For four months, the first arms to hold him belonged to the nurses who fed, dressed, and cared for him every day.
“Toñito” was born on May 12 at the Hospital de San Juan de Lurigancho in Lima. The little boy, who has Down syndrome, was placed under the protection of the healthcare staff after being abandoned at birth.
As the weeks passed, he became more than just a patient to those who worked in Neonatology. One of the nurses, Rosario Lucen Tejeda, began to form a particularly close bond with him and decided to submit an application to take him in as part of her family.
Her colleagues say the baby is sweet, sociable, and very capable, and that he quickly won the affection of the whole team. They also say Rosario has wanted to care for him since practically his first days of life and is willing to give him her time, care, and resources.
Her application was initially flagged because she had to submit additional documentation related to her marital status, but that requirement has since been met. The Ministry of Women must now assess whether she meets all the legal, social, and psychological requirements to become a foster family.
While the process is being resolved, Toñito remains under the protection of the authorities.
He came into the world with no family waiting for him outside the hospital, but within those walls he found someone who now wants her arms to be his home, too.
