Moses' welcome, a lesson in life for the whole family the family!
Fostering a child is a big adjustment for our volunteer foster families. They all agree that children bring a lot to them, more than they bring to the children. This is the case of Nadège and her children Camille (19 years old), Alice (16 years old) and Maria (9 years old), who received little Moïse in their home for 2 months. At the age of 5, this little Burkinabé was for them a beautiful example of courage and wisdom.
On November 20, 5-year-old Moïse landed at Nantes airport after a 5-hour flight from his native Burkina Faso. Despite the language barrier, he quickly put aside his shyness to smile at the 4 strangers who had come to pick him up and who were to become his host family.
This stay in France is synonymous with a new life for Moïse, who came to the CHU de Nantes for surgery on his tetralogy of Fallot. After numerous medical examinations, which the little boy passed without a second thought, he was successfully operated on two weeks after his arrival. Throughout his stay in hospital, Moïse never ceased to impress his host family with his strength and courage.
"Naturally, I was very concerned about Moses at the time of the operation. This photo of him as a doctor is important and symbolic for me. He's a little boy who has always held back his anxieties. He was very small. He was 5 but looked 3, and yet had an incredible mind! At the time this photo was taken, he had just undergone surgery, but was not yet standing upright. He's been having medical check-ups for his heart since he was very young, so I interpreted his pride and mischievous look in the photo as a way of thumbing his nose at me. It was as if he was saying: "You don't have to worry about me, I'm better and I can even take on the role of doctor now!
Nadège, Moses' foster mother
Once back on his feet, Moïse was able to return to his host family on December 23, just in time to celebrate Christmas! Several weeks of convalescence followed, during which Moïse showed a real thirst for learning. He began to speak French, discovered the sea, and spent many happy moments with his brothers and sisters. Particularly with Maria, the family's youngest daughter, with whom he forged a strong bond.
After a final positive post-operative consultation, the time has come for Moïse to go back home to Burkina Faso.
"At the moment of departure, thanks to him, I didn't shed a tear. He was prepared to leave and understood the situation very well. He even reassured me! »
Nadège and her children have wonderful memories of this welcome. This little 5 year old will have brought them a beautiful lesson of life.
