Chapter 968 Children with Autism
The proposal was quickly wrapped up, but the most important thing was to visit the orphanage in person.
So, Lyra found some time and drove there with Jeffery.
The orphanage was in a pretty decent location, easy to get to.
But the sight before them was heartbreaking. All the buildings looked ancient, like something out of the past century. Even the main gate was a rusty green iron gate.
As Lyra got out of the car, she saw large patches of peeling paint on the walls and was stunned.
"Are there still places like this? Isn't this dangerous?" she couldn't help but ask.
Just then, a middle-aged woman in a wool coat came out from inside.
Hearing this, she gave a bitter smile and said, "You're right. This orphanage was deemed unsafe and scheduled for demolition this fall. But there are still over thirty kids here, plus the caregivers and me, making over forty people in total."
"If it were really demolished, where would these people go? The city hall couldn't come up with a solution, and we are at a loss, so it's been delayed until now. I guess it's their way of showing us some mercy."
Lyra carefully observed the woman.
She had a kind face with gentle eyes, but her wool coat was noticeably faded, and the cuffs were worn, indicating it had been worn for a long time.
This detail alone showed how impoverished the orphanage was.
"Sorry, may I ask who you are?" Lyra apologized for her earlier bluntness.
"I'm the director of this orphanage, just call me Mary," the middle-aged woman said warmly.
Mary noticed her surprise and smiled gently, "You're not the first to react this way. It's cold outside, let's talk inside."
Once inside, Lyra had a more direct understanding of the orphanage's poverty.
It was truly poor.
The furniture in the director's office was very old, and there were only two cups of water for guests.
Mary was very embarrassed and apologized, "Sorry, we don't have coffee to offer."
She glanced at Jeffery and Lyra's obviously high-quality clothes, feeling even more uneasy.
Lyra quickly picked up the cup and took a sip, "It's fine, I don't usually drink coffee anyway. Water is good. Let's sit and talk business."
Her natural kindness made Mary visibly relax.
Lyra took out the prepared proposal.
Fortunately, she hadn't made it too complicated, so Mary should be able to understand it.
Mary indeed understood it.
She read it carefully for a while, then looked up with eyes shining with excitement, "You really want to invest in us, help renovate the orphanage, and promise not to drive away the children and caregivers?"
"Of course, you can rest assured," Lyra said seriously, "We know how hard it is to find caregivers, and those homeless children are truly pitiful. We would never drive them away."
"Thank you, thank you so much!" Mary was so moved that she started crying, speaking incoherently, "Really, I don't know how to express my feelings right now."
She clutched the proposal tightly, like a drowning person grabbing a lifeline.
Seeing her reaction, Lyra felt a pang in her heart.
Mary was actually just in her early forties, not old at all, but she had been working at this orphanage for nearly twenty years.
This meant she had come here in her twenties, dedicating her best years to these children.
After seeing the orphanage's financial situation, Lyra couldn't imagine how she had managed to get through all these years with so many caregivers and children.
This persistence and love were truly admirable.
Once Mary calmed down a bit, Lyra asked to see the children at the orphanage.
Mary readily agreed, "Sure, I'll take you to see them. But you might see a rather special child, please don't mind."
Curious about the special child Mary mentioned, Lyra followed her.
Soon, they arrived outside a classroom.
The caregivers had set up a temporary classroom in an empty room because many of the children couldn't afford school fees, and donations had been scarce for a long time.
To ensure the children didn't miss out on education, the caregivers took turns teaching them.
The class was in session.
Not wanting to disturb the children, Lyra stood outside and observed quietly.
She quickly noticed a boy in the corner who seemed out of place.
While the other children were actively participating, answering questions, and playing games with innocent smiles, he sat alone in the corner, holding a block, staring blankly ahead as if separated from the world by an invisible wall.
"Is that the child you mentioned?" Lyra asked softly, her heart stirred.
Mary nodded, looking at the boy with a sigh and affection, "Yes, that's him. His name is Philip Mitchell. His parents divorced, and his mother died in a car accident. He was supposed to be taken care of by his father."
"But his father also died suddenly of a heart attack, and with no other relatives, he was sent here. They say he used to be a lively and cheerful child, but after those events, he never smiled again."
"No matter how hard we try, he's always like this."
Lyra frowned slightly, glanced at Jeffery beside her, then looked back at the boy.
His behavior resembled that of a child with autism.
Her heart tightened.
"Does he communicate with you at all?"
Mary shook her head and sighed, "He won't speak, not even for candy. He doesn't even want candy. He just holds that block; we don't even know where it came from."
Hearing this, Lyra was almost certain.
This was typical of autism!
Some cases were congenital, but others developed after traumatic events, causing the person to shut down and stop interacting with the world.
The severity could vary, but now that she had discovered it, Lyra couldn't just stand by.
She asked Mary if she could spend some time alone with Philip to assess his condition.
Mary hesitated but eventually agreed.
The bell rang, signaling the end of class, and the children rushed out, laughing and playing.
One by one, the adorable children ran past Lyra, and soon, only Philip was left in the classroom.
A caregiver approached Lyra, clearly having been informed by Mary. She pointed to the boy's spot and said helplessly, "He's still there. He even has trouble feeding himself. You can try, but don't take too long."
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