20 years is a pretty big milestone, isn’t it?
When LWB first began in 2003, we couldn’t have dreamed that helping one orphaned baby with heart surgery would lead to a global movement to change lives. Since that time, over 100,000 children have been directly impacted, while we have never waivered in our belief that EVERY child counts.
Amy Eldridge, LWB’s Chief Executive Officer, shares here her story of one of those children, Theodore, a young boy who was suffering and whose life has been changed as people around the world stepped up to let him know that he is important and valued.
This past spring, I met a small boy in Cambodia who sure brought that message home. As I arrived at our school campus, little Theodore was waiting. A few months earlier, officials had called about a tiny 8-year-old who was living on his own. Theodore’s father had died when he was a baby, and his mom had abandoned him to remarry. As if that wasn’t enough, Theodore had also been born with cerebral palsy and was unable to use his legs. The first photo I saw of him, sitting in a dusty, broken wheelchair, broke my heart. He was clearly trying to be brave, despite having no home and no family to care for him.
We immediately placed Theodore with a loving foster family and enrolled him in our school. With medical care, physical therapy, and quality nutrition, he soon began to thrive. Theodore was waiting for me that morning to show me his new accomplishment. The gift of a posterior walker had allowed him to finally stand, and his face was absolutely beaming when he began walking with determination through the schoolyard.
You might know the old saying that an invisible red thread connects those destined to meet. As Theodore’s classmates excitedly cheered him on, a sudden image filled my mind: thousands of beautiful red threads, woven together over 20 years, to let this one amazing child finally know he is treasured. That’s the power of the LWB community, which still leaves me in awe. YOU are the reason this life-changing work is possible.
Amy Eldridge, LWB CEO
This holiday season, we are asking you to please make a year-end donation to help even more children like Theodore find hope.
Every single child who has found safety in our foster care, all those who received medical support, and all of the kids who are now attending school… they only receive help because of your kindness. Your gift of $50, $100, or more will make a world of difference to a child who is hurting. We have seen firsthand that when a child feels all alone or that there is no way out of poverty, knowing that someone truly believes in them makes all the difference in the world.
