Putting the Puzzle together: Who is Kathy McGraw

Children have always played an important part in my life. I am not only a mother and Grandmother but I have been a Foster Mother at various times for over 20 years, both here and overseas.

As my children were growing up I got involved by being a Cub Scout Den mother, then later coached little league and was involved with the Pop Warner Football program as first a mother then a Commissioner.

My biggest challenges and absolutely the most rewarding parts of my life was working with, as well as being a Foster Mother to the children no one wanted: the Gang kids, the emotionally disturbed ones that had been kicked out of the school systems, etc. I only wanted long term care as it is very emotionally draining working with children that have so many problems. It also takes time to undo the negative behaviors they learned as survival skills and this is best accomplished without the influence of dysfunctional family members. I am proud to say that all my long term foster children became productive members of society.

Nothing feels better than seeing children that were marginalized find a place in society, and actually learn to overcome their problems.

After raising my children, I went overseas and worked with the Romanian Orphans. I would take the AIDS children home on week-ends to help integrate them into the civil society. They had lived a life of seclusion, and one in which I could barely contain myself at the deplorable conditions they suffered. These children were half starved and were emotionally, physically and developmentally delayed.

After the fall of communism in 1989 the world got it's first glimpse of these "Orphanages" where children were supposed to be taken care of by the State, but at what cost? Romania had the highest number of Pediatric Aids in Europe for many years,but is now surpassed by Russia. Poor Medical Care was the main cause of the Pediatric Aids, and while I was there it didn't seem much better. In fact the "Hospital" I helped close down was akin to a pig sty, and the term "Hospital" seemed almost criminal to use, according to my values, and those of the host country nationals that I worked with to help move these children into long term family oriented care homes.

Gee Mom I wanna Go Home and other Army Marching Songs

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