Tag Archives: Foster care

Traumatic effects of an Abandoned Child

This particular patient was very dear to my heart.  To this day I cannot remember her name, I met her over a year ago as well. But I have never forgotten her. I only knew for a week or two but it doesn’t take long to build a connection with some people. This patient was a 13 year old girl. When I first met her she was playing cards at the day room table and I went over to introduce myself. She had her guard up and didn’t smile. She was showing another patient a card trick where she would tell you your future with the cards. Later I asked her to read me my future and a big smile went across her face. She had the most beautiful smile I have ever seen. Her eyes lit up and you could see the child in her come out. We continued to bond while playing cards. She told me how she had been shifted around to different foster homes for years now. I could not imagine who wouldnt want this little girl, she was so sweet. So I went and looked in her chart and found that she had been abandoned at the hospital when she was born. She had never had parents. I was heartbroken for her. Every night I would sing to her as she laid in her bed. She couldn’t fall asleep because she heard voices. Scary ones. The last night I sang to her, I told her I wouldnt see her again, that she would be leaving the next day to go to another foster home. She started crying and said, ” But you were the best mom I ever had.” It hurt me so much that she didn’t have a mother. She was such a beautiful girl inside and out, so innocent and so alone. I wished I could have adopted her right then and there. But what I remind myself is that I can do what I can do. She can always remember the love that was shown to her even if it was but a glimpse in time.

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