Sad Story of Treatment of Russian Orphans with Mouths Taped Shut

Adoption Friends,

I learned of a very sad story on the treatment of Russian children - possibly orphans - that I thought you should know.

According to a United Press International (UPI) story today, babies in a hospital in Yekaterinburg were photographed with their mouths taped shut (possibly with pacifier in them) by a woman with a cell phone camera. The woman went to investigate after she heard muffled cries. When she question a nurse in the ward, she was told to mind her own business. She reported it to the authorities and a criminal investigation is now underway.

According to the UPI story, "The unidentified woman doctor said her staff was overworked and underpaid and the practice of taping the babies' mouths shut saved a great deal of time by preventing pacifiers from being spit onto the floor." The story has caused understandable outrage in Russia.

I also saw this story briefly on CNN Headline News today, where they stated that the children in question were orphans and that in a separate incident I believe a three year old child was being given sedatives so the child would sleep through nap time. I have been unable to find this story posted on the CNN.com, and have sent an email to CNN asking if they were going to post it. If I receive a response I will let you know.

I found the most detailed account of this story on Pravda.ru which states, "There were conflicting reports as to whether the infants were all orphans" and includes one image apparently from the cell phone footage. I've also found the story on the Moscow Times web site as well as on MoscowNews.com.

How very sad in so many ways. No matter if the children were orphans or not. No matter if this is an isolated incident (as I pray) or something worse. As I adopted my youngest son from Russia, I felt terrible as I watched this story on CNN. And the feeling gets worse the more I think about it. I honestly wondered if I should make this post and what good it could do.

But it also made me think of these little children. What if they were orphans? Already in the hospital alone, abandoned by their birth parents. At the time they need to be loved and nurtured they experience this. And who knows what else. So it made me think that the truth is we don't really know what our children went through before they came into our arms. It made me think of how brave and strong that they are. Survivors.

And it make me think how much more important it is for us to be prepared to help them overcome whatever they've been through. Things we'll probably never know and they'll likely never be able to tell us. To be prepared to help them heal physically, emotionally (where the scars are hidden and harder to heal) - whatever - so that they can truly find love and comfort in our arms forever.

If we do then, perhaps, something good can come of this.