Thursday, November 01, 2007

Does anybody know what happened to Sofka?

I received the following comment to my Sept. 17 post about the BBC documentary Bulgaria's Abandoned Children:

"I am the mother of 2 Roma children that I adopted from Bulgarian orphanages 10 years ago. My daughter was 7 years old. When we were in Bulgaria visiting our daughter we found out that she had a twin. Further investigation let us to find out that the twin was still alive but was "severely affected." We asked for a medical evaluation and we were denied our request. We asked to visit her and we were told we would not be permitted to visit. We offered donations and they refused them. I was told by our facilitator that these places were horrible places. For 10 years I have been haunted by the thoughts of my daughters twin living in conditions that I would not even let my pets live in. Never having a family, never having access to medical help or services that may have changed her life. Every time I look at my daughter I wonder, what happened to this girl named Sofka. She would be 17 now.
My daughter doesn't know she has a twin. By the time we adopted her she had been so severely neglected physically and emotionally that the effects were lasting. She continues to struggle with post traumatic stress disorder from beatings and other events that she can't even verbalize. She is developmentally delayed. BUT she is getting the help she needs, she has enough to eat, she is living the life that her sister was never given the chance to live.
Maybe someday we will find out what happened to this girl."

I am reposting this comment with the meager hope that it may be read by somebody who knows the fate of this abandoned girl named Sofka (maybe Sophia). If you know something about it, please write a comment. If you are a Bulgarian blogger, you may go to my Bulgarian blog where I have translated this publication, copy it and republish it in your blog, so that it is read by more people.

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