German couple adopts girl with heart disease in Gujarat

RAJKOT - A German couple, Ulrike and Freiburg Michale, has adopted an Indian girl with congenital heart disease in Rajkot.

Two-and-a-half-year-old Khushali, who suffers the condition called atrial septal defect (a hole in the septum between the heart’s two upper chambers), was adopted by the Michales after being rejected by many Indian couples because of this problem, said Jagdish Bhimani, the Kathiawad Nirashrit Balashram (orphanage)’s secretary.

“I feel very happy, I feel very excited and it’s a very great challenge that I am taking along, but I am very happy to have the opportunity to receive Khushali,” said Ulrike, Khushali’s new mother.

The German couple contacted the Kathiawad Nirashrit Balashram orphanage through Central Adoption Resources Authority (CARA). They were given the option of adopting Khushali.

Khushali’s condition did not serve as a deterrent to the Michales, who professed themselves very excited to have adopted the child.

“I feel very, very happy because now we are a family, and I have a wonderful wife and I now have a wonderful young girl, and this is going to be very, very exciting. It is a very exciting moment and I am sure we’ll have a wonderful time together,” said Freiburg Michale, new father of Khushali.

The 105-year-old orphanage has 240 orphans at present, with 11 children aged less than a year.

“This society takes care of children. This orphanage has girls and boys from the age group of one hour to 18 years. We take care of those children, provide them with basic facilities like food, shelter, and education over here,” said Jagdish Bhimani, Secretary of Kathiawad Nirashrit Balashram, Rajkot.

Children living in the orphanage are generally handed over by the police and social welfare organisations. In the past 25 years more then 250 children have been adopted. By Parish(ANI)