Thanks to an anonymous tipster, I now know what happened to Abilass Jeyarajah, the child who came to represent the heartbreak of the tsunami. You might remember the excruciating circumstances he survived, before being reunited with his family:
Initially, eight other couples had tried to claim him, sparking a drama that captured hearts around the world and became a symbol of the tragedy that killed nearly 31,000 people on the island.[msnbc]
Technology made the sword of Solomon unnecessary:
Abilass was given to his mother and father by hospital officials after a local court ruled that DNA tests confirmed he belonged to the couple, who lost him in the Dec. 26 tsunami.[msnbc]
Here lies the caption to the Reuters picture above, which leaves me wanting to pinch chubby cheeks (but all I get is screen):
Tsunami survivor Abilass Jeyarajah, also known as ‘Baby 81’, plays in his new home in the Cheddipalaiyam village of Batticaloa, eastern Sri Lanka October 19, 2005. Nearly 10 months after he was found among tsunami debris to become a beacon of hope and Sri Lanka’s best-known survivor, ‘Baby 81’ celebrated his first birthday on Wednesday with a trip to a Hindu temple.[yahoo]
Awww. Happy Birthday, little one. It’s your day, but I was the one who received a present; I love it when I get to see a follow-up story about someone or something which moved me. Like young master Wiggums once said, “Maybe it’s presents for all of us!” Maybe, indeed. 😉
kids already rockin a chain, MC 81
SO CUTE!!!
he’s so happy. i hated baths when i was young. love the SATC type of chain.
bathe on playa…bathe on.
that has got to be the cutest lil’ baby I’ve ever seen! I’d love on him & spoil him. I’m diggin his nameplate..
he is so cute!
Did you guys check out the other 17 pages of cuteness? In addition to the chain, he is also rocking a bracelet and the tiniest ring I have ever seen.
well done, pledge Ads! i found your comment so inspiring, i changed the picture to this post…and then had to change one of the quotes…and then…ah, whatever. ’twas worth it. he’s toooe tweeeeee!
OH MY GOD.
I think my cuteness meter just exploded. I cannot handle the cuteness. We are experiencing a massive cuteness trade deficit right now.
ADS. What have you DONE?
No time right now – but when I get home I’ll write a bit about my meeting with Sri Master – the man who found Baby 81.
I met him whilst I was working at tsunami camps out in Kalmunai – just by chance. His story is quite fascinating in itself.
I also briefly met Baby 81 himself, along with his parents. They were on our plane out to Sri Lanka – something of a celebrity! But he kept us ALL awake…not so cute!
Sri Master recently emailed me, apparently he’s writing a book about the whole episode. He gave me a copy of a letter he wrote to Oprah Winfrey.
Sounds nuts? More later!