by Todd Habiger
todd.habiger@theleaven.org
“Nobody wants Elayne.”
That’s just the harsh reality, said Sister Magdalena, PJC, who helps run Project Rescue of Amazon Youth (P.R.A.Y.) in Brazil.
The organization, founded in 1997, and now partnered with the Fraternity the Poor of Jesus Christ, has had many success stories over the years as they’ve helped save abandoned, abused and neglected children in Para and Mozambique, Brazil.
Elayne, however, is a special case.
She arrived at P.R.A.Y. five years ago with three siblings.
“Their father had died, and their mother is a drug addict,” said Sister Magdalena. “They became wards of the state, and the justice system sent them to us because we have the only place for children who are abandoned, orphaned, neglected, and/or abused.”
While her siblings have all been adopted, Elayne has issues that make adoption virtually impossible. She’s non-verbal, autistic and has mental issues. She’s also prone to uncontrollable outbursts of rage.
“She recently had a serious outburst, and nothing could calm her down,” said Sister Magdalena. “She was sent to a special hospital in Belem, Para, Brazil.”
But the hospital can only keep her for so long. Soon she will be back in the care of P.R.A.Y.
Elayne is 16 years old and will be at P.R.A.Y. for the rest of her life. She can’t survive on her own.
Without P.R.A.Y. Elayne “would be on the streets and subject to all sorts of abuse. She would go hungry, be physically violated, raped, and even killed,” said Sister Magdalena.
Because of her aggressiveness, Elayne needs a round-the-clock caregiver. P.R.A.Y. is hoping to raise funds to hire two caregivers that can trade off caring for Elayne.
“She has to have a person who takes care of only her,” said Sister Magdalena. “The caregiver prepares her to go to a special school, as well as bathes her, changes diapers, helps her eat her food and gives her medicine.”
P.R.A.Y. also would like to build a small house on the property where Elayne and her caregiver could live, separate from the others at P.R.A.Y.
“We need to protect the other children, and she would be calmer alone with a caregiver,” said Sister Magdalena. “We would be happy to have prayers and any financial help that someone would feel in their heart to give.”
Sister Magdalena, originally a parishioner of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, said that Elayne isn’t always aggressive.
“She smiles, and seems to understand when talked to,” she said.
Sister Magdalena said that P.R.A.Y. is committed to helping Elayne live the best life she can under their care.
“There is no other place to help her,” she said.
In addition to Elayne’s needs, P.R.A.Y. is also in search of funds to buy a new vehicle to transport their children around. An old Volkswagen van that the organization has used for years has given its last ride. P.R.A.Y. is looking for a small, cheap replacement to help in their mission to care for God’s children.
Donations can be sent to: P.R.A.Y., 601 Elm St., Wamego, KS 66547.
