33Forty-four years old, unmarried and pregnant for the first time? Yui was in shock when she took her pregnancy test.
Yui grew up in a small town in Thailand. She lived with her sister and worked at the same factory for twenty years. Then Yo came to town and was also employed at the factory.
Yui had mixed feelings about Yo. He was attractive but a bit manipulative. She had her heart broken by another man years earlier, and never pursued another relationship. But somehow Yo convinced her that she was very attractive and began pulling her heartstrings. But as soon as she started getting serious in the relationship, he left town.
It was after he left that Yui began to realize her body was changing a bit. Wanting to totally deny anything was wrong, she avoided taking a pregnancy test until six months into her pregnancy. Sure enough, Yo had left her a gift before leaving town. But it was a gift she clearly did not want.
She had not told anyone about her relationship with Yo before talking with the social worker at the hospital. She felt a tremendous amount of shame. Her life had been so stable before this. She was a middle aged woman respected by her family and friends. An abortion would be dangerous for her at this stage. Now she wanted to consider suicide.
Yui told only her sister before coming to Wildflower Home. She told her other family members and friends she had decided to see what it would be like to work in the bigger city of Chiang Mai. Because Yui was a little chubby to start with, she easily hid her pregnant belly even at six months.
With Wildflower Home’s social worker Yui began to work through her shame and regain some sense of peace. Wildflower Home could help her to find a place for her baby if she wished to have him adopted.
As the oldest client Wildflower Home had ever accepted and with her very warm personality, Yui gained respect among the other mothers. She not only accepted help, but she quickly became a leader, naturally guiding the younger women to maturity also. Yui was well liked by both staff and residents.
Yui studied closely her adoption agency options. She chose a private agency in Chiang Mai. As is Thai custom, she would not be able to give her baby over until one month after giving birth. It was advised that she would breast feed her child and give the bonding process a chance.
Yui gave birth to an absolutely beautiful baby girl. As planned, she breast fed her child and gave her baby all the love she possibly could for that one month. When the month was over, she sadly handed her baby over, but with the understanding that she could visit her baby occasionally over the course of one year. If after a year she had decided not to take the baby back, the agency could adopt her to new parents.
Yui returned to her village and fell back into her old lifestyle. She visited her baby occasionally, but in the end agreed to an overseas adoption for her baby. From the point she was ready for suicide, Yui had brought new life into the world, made some hard decisions and found herself in new ways. She will always think about and love her baby, but for her child’s sake, hopes she made the right choice.