Several eyes welled up when Mario Montalbano and his wife Valeria Paleari took turns to hold 2-year-old Pari in their arms as Itti si hansi itti si khushi from Barfi played in the background. While the Italian couple was ecstatic about the new addition to their family, it was time for carers at a Nashik orphanage to say goodbye to the cute girl.
Pari, then an infant, was brought to Adharashram in Nashik after the police rescued her from a ditch in a remote village. Staffers at the shelter began taking extra care of her after it doctors said Pari has a hole in her heart and only one functioning kidney.
On Tuesday, the child headed her new home in Milan. After about a year and half years of paper work, Mario and Valeria were allowed to adopt Pari.
"This was a dream which became a reality. We are now a complete and happy family," said Mario, who is employed as a bus driver with the public transport agency in Milan. Married for eight years, the couple always wanted a child and was eager to adopt.
Mario said he learnt about Pari through CARINGS - Child Adoption Resources, Information and Guidance System. He got in touch with the Central Adoption Resource Authority, which helped him adopt the girl through an authorised agency.
Pari's adoption is a grim reminder of how children with special needs often face an uncertain future. "Normal children do find a home easily nowadays but it becomes difficult to place a child with special needs, particularly in India. There are number of factors, including social, cultural and financial, for this," said Sunil Arora, executive director of Adharashram.
"Orphanages can't be permanent homes so we need to place these children in a family with proper home. With increasing awareness, most of the kids in the orphanage find families, but children like Pari have to wait for someone to accept them as they are," said Nisha Patil, a retired professor and now the secretary of Adharashram.
Prof Prabhakar Kelkar, CEO of the shelter said it would be nice to see Indian parents coming forward to accept children with special needs.
Adharashram officials said the couple was fully aware of Pari's condition before it went ahead with the paperwork. "They have consulted the best paediatrician in Milan. As Pari will now have Italian parents, she will get all the facilities regarding health care," added Arora.
Since the time they decided to adopt her, Mario and Valeria have been learning about the culture, geography and history of Nashik. "I am happy that Pari was born in India. We have made an effort to learn about her roots so that we can teach her about it as she grows up," said Valeria, unable to take her eyes off her new bundle of joy.
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