Finally Out of His Shell
Meet Bennett! When you look at this picture, you might not realize that the boy before you is a happy, healthy, and all-around enchanting little guy. That's because when this photo was taken, it wasn't exactly the case. When Sarah's Covenant Homes rescued Bennett in July 2016, he was not the boy we know today. Totally withdrawn, Bennett's face showed little to no expression and his eyes seemed sadly empty. In some ways he was very much like a newborn baby. Lack of stimulation and interaction had kept him in that state for far too long.
Today, Bennett is a completely different kid!
It didn't take long for this buttercup to bloom. Slowly but surely... he began to respond to his caregivers' warmth and love. Soon we were overjoyed to see Bennett's personality come to the surface! One of the first things we learned is that Bennett is a rockstar- literally, he loves to rock out! He is in his happy place when he gets to listen to music, especially loud music with a great beat. He can sit and listen to drums, sitars, and voices singing for hours and he will never get tired of it! Sweet Bennett will be smiling and giggling the entire time.
It's been so special for us to see Bennett express himself more and more, especially to share his likes and dislikes with us. Take meal time for example- he has made it loud and clear what foods are his favorite. The love of his life right now is fruit! We dare you to try not to smile while you watch him get excited over the mangoes, bananas, and melons that are served at snack time. (Warning: you won't be able to. It's adorable! You'll be grinning from ear to ear.) When he eats fruit, he is the happiest kid around... and somehow he can always make room for more! Believe it or not, at first he didn't like the fruit much, but it's become his favorite food. His caregivers say he seems to really enjoy the sweetness and the different textures. Sadly, he probably didn't eat fresh fruit growing up in the orphanage. There are a lot of things that he now has access to that he may have never had if he hadn't come to Sarah's Covenant Homes.
And we are so very glad that he did come to us. No one can deny that becoming a part of the Faith Home family has changed Bennett's life. Every day he is becoming more and more responsive to the people around him- these days he's always smiling or laughing when people call his name or try to get him engaged in an activity. We can't wait to see what growth and development is next for him. Already we're blown away by how much Bennett's communication skills have improved. He is now able to use his facial expressions to let his caregivers know what he wants or how he is feeling.
We could go on and on about this amazing kid. Bennett has come out of his shell because he is finally in a safe place where people love him and are willing to make the extra effort to hear him. At Sarah's Covenant Homes, he isn't overlooked or neglected because of his special needs. It's hard work for him to communicate but (for perhaps the first time in his life) it's worth the effort because he is surrounded by people who will listen!
Although Bennett has been at SCH for many months, he as yet to gain a single sponsor. That means that we've been drawing from the general fund to pay for all his needs to be met. Believe us, this boy is worth every penny, but it just doesn't make sense that someone so special doesn't have a team to rally behind him! Would you partner with us in giving this awesome kid a loving home? Be the first person to join his sponsorship team- today! You can give monthly at any amount and be a part of this beautiful story.