By Deborah Northern, MKLM

As Maryknoll Lay Missioner Nancy (Nan) Tyrolt twirls him around on her shoulders, 8-year-old Julio cries, "Más, más, (More, more)." Like most children, Julio loves to get attention and to play, but he doesn't have the opportunities other children have because he has cerebral palsy and lives in an orphanage in El Salvador. 

In 2010 when Tyrolt began serving at the St. Vincent de Paul Orphanage in San Jacinto, just outside the capital of San Salvador, she wanted to work on the ward with newborns to 2-year-olds because she enjoys babies. There she met Julio, who lives on this ward because he needs constant care.

"When I first came a year ago, Julio could barely communicate," says the missioner from Decatur, Ill. "He just cried like all the babies. He was also very lethargic and wasn't interested in playing with the toys or other kids. He couldn't sit up and would tear up his diaper and chew on his socks. I thought at first that he might have other challenges besides cerebral palsy."

But after months of one-on-one attention and interaction with Tyrolt, Julio has become very animated, curious, playful and communicative. Now, she says, he lets the staff know when his diaper needs to be changed and when he wants a drink. He attempts to sit up more than lie down, and with assistance, he is trying to feed himself. Tyrolt noticed that after Julio spent two weeks in the infirmary with chicken pox, his exposure to older children contributed to his desire to talk.

St. Vincent de Paul Orphanage, run by the Daughters of Charity, currently houses about 200 children ranging in age from birth to 16 years old. The staff is limited, often with only one person to care for eight to 10 children per day shift, so Julio does not receive a lot of special attention and is in his crib most of the day, except for meal time, bath time and playtime and a half hour of physical therapy. Like many of the children in the orphanage, Julio was abandoned at birth, probably, says Tyrolt, because his parents knew they would not be able to care for a special needs child. 

Volunteering at the orphanage two days a week, Tyrolt, who also does parish youth work, can spend time with Julio. "Because of Nan's help, Julio is more expressive and can move his legs better," says Sister Leticia Abarca, who runs his unit. "When Nan is not here, Julio is sad. We are hoping to send him to school so he can receive therapy and attention. We are blessed to have someone like Nan working with us."

Tyrolt feels blessed. As the second of seven children, she grew up taking care of her younger siblings and dreamed of becoming a missionary Sister working in an orphanage. Now, she is fulfilling that dream as a lay missioner. 

She has a special interest in Julio because her friends have a child with cerebral palsy who has been able to attend college, so Tyrolt knows what is possible for a special needs child with educational opportunities.

"Although Julio is physically challenged and may have some mental limitations, I believe he has the capacity to learn to communicate better, possibly even to speak, read, play a musical instrument, use a computer, feed himself or use the bathroom with assistance, and much more," says Tyrolt. "If he is accepted into the special ed program for kids with CP (cerebral palsy), I think his quality of life can improve dramatically."

Deborah Northern, a Maryknoll lay missioner from Warsaw, Va., served in Tanzania and El Salvador. She is now based in New York and serving as training and educational programs manager for the Maryknoll Lay Missioners.

For more about the Maryknoll Lay Missioners visit www.mklaymissioners.org