Remembering Sampson
July 21st 2007 - February 10th, 2010Sampson, you have changed so many hearts in your short life. Your eyes have spoken to many all over the world. There was sadness and pain in you that we could not heal on this earth, so the Lord has called you home. Your 2 and 1/2 years on earth were important. You will not be forgotten. I believe with all my heart that you are a child that will bridge many families to the child they were ultimately meant to parent. You are not HIV. You had HIV. You are not AIDS. You had AIDS. You are not poverty. You lived in poverty. You are not orphan. You were orphaned in this life, but in the next you will have adoring parents--two sets--to live with into eternity.
Dear Readers, Sampson passed away this evening in Ghana. He contracted malaria (again) and his frail body simply could not withstand the attack this time. Everything that could be done in Ghana, was done. Please do not let Sampson's story be for nothing. One prospective parent for Sampson asked me, "Why are you advocating so hard for this little boy?" I hadn't really thought about it until she asked me. The truest answer is, "Because I felt like I had to." We have had other HIV+ children in our care at Eban House that I did not share about on my blog. For whatever reason, that was the right thing to do for Sampson. I still believe that even though he won't be coming home to his adoptive parent's loving arms. Maybe Sampson touched you? Maybe seeing his face caused you to be ready to start the adoption process? Maybe his HIV status caused you to consider HIV when you had never done so before. His story was shared on this blog (and many others) for a reason. For many reasons, I suspect.
Please remember Sampson's family in your prayers. His family includes his adoptive family, his father in Ghana, and all who loved him at Eban House. At Eban House he had Aunties and brothers and sisters who will feel the daily loss of him very acutely. His adoptive family here in America counts them as their eternal son. They believe they will spend eternity with him. If you want to share in the comments section how Sampson has touched your life, I'm sure that would bless the family.
Thank you, for remembering Sampson.
Anita
11 comments:
Sweet Sampson. While we here on earth are so sorry about your passing, we are happy that you are with the Lord and are free from the issues you faced in life. I was blessed by reading your story and seeing your handsome little face. I wanted so badly for you to get to meet your parents here on earth, but I am sure that we all take comfort in the fact that you will get to meet them when you are all in Heaven. Please know that your short life counted for so much to so many people. You had so many people who loved you and wanted the best for you even though many had never even gotten the pleasure of meeting you and shaking your little hand. We all still love you and you will always be in our hearts and minds. Have fun in Heaven little guy. You deserve a wonderful and joyous time up there buddy! -Angela and family
How many times have we seen the statistics of the number of children who die each day as a result of malaria? Its feels very diffent when you have a face to go along with that statistic. God Bless you Sampson.
Prayers. Heartbreaking. :(
OH MY! I am sitting here with tears running down my face. I saw your header and sucked in my breath. NO, Not THAT! Our family was too big, my husband and me too old, our timing too late....to be Samson's family, but I as praying for him ,and for the family who would be his. I prasied God when you said there was a family about to accept his referral. Sweet baby boy! Safe in the arms of Jesus, how precious and how verysad that any child should die of diseases at such a young age.without mamma or pappa arms wrapped tenderly and protectively around him as he died. Thank you for sharing what you knew about Samson Anita. HE MATTERED. HE MATTERS NOW.I pray that his death will move many many hearts to move quickly towards other chldren who desperately need family aroudn them, committed to them for life. How I wish we could be amongst those families!
Oh I am so sorry to hear that little Sampson left the earth so soon. His smile and loving brown eyes were captivating- you could just see his little personality. The Lord has wrapped his loving arms around you and taken you home, sweet little man. Comfort to all of those that loved you...
Thank God for Anita who listens to the voice of God. Your willing heart, Anita, brought about meaning and purpose to many families who will now know that the statics and numbers are real children. Real living, breathing, beautiful children.
To Sampson's family and loved ones, I am truly saddened for your loss. Please know that you are in our prayers. May God bless your family richly for your heart for this child.
no words for this post just praying and crying.
Oh Sampson. We tried to make you our son but kept running in to closed doors. I was so glad when I was told you had a family! Even if it wasn't us, I was thrilled someone would call you their son.
You rocked our world little boy. We had a plan for our adoption and when we saw your face, our plan fell to pieces. Even after we knew you weren't to be our child, we had to rethink our whole plan. Suddenly we were open to a child that wasn't an infant and we were open to a child with HIV. When our babies come home, I will tell them about you, about how you changed everything for us.
I hope your parents can rest in this knowledge - you changed lives. Most adults can't even say that.
This post had an impact on me when I saw the date he was born... One day before our son. So many times I wonder where our son might be if he couldn't have been adopted. Seeing this really hit me and made me realize... that could've been our son. I can't imagine that. Our son is such a vibrant, full of life toddler. I can't imagine that all being taken away.
Anita, I am Deidre's mother, Sampson's Mimi. His grandfather was so excited when he had learned just the day before that he was going to have his first grandson. Deidre had told me a few days before but wanted to wait to tell him until they knew for sure that Sampson was theirs. How heartbreaking to find out the next day that we had already lost him. But how thankful to have been able to look at those beautiful eyes and know that he was ours, if only for a brief moment. Now he is in the arms of our Heavenly Father and what better place to be? I believe with all of my heart that God is going to use this, indeed He is already using it. It opened us up to talk to our young grandaughters about race, cultures and HIV, topics that we probably wouldn't have talked about, at least until they were older.
I want to thank you, Anita, for the support that you have given Deidre. She has fallen in love with you, and because of you she and Bradley (and my husband and I) have had their hearts opened to not only this precious baby boy, but to the HIV and AIDS epidemic. Thank you, thank you.
Sampson,
I would have brought you home long before you caught malaria if I could have. You were the first HIV positive child I considered adopting. Even though everywhere says I'm too young to adopt, I can't help looking and planning, and I fell in love with you instantly. I can't wait to meet you in Heaven- inquiring about adopting you opened my heart to adopting my child without regard to medical issues. I wish you could have been that special child in my life, and I know that many other families wish the same. You were loved by many, even from a distance. I prayed for you to find the love you deserved, and now you have then 100x over in Heaven.
Until we meet,
Dani & Eric
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