Romano

This Saturday I went with some of the workers and kids to a Catholic orphanage where they take in people with special needs. It was an amazing experience, and I’m so glad I was able to go. One of the kids who used to live at Sankey, Ramano, is now living there. I’m not exactly sure what kind of disability he has. He is able to work at the orphanage, and help out by doing jobs around the place. He is very self-sufficient, and the orphanage has really helped him out. He also has a sister, Mary Ann, who still lives here at Sankey.

            So myself along with 3 of the boys, Mary Ann, and three of the workers woke up at 4:30 to make the 3-hour trek through the Pilipino traffic to spend the day with Romano. Now the people here haven’t seen Romano in 4 years, and that includes Mary Ann. It’s hard to imagine the feelings of her, but she was able to keep her emotions in check and greet her brother for the first time in a long time. Romano still remembered all their names. One of the first things he said was he wanted to come back to Sankey. Which breaks your heart, but we know he is in a good place where they take care of him.

            One of the Catholic orphanages goals is to help these kids become more self -sufficient. They teach them labor jobs that they will be able to do and to keep them busy.  They work on the farm, learn cleaning jobs, etc. It really is a great set-up where they all are looked after and properly fed.

            Growing up in our family we have always had a special place in our hearts for kids with special needs. My Uncle who has Downs Syndrome is one of the joys of my life, and becomes that for anyone who meets him. He is a loving soul, and is a living example of how we are supposed to love our neighbors as ourselves. Though I think loving people right is one of the inherit traits of people with special needs, I also think it is ingrained by how they are brought up. My Papa and Grandmother have been an amazing example how to treat someone with special needs. LIKE REAL PEOPLE! They constantly give him jobs, and shower him with love. Though it’s obvious my Uncle is different we have never treated him like he was different. We treat him like the equal that he is in our family, and I think that is part of why he is so loving to others.

Whenever I meet another person with special needs I’ve always thought of how treasured they are in God’s eyes. I couldn’t help but think that as I was privileged enough to meet Romano and some of the others that live in the Catholic orphanage. It was also an eye opening experience to think of all the people around the world who have special needs. They are so precious, and they needed to be treated as gifts not tossed aside and ignored.

 Michael, the special needs boy who is still at Sankey, came with us on the trip because in a year or so he will have to join Romano at the Catholic orphanage. He was so happy to be reunited with Romano. I’ve been told that when they were both here growing up at Sankey they were constantly together, and since Romano had to move out Michael constantly says his name. Whenever Michael is given food he sets aside part of it and says this is for Mano, or when he is given clothes he asks if there are any extras for Mano. It’s a valuable example of how we are supposed to act as Christians.

Ok this isn’t a Philippines story, but it goes along with the point I want to make in this post.

My Uncle Eugene is quite famous for referring to everyone he meets as either Brother, Pal, or Angel. One of my favorite Uncle E stories is when our Kvam family was out at a restaurant and had a male waiter who was a very flamboyant gay man. None of our family paid the man much mind, and they ate their dinner without really speaking much to the guy. Uncle E, who loves to pay the tip, asked Papa if he could give the waiter some money. So instead of leaving the money on the table, as most people do, he went and found the waiter in the restaurant. He went up to him handed the waiter the money and gave him a big hug. He then walked away with his famous “all eyes on me” strut, and told everyone it was time to split. As my Grandmother was walking out of the restaurant the waiter came up to her with tears in his eyes, and said he just wanted to thank her for her son. He had been having a really hard time, and told her how much Uncle E’s hug meant.

 My Uncle Eugene is a perfect example of loving people the way we are called to love. Not by the outward appearance, but to love as Jesus loves, us with all our ugliness and faults. I feel so privileged to be able to say that Eugene Kvam is my Uncle! He is one of my heroes, and truly a needed example on how to love people well.