From Despair to Hope - The true story of Lydia   September 2007 the local police entered Bro. Augustine Jebakumar’s office…… They brought a derelict, battered and puny girl child, that they had found lying deserted on the roadside all by herself on the verge of her very life’s end. None could judge what looked more soiled and tattered, the brittle little girl or the clothes that hung upon her. When Mrs. Ruplekha Jebakumar lifted the child onto her shoulders, she weighed just 5 and a half kgs and was just skin and bones. Aunty named the little doll, Lydia Benece and took her into GODs family.       Lydia when she was brought to GEMS in     September, 2007     From then, begun GEMS’ unrelenting efforts, to gift her health and hope, as Lydia embraced her passage from death to life with innocence, grit and determination. She was diagnosed with Pro-Malnutrition, a medical condition of utter lifelessness and anemic weakness as a result of having to endure starvation and prolonged malnutrition. There was no easy road forward for Lydia, as her damaged system couldn’t digest anything at first. She had to constantly struggle with bouts of vomiting and diarrhea till she settled to the meager diet of 20 ML of milk three times a day.       Lydia, today weighs a very decent 11 Kgs in     August, 2008   She also has Tuberculosis as a result of a tumor on her hip. So, the struggles of Lydia Benece are by no means over, but she has been given the choice to fight for life, the choice to hope, the choice to grow and dream, just as every child deserves.   There are a million more Lydias who embrace the kiss of the angel of death, without being given this choice. It is the agony of this bitter reality which drives GEMS to endeavor with unrelenting commitment towards ensuring that every child deserves better.   Continue to pray and uphold Lydia and the 1600+ children who are treasured and cared for by GEMS.