Paige's Bio

 Name: Paige
Birthdate: March 18, 2011
Paige was born on March 18, 2011 and abandoned at the local park one month later. When her parents could not be found, she was taken to the local orphanage. Paige was born with a severe heart disease (single ventricle, single atrium, pulmonary artery artesia, and dextrocardia). When she is being held, Paige loves to look and smile into the face of whoever is holding her. Paige is an active little girl during tummy time and can wiggle her hands and feet. She can recognize her name and turns her head when called. Paige is a lovely and smart little girl and we hope that she will feel loved here. We long for the day when her heart is whole and she is completely healthy.

That was it. Those were the words that the world knew Paige by.

And I had written them.

One of my tasks here is to edit the bios of the new babies, and update the bios of the little ones who have graduated from their initial descriptions. I remember one day having to edit a dozen bios, each beginning with those words, “…when her/his parents could not be found…” Each and every one of the baby’s stories began with the word, “abandoned”. Each and every one of the bios described missing parents, and diagnosis’s. It’s hard.

But I like to end each bio with something bright. With some words of hope. Sometimes, when the child is in desperate need of surgery, their bios end with something like, “we cannot wait to see the transformation that surgery makes in her life…” I try to say something that gives supporters a picture of the hope we have for each child, and the transformation that we anticipate.

Finding the bio I wrote for Paige back then, when I hardly knew her, was a relief. I thought that it was lost, replaced on the website with her memorial card. It was, but I was able to find it again.

I read it, and the last two sentences sent a pang to my heart.

Paige is a lovely and smart little girl and we hope that she will feel loved here. We long for the day when her heart is whole and she is completely healthy.

Nothing about surgery healing her heart. Nothing. 

It says, "we hope that she will feel loved..." and she did! That hope was fulfilled and Paige was so loved.

It says, "we long for the day when her heart is whole and she is completely healthy..." and it is. Paige's heart is whole. Paige, as I type these words, is completely healthy.