VALENCIA WOMAN WORKS TO BUILD FAMILIES ACROSS AN OCEAN ORPHANAGE ESTABLISHED IN HAITI TO CONNECT CHILDREN WITH AMERICAN HOMES.
Byline: Judy O'Rourke Staff Writer
SANTA CLARITA - A Valencia woman who traveled to Haiti to adopt a child has ended up adopting an orphanage instead.
After visiting Port-Au-Prince twice to establish a relationship with the toddler, Gretchen Huijskens's heart was broken when the orphanage's director abruptly terminated the arrangement, Huijskens said. Rather than souring Huijskens on the process, the loss hardened her resolve to help the helpless.
``There is a misconception we all have that the mothers don't care, that they love their children less than we love our children,'' she said.
Sometimes people drop off newborn babies near death from malnutrition because the mothers are too malnourished to produce breast milk.
``At that point they're little skeletons ... the birth mothers realize they cannot do more for these children.''
On the heartbreaking trip three years ago, Huijskens searched for a property and a lawyer she could trust. Four months later she applied for a license to operate an orphanage, and she set up shop, known as Angel House. The license application is still pending due to red tape and a chaotic political climate, she said. Huijskens's strong Christian faith seems to immunize her from becoming mired in fear over the dangerous country.
The State Department's travel warning, in effect since Nov. 22, triggers alarm bells.
``In light of continuing instability, the Department of State warns U.S. citizens against travel to Haiti at this time and urges American citizens to exercise caution and security awareness if they must travel to or reside in Haiti,'' the warning said.
It goes on to warn of the potential for spontaneous demonstrations and violent confrontations between armed groups, noting the absence of an effective police force in much of Haiti, the potential for looting and intermittent roadblocks set by armed gangs or the police and the possibility of random violent crime, including carjacking and assault.
``Kidnapping for ransom remains a particular threat, with over 25 American citizens including children kidnapped over the past year,'' it said, adding travel within Port-Au-Prince can be ``hazardous.''
``It's one of the great ironies of relief work, the places in most need of help are most dangerous for foreigners to operate,'' said Justin Higgins, a State Department spokesman. ``Unfortunate things happen to religiously motivated workers and those who have more secular nondenominational motivation.''
Huijskens stays out of the line of fire for the most part, running the orphanage long-distance from her Valencia home. She and the three other board members of the nonprofit Three Angels Children's Relief organization take turns visiting the orphanage and an adjacent school in the armed guard-protected and barbed wire-ringed compound.
She and her 11-year-old daughter Elizabeth had a near-brush with danger two years ago when robbers attempted to break into the orphanage's previous site, but the house manager withheld the news from her until the danger had passed.
``If they would have realized the children were being adopted by Americans, they would have held them for ransom,'' she said. ``I always have been protected. I have never been in a place where I felt fearful.''
Her protective shield is stronger than armor.
``I really believe this is my calling, where God has put us, even my family,'' she said. ``It is a true blessing to be able to help these people.''
Angela Fairchild, 26, manager at Java 'N Jazz in Valencia, plans to leave in early March for a six-month stint at Angel House. She expects to engage the children's small and large motor skills, dribbling basketballs, kicking around soccer balls and drawing with crayons and markers. Fairchild does not ignore the danger, but like Huijskens doesn't second-guess the rightness she feels.
While Angel House is off-and-on home to about 38 children, two slots are reserved for severely malnourished children.
``Every morning we have at least two mothers sitting out there with children on their laps they want to abandon,'' she said. ``We take the children who are going to die without intervention, children who aren't eating.''
It costs $16,000 a month to run the nonprofit business. Angel House is not an adoption agency, but the organization acts as a liaison between a lawyer and prospective adoptive parents to assist with independent international adoptions. Fees from the adoptions help keep the facility running. A $3,000 donation is given at the beginning of the adoption process, and a monthly fee of $400 is charged for up to nine months, until the process is concluded. Twenty- three children have been adopted into American homes so far.
Start-up costs amounted to about $10,000, Huijskens said, which were pooled between the board members. Huijskens would like to create a program to help the mothers keep their children. She hopes to raise the $250,000 needed to buy the orphanage and school buildings, set on about half an acre. The facility has no running water - it must be trucked in - and sporadic electricity, so the food - corn porridge, bananas, avocados, hard-boiled eggs, rice and beans and powdered milk - is prepared fresh every day.
There is no set age when children must leave, but in the back of her mind, Huijskens mulls over the dim adoption prospects for a sibling group of three. Their family was reportedly doing fine until the father mysteriously disappeared. The mother visits every couple of weeks, but is discouraged from more frequent visits to prevent the children from becoming too connected with her, just in case. Johnson is about 6, Rosaline is 3 and Lovely will be 2 in March.
``They are really attached,'' Huijskens said. ``Johnson will sit, the girls will take naps in his lap. He has been known to play with trucks while they sleep in his lap.''
Huijskens feels blessed she has never had to let Elizabeth or Harrison be hungry, and wishes she could corral more beds in the faraway chaotic land.
Judy O'Rourke, (661) 257-5255
judy.orourke(at)dailynews.com
SANTA CLARITA - A Valencia woman who traveled to Haiti to adopt a child has ended up adopting an orphanage instead.
After visiting Port-Au-Prince twice to establish a relationship with the toddler, Gretchen Huijskens's heart was broken when the orphanage's director abruptly terminated the arrangement, Huijskens said. Rather than souring Huijskens on the process, the loss hardened her resolve to help the helpless.
``There is a misconception we all have that the mothers don't care, that they love their children less than we love our children,'' she said.
Sometimes people drop off newborn babies near death from malnutrition because the mothers are too malnourished to produce breast milk.
``At that point they're little skeletons ... the birth mothers realize they cannot do more for these children.''
On the heartbreaking trip three years ago, Huijskens searched for a property and a lawyer she could trust. Four months later she applied for a license to operate an orphanage, and she set up shop, known as Angel House. The license application is still pending due to red tape and a chaotic political climate, she said. Huijskens's strong Christian faith seems to immunize her from becoming mired in fear over the dangerous country.
The State Department's travel warning, in effect since Nov. 22, triggers alarm bells.
``In light of continuing instability, the Department of State warns U.S. citizens against travel to Haiti at this time and urges American citizens to exercise caution and security awareness if they must travel to or reside in Haiti,'' the warning said.
It goes on to warn of the potential for spontaneous demonstrations and violent confrontations between armed groups, noting the absence of an effective police force in much of Haiti, the potential for looting and intermittent roadblocks set by armed gangs or the police and the possibility of random violent crime, including carjacking and assault.
``Kidnapping for ransom remains a particular threat, with over 25 American citizens including children kidnapped over the past year,'' it said, adding travel within Port-Au-Prince can be ``hazardous.''
``It's one of the great ironies of relief work, the places in most need of help are most dangerous for foreigners to operate,'' said Justin Higgins, a State Department spokesman. ``Unfortunate things happen to religiously motivated workers and those who have more secular nondenominational motivation.''
Huijskens stays out of the line of fire for the most part, running the orphanage long-distance from her Valencia home. She and the three other board members of the nonprofit Three Angels Children's Relief organization take turns visiting the orphanage and an adjacent school in the armed guard-protected and barbed wire-ringed compound.
She and her 11-year-old daughter Elizabeth had a near-brush with danger two years ago when robbers attempted to break into the orphanage's previous site, but the house manager withheld the news from her until the danger had passed.
``If they would have realized the children were being adopted by Americans, they would have held them for ransom,'' she said. ``I always have been protected. I have never been in a place where I felt fearful.''
Her protective shield is stronger than armor.
``I really believe this is my calling, where God has put us, even my family,'' she said. ``It is a true blessing to be able to help these people.''
Angela Fairchild, 26, manager at Java 'N Jazz in Valencia, plans to leave in early March for a six-month stint at Angel House. She expects to engage the children's small and large motor skills, dribbling basketballs, kicking around soccer balls and drawing with crayons and markers. Fairchild does not ignore the danger, but like Huijskens doesn't second-guess the rightness she feels.
While Angel House is off-and-on home to about 38 children, two slots are reserved for severely malnourished children.
``Every morning we have at least two mothers sitting out there with children on their laps they want to abandon,'' she said. ``We take the children who are going to die without intervention, children who aren't eating.''
It costs $16,000 a month to run the nonprofit business. Angel House is not an adoption agency, but the organization acts as a liaison between a lawyer and prospective adoptive parents to assist with independent international adoptions. Fees from the adoptions help keep the facility running. A $3,000 donation is given at the beginning of the adoption process, and a monthly fee of $400 is charged for up to nine months, until the process is concluded. Twenty- three children have been adopted into American homes so far.
Start-up costs amounted to about $10,000, Huijskens said, which were pooled between the board members. Huijskens would like to create a program to help the mothers keep their children. She hopes to raise the $250,000 needed to buy the orphanage and school buildings, set on about half an acre. The facility has no running water - it must be trucked in - and sporadic electricity, so the food - corn porridge, bananas, avocados, hard-boiled eggs, rice and beans and powdered milk - is prepared fresh every day.
There is no set age when children must leave, but in the back of her mind, Huijskens mulls over the dim adoption prospects for a sibling group of three. Their family was reportedly doing fine until the father mysteriously disappeared. The mother visits every couple of weeks, but is discouraged from more frequent visits to prevent the children from becoming too connected with her, just in case. Johnson is about 6, Rosaline is 3 and Lovely will be 2 in March.
``They are really attached,'' Huijskens said. ``Johnson will sit, the girls will take naps in his lap. He has been known to play with trucks while they sleep in his lap.''
Huijskens feels blessed she has never had to let Elizabeth or Harrison be hungry, and wishes she could corral more beds in the faraway chaotic land.
Judy O'Rourke, (661) 257-5255
judy.orourke(at)dailynews.com
