We keep getting bigger

Casa Corazón keeps adding kids. This week two more have joined the family bringing the total up to 37, the same size as Amor y Vida. Here are the latest additions:




On Friday, INFHA, which is the Honduras social services department, delivered Misael. He is 5 months old and HIV + for now. Often children born of HIV+ mothers test positive prior to their first birthday but do not actually become infected. Several infants have come to the casa in the past and later tested negative at their one year exam and have been placed in other homes. A few of the kids ended up staying here even though they turned out to be negative. It will be 7 months before we know for sure if he is really positive or only testing positive due to his mothers antibodies in his blood.



This is Nataly, who arrived at the casa today. She is 6 years old and appears to be in very good health. She obviously have been living with a family in good conditions before coming here but I do not know all the details. He has adapted very well and is playing with all the other kids right away and no crying as often happens when older children are brought here.







Gustav seems to be hanging in there. He is the skinniest, most mal-nourished child I have ever seen. When they bathe him, he really looks like photos taken at the concentration camps when they were liberated. He is literally skin and bones with very little tissue. He can stand up if holding onto something or someone and can walk if you hold onto his hands like an infant just learning to walk, but he cannot balance himself to walk on his own. I think it is because he is too top heavy with his head being about 1/3 - 1/2 of his total body weight. His grandfather and aunt came to visit him twice since he has been here which makes him happy.