disabilities due to the trauma she has experienced and also mental illness. At first, she would growl, bite, and sometimes curse. She is not potty-trained. Whenever she became fearful or anxious (like when a visiting team of strangers would arrive and I wanted good behavior out of the children!) she would become overly excited and run from you (sometimes naked). We returned to the Cabaret police and asked for direction in finding another placement for her. We visited several mental health sanitariums- but none took children.

Natalie, when she arrived. She looks 5, but look at all those permanent teeth.

In May, our friends Lori & Licia who run a rescue center, agreed to accept Natalie. Micheline took her to Cazale, but didn't have the necessary letter of abandonment from the Mayor's office. They need the letter to receive Natalie & hopefully for an eventual adoptive placement. Natalie returned to Bercy while they waited on the letter. By now she was slightly calmer, wearing clothes most of the time, and the Nannies had grown attached as they had to spend so much time caring for her.

Natalie took a liking to Mama Monique and wouldn't let anyone else touch her.

In June, we moved Natalie out of the baby room where she had been staying in order to receive the constant care she required. Marie Joe asked if she could help with Natalie and she moved her in, at first pulling her bed right up next to her own. The other children were no longer afraid of Natalie and some had begun to care for and play with her. The letter from the Mayor's office arrived, but it was for the wrong child! It bore the name of Joseph, another abandoned child we received after Natalie.

Fear ruled her life. She had been on the streets a long time.

In July one of the 1st things Marie Joe wanted me to know when I arrived was that she had taken Natalie to church the Sunday before. I was amazed, but sure enough when Sunday rolled around again Natalie was in church. I wish you could have been a fly on the wall. It brought tears to my eyes to see how all the girls mothered her. They would pull her in their lap, take turns tending to her, and if she got too wiggly or started making noises, they sit her down between them hard and make Mom eyes at her. She sat through the entire service! We are still waiting on the Magistrar to sign her papers.

Natalie with Micheline during Family night last week.