Uncle Adam

It started with hiring a new nanny last spring. During the interview process, the woman happened to mention her husband's situation. “Adam” was 40 years old and used to be a driver and work in construction. But then he was in a serious car accident and suffered horrible burns over his face and the upper half of his body. He lived, but healing burns left behind terrible scar tissue, and he was marked for life.

After he recovered, he tried to go back to his normal life. At first he looked for work, but no one would hire him because his disfigured face would "scare their customers away." He eventually gave up looking for a job, and for two years was left to stay at home while his wife worked hard to support their family, his sense of uselessness daily increasing. He would go out into the village or the city occasionally, running errands and looking for odd jobs, but he became increasingly broken by the stares. Then one day he was on an elevator with his wife in the city, and two women got on. One of them looked at him, and she started screaming.

He couldn't get off the elevator.

He had to stay there while she stared at him in horror, screaming in fear and revolt.

It was the last day he ever left his house.

After hearing the story from his wife during her interview, we suggested that she have her husband come in for an interview for an open gardener's position. The woman looked up with surprise, shocked that after hearing the story, someone would actually want to face her husband. He came a few hours later. During the first interview, he never made eye contact and kept his head lowered. Clearly very nervous, he wore a large hat to shield his face. When he was called back for a second interview, he couldn't hide his surprise. When he was offered the job, he nearly broke down with thankfulness and shock.

He started immediately... turning our sometimes overgrown backyard into a place of beauty and peace. The garden is the perfect place for Adam; he is mostly by himself, so he doesn't have to face the unwelcome stares of strangers. His task all day long is to prune, plant, and create beauty – a job given to a man who many treat as though he takes away beauty. All of the staff at our organization where instructed never to stare or treat him any differently than anyone else; those who did so would face consequences.

While the backyard is lovely, the restoration in his life is what is most beautiful. Adam says that it didn’t take him long to notice people at New Day treat him differently than most, and it has helped him gain confidence and hope for a bright future. He enjoys his work here, and feels comfortable around the staff and children. He’s become a great uncle for our little boys. Right now, Brett and Liam are both particularly taken with him. When the children are in the backyard, it is common to find these little guys trailing their Uncle Adam, “helping” him with things like feeding the goats and watering the lawn.

To see him today, confidently joking with our staff and tossing our kids up in the air, we’re reminded of how much has changed since he came to work here. We don't believe it was pure chance that brought this man to a job where generally the only people he sees are little children – little children who think it is completely normal to have only one leg or to have a twisted arm or to have a large birthmark in a visible place. Children who point and wonder where your scar for your heart surgery is... They aren't terrified of him, because they don't notice anything wrong.

Whether it is for the orphans in our care or our staff, this is what it is all about. Restoring the broken; bringing hope to the hopeless; lifting up the downtrodden.