Sharing Smiles: JJ’s Story

“Most smiles are started by another smile.” – Frank A. Clark

Every child deserves a family. Every child deserves – and needs – the love, care, and individual attention found in a family environment. 

In fact, there is clear and compelling research showing that when children don’t receive adequate personal interaction within a loving environment, development is stunted and learning abilities are delayed or lost.

Think about it: when parents welcome a new baby, they often spend hours staring into their eyes as they talk to them and smile at them. As babies grow older, they start to mimic those smiles and emotions…which is an extremely important part of their emotional development. 

However, children growing up in an orphanage don’t have that same experience. They are cared for by a rotating staff of employees, and while those employees are no doubt loving and kind people, they don’t have the time to give one-on-one attention to all the kids. Orphaned and vulnerable children often don’t learn to show or recognize emotions because they haven’t had those emotions modeled to them.

And the COVID-19 pandemic has created some additional challenges in this area. Children like JJ, who were born during the pandemic, are at an even bigger disadvantage when it comes to their emotional development.

That’s why we are so thankful for you…you are helping more and more children get out of orphanages and into loving families. Read on to learn how you have changed JJ’s life…and why you are a hero to this little boy from Sonora, Mexico.

JJ’S STORy 

JJ was born in January 2020 in Hermosillo. His mother left him at a hospital immediately after he was born, and JJ was placed into an orphanage when he was just four days old. 

The first several months of his life, which are so critical to development, were right at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. As JJ became more aware of the world around him, everyone began to distance from each other and wear masks full time.

For all children, seeing adults wear masks (and often wearing masks themselves) was an adjustment…but for kids living in orphanages, the impact was even greater. Children in families had the opportunity to go home, where they and their families would remove masks and interact normally. However, JJ and other children in the orphanage had a different experience.

The staff at the orphanage wore masks during their entire shifts. This means that during the first year and a half of JJ’s life, he never saw any facial expressions from his caregivers. JJ’s primary method for learning to express emotions – seeing and mimicking expressions from adults – was nonexistent.

Had JJ remained in the orphanage, his emotional and psychological development would have continued to be at risk. But thankfully, because of you, JJ’s life changed through the love of a family.

A New Beginning

Hansel and Moises first heard about The Hope Effect through our founder, Joshua Becker, as they were learning about minimalism. They had always talked about the possibility of adoption, but started exploring family-style care after attending a foster and adoption summit in Guatemala last year.

When they learned The Hope Effect is pioneering family-style care in Hermosillo where they lived, Hansel and Moises reached out to our team. They immediately began the process of getting certified to provide family-style care.

A few months ago, they got a call to come and meet a one-year-old little boy. At first glance, they knew they would welcome JJ into their home and their hearts. After several visits, JJ went home with Hansel and Moises…and his life was instantly changed. 

SHARING SMILES

When JJ first entered family-style care, his weight was low and he didn’t want to walk by himself. He was also wary of Moises, his new foster father. JJ had not been around many men because most of the staff at the orphanage was female. Hansel and Moises focused on bonding with him and helping him eat well.

Through the love and care of his new family, JJ quickly began to make progress. He started bonding with his family, including his foster brother and sister. By the third day, he was so comfortable that he was running around the house!

Two months later, he is eating well (his family says he eats all the time!) and gaining weight with proper nutrition. He sleeps through the night, and Hansel and Moises say he is a sweet, patient, joyful child. And although he was initially nervous around Moises, JJ has bonded deeply with his foster father. 

There has been such a huge change in this little boy in the short time he’s been a part of this family. He is happy and thriving…and it’s all thanks to you!

We are so grateful that because of you, JJ is surrounded by love and sharing smiles with a family today. Thank you for changing JJ’s life…and changing the way the world cares for orphans!