Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Teachers Forum I just wanted to share a little news.

I teach piano to two biological sisters. Their parents lost a child.. who had contracted meningitis at age 18 months and was severely (totally) handicapped thereafter. He couldn't feed himself, walk, talk or anything... and died at age 12 of pneumonia. About a year after he died, they adopted another severely handicapped boy who is 17. He is very tiny and also is totally handicapped. They feed him, diaper him.. care for him. Another year passed and they adopted 3 brothers who had been starved and abused. Those boys are twins age 6 and an older one, who is seven. They are also very very tiny.

So now they are adopting 2 more girls.. sisters from an abusive home. One is handicapped and one will be my new piano student.

I am stunned by the parents' generosity and care for these children. They are in the process of building a house on a farm for the lot of them. Total children count including their own who have moved on and married.. 11!!!

Some people really are saints and i just adore my two students.. they work so hard and just love piano. I am so excited to meet the new girl who is age 9. I might teach the 3 little boys someday after they get settled on their farm.

What a wonderful story! I hope yo9u enjoy your new student!

What a loving couple to take in children that may very well die young and/or be difficult to love at times. And how great you get to share in the lives of some of those children to help them learn to love music.

What a wonderful story!!! It must be wonderful to be so full of love. A woman in Australia (Moira Kelly) is doing something similar. I wish I had had that luck with my "foster father".

This is so wonderful.

In the meantime, and while I don't want to turn this thread into anything negative, I can't help but wonder on what kind of monsters abuse their own children? :'(

What a lovely story and some people are incredibly un selfish. My mum looks after children who are in care and I have absolute admiration for her, as I couldn't do it.

It's sad to think that people can do that to their own children, but on the positive side if there wasn't people like yourself to teach them piano and my mum to care for them then it would be a much darker place.

I saw an incredible thing today. I immediately thought of this post. I went to my lesson today. There is a little boy (7th or 8th grade) who comes after me. Let's call him O. O is adopted by kind couple along with 3 other kids. They are all from Eastern bloc but not related to each other. O did not come to lesson last week since he went to DC for a leadership training program. So instead of him, his mom came. She was holding the pictures that was sent to her from him in DC - he was smiling and looking so grown up. It looks like he went to the white house and then took pictures around the river (potomac?) there. She was beaming with love and pride for her boy. So today, my teacher showed the picture to O "I have a surprise for you" and told him how proud his mom was and how much she loves him. You know what, then he started tearing up. He covered his face to hide his tears. Like he was overcome by love and gratitude. Suddenly I understood how much it means to this little boy. Someone opened up her home to him who was an orphan, embraced him as her own, gave him piano lessons and even sent him to DC for leadership training. One step outside of my teacher's house, I started crying. I felt pang in my heart and regret. I felt ashamed for not doing anything. I did not know it means so much to them. I did not know how it's like not having family, and then getting one.. When I was a kid i never felt grateful. I took everything for granted. This is something that takes both of us. But I will start having conversation with my husband. He does not like to adopt kids, he said before.. I am no angel but surely something we could do...

it's a huge commitment. I don't know that i could.

But surprise surprise.. not only did i meet the little girl and teach her a couple preskills (she will start in a month) but i started teaching her other 7 yr. old son. He is RARIN to go and instantly understood quite a few rather complex ideas. She has started them herself on Suzuki ( not something i would suggest but oh well.. they come well prepared in a way). I am quite excited to teach Anthony and her middle 11 year old girl revealed a new interest.. like she's going to start really practicing... i can just tell.