Born: 2002
 
Financial adoption: Gea Boer, Netherlands; M. Terwindt, Netherlands; Carola Meyer (Ananse), Germany.
 
Theresa is a sad looking girl who is quiet like a mouse. Theresa has not spoken yet since she arrived in our community but otherwise she showed progress since arrival. Theresa quietly invites caregivers and volunteers to give her attention and responds sweetly to it! She loves to be in a sling on your back and can enjoy many hours like that. Theresa also likes her face to be touched. She craves attention and gets better at expressing this need. When she is content you can suddenly see her eyes light up and a smile creep up over her face. When you catch that smile you are more than rewarded for your efforts. Oh and Theresa loves to eat! If she gets a chance at all Theresa puts her hands in a bowl of food and starts wolfing the food down as quick as she can. Her caregiver has to take care that she only eats her own food! When during our drumming sessions Kwabena holds her hands and dances with her, Theresa responds by moving her face from one side to another, saying ‘more of this’. If Theresa is left to herself too long she bangs her head against the ground. No sound has come from her mouth as yet. We look forward to that day that her inhibitions melt a happy girl makes her appearance. This may happen in the not so far future as Theresa is really not too depressed. She waits for interaction and gives attention in return for attention shown to her. In fact she is eager to receive love and responds very sweetly to it.