Sadly, a very small child’s remains were discovered a few minutes ago near the wall of the Love A Child compound here. The section of a 10-foot high wall is close to where the clinic used to be. This area is not frequented by people. One of the security guys discovered the remains while performing a security check in a locked area.

We asked Dr. Barthelemy to examine the body. He said it has been here for a very long time. There are only bones. The heat of the Haitian sun probably sped up decomposition. The skull was fractured. The legs were broken beneath the femur, folded against the torso. The child was wrapped in warm clothes, a blanket, and a sweatshirt and was still hanging on the razor wire above.

Because of the clothing, we think that the child was from the mountains, and was sick or malnourished. This precious person was most likely thrown over the wall in the hopes of being rescued. The way the body was lying, Dr. Barthelemy does not believe they survived the long fall.

I cannot imagine the desperation of a mother or father so in need of assistance that they would be willing to risk the life of their child for the prospect of help. The risk of the fall was deemed to be a better choice than starvation or the suffering of sickness.

We have had several babies dropped off at the gate or left behind within the walls. It is not new. People here are desperate. But this poor child probably did not cry out. The plunge to the hard ground below was too much.

My heart bleeds for these poor people. This was someone’s son or daughter. Thousands of people just outside our wall need help. The situation is awful. They need Love A Child to continue to feed the poor, provide health care to the sick and broken, and show them who God is by what we do!

Jesse Ostrander