A resilient child

Simpson Claude Rodriguez seemed a peculiar name, as I picked up the chart for an immigration physical and flipped through the documentation. I opened the door and a smiling blonde woman and two boys awaited me. Both boys are very dark with African features. As I went through the documentation for immunization and tests, I asked the boy, "so how are you so lucky to have one English name, one French name, and one Spanish name?" He shrugged. His mother told the story. Simpson is Haitian. When he was four, he was being brought to the US to have an operation on his face by a missionary group. But before the group could get to the US, they were kidnapped by an armed gang in Haiti, and before Simpson could escape, he was shot. Fortunately the party escaped and was able to get to the US. After arriving here, the blonde woman and her husband decided to adopt Simpson, so now he is applying for residency. Simpson shows no signs of post-traumatic stress. He is calm, not fearful and plays like any other kid. His mother confirmed that he shows no signs of the trauma he survived before. I am always struck by how resilient children can be, given a stable and loving home.