Wioleta is a smiling, energetic, and curious little girl. She loves walks, bus rides, finger painting, and playing in the ball pit. The beginning of Wiola’s life story was not colorful, but everything has changed with the love of Mrs. Karolina Bartosik – a foster mom with a big heart and determination, who is raising the girl on her own. Meet the story of the ward of the Hemmersbach Kids’ Family Foundation.
Vision Problems
In her first days of life, the girl was placed in an Emergency Shelter and then in Nursing Home Care. Wiola suffers from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), which is the result of her biological mother’s alcohol consumption during pregnancy. However, these are not the only challenges she faces, as she is also affected by other conditions, especially vision problems. Wioleta has many ophthalmic burdens such as optic nerve hypoplasia, nystagmus, and strabismus.
It was already suspected at birth that she might be blind, as well as having significant developmental delays. “When I met her in July 2023, she could barely walk. She was being led by two hands, it looked more like she was hanging on. Since the beginning of January, she has been participating in intensive rehabilitation,” tells Mrs. Karolina. Additionally, Wioleta struggles with emotional difficulties and orphan’s disease.
Assistance from Hemmersbach Kids’ Family Foundation
The greatest goal for this nearly four-year-old girl is to catch up on developmental deficiencies. Thanks to the support of the Hemmersbach Kids’ Family Foundation, Wioletka works with a speech therapist. “Your help and this work have excellent effects. Wiola initially knew maybe five words. Now she increased her vocabulary to 100 words and becomes more talkative. She speaks a lot in her own way. “She’s interested in everything outside the window while the bus ride”, says Mrs. Karolina.
Foundation’s help enabled the girl having numerous medical consultations, especially ophthalmic ones, during which Wioleta was provided appropriate glasses, significantly accelerating her development. Therapists and rehabilitators are impressed with the progress she has made. The foster mother says, “She’s doing great, she is a clever girl. She can already focus, eats on her own. The speech therapist says that at this moment, Wiola understands at the level of a three-year-old child. She is not yet able to communicate fully, she has big gaps, but she is quickly moving forward.”
A Special Bond
Mrs. Karolina decided to open her heart to children in need, which is why she chose to become a foster family. When she found information online that little Wiola was at risk of living in a Nursing Home Care, she decided to meet her. That was the moment when a special bond was formed, and the fight for Wioleta began. The future foster mother showed great strength and determination, and in December 2023, she became the legal guardian of the girl.
The loving home that Wioleta now resides in is a place where she is making tremendous progress. Caring for her involves many challenges, but Mrs. Karolina is ready for more: “We have been learning everything from scratch, but it is much better than it was, which is why I am considering expanding the family with another child in the coming months.”
Wiola is discovering the world, surrounded by love and support. In September, she will also meet new friends in the nursery. Her story shows that with the hope and love of foster parents, it is possible to effectively fight for the proper development and happy childhood of children in foster care.
