A debt is repaid

A few months ago, something amazing happened to Robert. He recalls, "It's not often that you get to meet a baby you helped to save who is now a teenager, who smiles at you and looks you right in the eye." But that's exactly what happened to the Toronto Aid to Women counsellor last May. He received a phone call from the boy's mother asking, "Do you remember me?" Immediately, Robert recognized her voice. Then she said, "I have money for you. Come out and visit us." That visit is one he will always cherish and he tells the story.

In 1987, at the first Morgentaler abortuary, Robert and the late Tom Brown, who often worked as a team, were outside picketing and offering help to distressed women headed for "the clinic." Along came a frail woman, Gloria, who responded to their offer to discuss her problems. She told them that she really wanted to keep her baby but was desperately poor and ill, so her family doctor referred her to Morgentaler. They brought her inside to Aid to Women, where Eileen, a volunteer nurse, "showed such kindness" recalls Gloria.

The counsellors listened to Gloria's story. Her husband, Ram, a farmer in Trinidad, came to Canada in order to seek employment and a better life for his family. Later, Gloria followed with a babe in arms, selling their furniture for air fare, with "not a penny to spare." The family's two older children came later, but now all were united and living over a steamy bakery in a one room flat infested with cockroaches and rats. While working as a restaurant dishwasher seven nights a week, Gloria became ill and went to her doctor who told her she was pregnant. Destitute - she was only able to feed the baby tap water with added sugar instead of milk - and emotionally distraught and not knowing where to turn for help, she came to 'the clinic.'

In 1989, The Interim published the family's story describing how Aid to Women had helped them by supplying subway tokens, bed linens, clothing, referrals to medical and social welfare agencies, a used air conditioner donated by a downtown pro-life office, a job for Ram, help with immigration problems and, most important, $900 for rental arrears.

Robert recalls, "The family was resourceful and hard-working and after getting help from Aid to Women, their life took a turn for the better." Forever grateful at the time for the kindness shown to their family, they did not forget others in need. They brought meals to a lonely neighbour and while visiting scrubbed and sprayed his apartment. A prayerful woman, Gloria says simply, "I come from a family of eight and we were taught to share."

After Matthew was born, the family moved to a small subsidized public housing apartment where Robert visited them a few times before losing contact with the family. Then last May, a decade later, Gloria sought and found Robert and they had an amazing visit. He discovered how life had brightened for this family despite their many difficulties. They have their own home now in a Toronto suburb. Ram has a job as a long-distance trucker and with the help of a government-sponsored program, Gloria became a successful hairstylist. For several years, she worked downtown and when she moved to their suburban home, she took several clients with her. Their oldest daughter is married with a baby girl, the second daughter is in college, the oldest son is finishing high school and Matthew is in Grade 10.

While gathered around the table over coffee, the family reminisced about when Robert used to visit them and how they would greet him with hugs and giggles and he would entertain them with weird and wonderful animal sounds, throwing them into howls of laughter. Then Gloria, proudly presented Robert with $900 for Aid to Women as reimbursement for their gift 15 years ago. Over the years, she had saved the money "bit by bit" and stored it in her house, thus fulfilling her promise in 1987 to Eileen that she would repay this kindness.

Sitting attentively beside Robert for the two-hour visit was 15-year-old Matthew. Says Robert, "It was a thrill to realize that when I first met him I didn't see him but I knew he was alive and well in his mother's womb. Now, 15 years later, I see him, a tall handsome lad with a bright, friendly manner. It's quite amazing."