Friday, April 20, 2012

Do you know Neville ?




Do you know anyone named Neville ? Probably not.
Probably when you hear the name you think of this Neville.

Neville Longbottom, of Harry Potter fame - in the first books he was a minor character, with his disorganised ways, who wasn't a particularly good student. In the end, though, he turned into quite the hero !

How about this Neville ?

I've personally never heard of him, but found him in a google search. He is Neville Brand, an actor. He had many small rolls on TV and in the movies, his last appearance in a film being in 1985.

Another Neville -

Any guesses ? No ? This is Neville Chamberlain - he was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1937 - 1940. He declared war on Germany in the Second World War. He was succeeded by the more famous Winston Churchill. I should probably know more about him - but the only reason I've really heard of him is because the next Neville in my list was named after him.

Well, OK - this isn't Neville, but if you lived in or around his village, you'd have seen this old truck puttering around, delivering firewood or lumber, or even helping people move house. It - and he - were quite the workers !! Three wheel cars used to be a lot more common in England - but this truck was pretty rare !

This is the Neville who used to drive it.

Neville Scrupps - not a famous Neville, just my dad. He was born in 1932, and spent his working years as a farm laborer, fork-lift truck driver, and then he had his own small business, selling firewood and lumber. Not famous like the Nevilles above, but he was well known in his and the surrounding villages. He was an unassuming man, living a pretty simple life, happy to be working and with his family. When he got sick, he made sure that my mum was settled into a new, smaller home. They moved into the village, so she was within walking distance of the stores. He waited until they were fully moved in, and had the yard just as they wanted it, before he drew his last breath a few weeks later, just before their 50th wedding anniversary.

It's because of my dad that I am advocating for THIS Neville

This Neville isn't famous. He isn't a wizard, politician or actor.
He doesn't have a family.
Neville isn't even his real name - just a pseudonym used by Reece's Rainbow to keep his true identity private. Right now, this Neville is, in the eyes of his country, a nothing. He was left behind at the hospital when he and his twin were born. Left behind because he wasn't perfect. In many countries of the world, people still believe that children with special needs have no worth. No doubt the doctors and nurses at the hospital encouraged his parents to leave him. I can't imagine how they felt - how they still feel. Do they think they did what was best for him, that he'd be better off in an institution ? Did they leave him thinking that he'd die soon, and they couldn't face the heartache ? We'll never know. What we do know is that this Neville needs a family.
He has had two unsuccessful surgeries to place a shunt, to drain the fluid from his brain. He is delayed because of the hydrocepalus - at
14 months, he isn't yet crawling, and can only sit with support. Despite his problems, he is described as being a happy, calm baby, who smiles whenever he gets attention. He needs further surgery to get that shunt working. He needs love, and more of that attention he craves. He needs therapy to overcome his delays. He needs a family.

Are you his mommy ? His daddy ? Do you know someone who might be ?
Please - share his face and profile - somewhere out there his family is waiting - and you might be the one to help them find him !


Share - pray - donate !!

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