The opposite of first world problems--urgent prayer need

Oh Dear Lord.

There is a little girl who is an orphan no more--now named Amelia, her adoptive mother has just claimed her, but this poor little thing has been so neglected, so traumatized for so long, she is literally hanging on by a thread.  She has been hospitalized and she could die--with a mother who is right there, waiting to take her home.

This little girl was just liberated from the terrible orphanage called Pleven in Bulgaria, which recently gained international notoriety for its inhumane treatment of the special needs children supposedly in its care.  Because Amelia has Down's Syndrome, she was treated worse than a criminal, and neglected to the point where this 12 year old girl weighs 12 pounds.  Yes, please read that again.  And then please visit this blog post to see photos of this poor child and wrap your head and heart around this pain, this need. 

There is more than just the life of this child that warrants our urgent prayer:  her mother and sisters have gone to Bulgaria to liberate three other children from orphanages, including at least one more child from Pleven who is 15 and in equally poor health from long-term failure to thrive.  I know they have claimed one boy; I do not know if they have claimed the other two.  So you can imagine how horrible it would be to have one child fighting for life--but to have three other children who have been neglected and maltreated their entire lives, who are now yours, who you just want to be with and care for, but not be able to because you cannot abandon the one in the hospital. . . I cannot know how much suffering that mother is going through right now, but I can imagine a lot.

Please, pray for Amelia.  Please pray for her mother Jenny, for the doctors, for her newly liberated siblings, for the family members who are there to care for the children. . . .  there is no way we can pray too much, people!  Please join me in lifting up these desperate souls before the all-merciful Lord.

To learn more about the family and Amelia, you can also read here and here.