What better way for the Chronicle to inspire Page residents for 2018 than with a beautiful story of inspiration from 2017.

Imagine a simple hug and a few moments of attention being a child’s entire world of happiness that imprints a lasting influence their whole life.  The opportunity for these precious moments are rare and very far between for disabled and special needs orphans in Romania.

While attending Brigham Young University, Natalie Mallavia was introduced to the International Language Program (ILP). The ILP’s Humanitarian Program would take her to Lasi (Yash), Romania to love disabled/special needs orphans. These orphans who, because of the shortage of care givers, rarely get held the way mothers hold their children.

“You could never replicate a mother’s love,” said Mallavia, “or the attention she could give to her child.”

However, giving unconditional love, ten minutes at a time, was what Mallavia, an 18 year old resident of Page, Ariz., felt she was brave enough to give.

During the first moments she was introduced to the orphans, Mallavia had to call upon all her strength of her character, her church and family values, and her overall commitment to the children.

In those first moments Mallavia, and the other 11 students with her, took notice of the lives the orphan children lived.

“The living conditions and the food, they are doing the best that they can for their situation,” she said, with deep emotional pain. “I’m a protective person and when I see that... we all got upset. Some are severely disabled and have limits. They lack so many things we take for granted, such as an abundance of food. In America, there are a lot of programs to help people who are without, but Lasi is in a developing country. Some will stay in the facility their whole lives, I have to be grateful they at least have [longterm care].”

She stayed a semester, May 8th to August 22nd, 2017. They were given apartments where she and three roommates were each introduced to five orphans to ‘mother’. At the end of each month they rotated in new children under her care to give more children the same opportunity for attention and love. 

“What was so special about my program is it wasn’t like any other ILP program.  [We] didn’t go there to teach them a new language, we just went to the orphanage to love them. [We went] there to help them with their progress, to just hold them, maybe teach them to walk or speak a few words. Just simple things. I think they helped me and served me more than I served them. Their happiness brings me so much happiness. Their smiles and their love, they so freely give it, showed me that it’s the little things that matter.”

Each orphan was in need of advanced medical care and were only getting their basic medical needs met. Because Romania is still a developing country due to lack of technology, lack of available medical care, and jobs, it means many children are born with disabilities. These children are either orphaned for having disabilities or because Child Protective Services had taken them from horrible living conditions.

Due to archaic laws on birth control and ban on international adoption of Romanian children, the orphanages are overpopulated and numbers are still growing. Before regulation of adoption laws many children had been lost to slavery rings. Now the Romanian government, in an attempt to restructure the care of the orphans, have limited any outside resources. Only a few children find families to adopt them.

“The workers there are amazing, very kind,” said Mallavia. “The facilities are spotless and well taken care of, but with the amount of kids, so many children don’t get held enough. I love kids and I want to be in health care just like my dad, because my happiness comes from helping others and seeing them smile. I just want to do my part and help these kids because they didn’t get to choose their circumstances.

The Experience of a New Country

While participating in the program the students’ safety and respect of the country’s rules was the highest factor in making the experience a success. The students were essentially on their own but had access to a liaison/coordinator who was just a phone call away, even for the smallest need, which gave the students an anchor for their own success and the program’s continuity. 

    “It was not what I was expecting. It is third world because of technology, jobs and health care but it’s also very green.” said Mallavia, describing the country’s basic sights.

Going further in depth, she added that the Orthodox Catholic style architecture and religious icons were reminiscent of the communist government influence.

With a sense of irony Mallavia added, “But they had an amazing mall. The streets were clean, barely any homeless. They had a metro. There were markets everywhere.”                                                                                                                                                           Mallavia also gives credit to her parents who supported her endeavor with trust and faith. “My parents were very nervous. We were in a different country every day and my dad is like a ‘call as soon as you get home’ kind of dad. They were super supportive of their 18 year old daughter in a foreign country.  I was there a week before the Barcelona terrorist attack, that's when I found out how bad it could be.  Europe has completely different culture and customs.

Mallavia said it was a very valuable life experience.

“I’m glad I did it.” She said. “I don’t know if I’d do it again, being so far from home. It taught me to be independent and how to be safe in scary situations. It taught me how to love on a whole different level.”

Saying Goodbye

Unlike the ‘push them out of the nest’ theory it was Mallavia who wanted to leave the nest for the next semester’s students.

Using a Google translator, she found the right words to say to her children when the day arrived to say goodbye.

“It was so hard. I had a lot of guilt leaving because they didn’t understand that I wouldn’t be coming back. I had [my goodbye] translated but I had bought them toys and they were more interested in that.”

The memory makes her laugh with sadness because anybody with children knows toys can distract from any hurt.

“I had been there every day for three and a half months, so they thought I would be back the next day,” she said. “They didn’t understand. That was hard for me because I got so attached. If I could’ve taken one of them home, I would’ve gotten my mother to help me adopt.”

Mallavia will carry the children with her in her heart always because the government would not allow any photo’s to be taken without parental consent.

“Each child had a special spirit and a contagious smile. We all wanted to adopt a child,” she said.

    Mallavia left for her mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints last week. Once she completes her mission she will go on to study Physiological and Developmental Biology hoping to one day be a doctor and continue the link of hope for a healthier future of children everywhere.

    Mallavia said to the people of Page, with hope for a great new year, “I think if we find our “Romanian” Page, [we can all find happiness]. I mean, I found what I love in a foreign country. There are so many of us here with special talents that we can go and help so many different people just in our own town.

“I loved my experience going abroad but I can find similar experiences here in Arizona or Utah. My challenge to everyone is to find someone to help because you’ll see that you’ll just end up helping yourself. I think it’s the best thing we can do in the new year, the best gift we can give both to ourselves and others is the gift of love. Helping them in service and compassion. [I believe] we have such an amazing town.”