Today is J.K. Rowling’s birthday and subsequently – it’s her most famous character – Harry Potter’s birthday as well. For those of you who know me personally, you recognize I’m a huge fan of the Harry Potter series. In fact, I returned just last week from a 10-day trip to Scotland and England, seeing the sights that inspired the series and attending the play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. 
There are several reasons I love the series, but one that resonates with me is the family Harry creates for himself in place of his parents who died, and his aunt and uncle who despise him. Without a traditional family, Harry finds love and friendship in the people who surround him as he navigates his life in the wizarding world. While I’m fortunate to have grown up with a loving family, I have also found love and friendship in people who aren’t my blood relatives. Family or friend, I recognize that a strong support system is an important key to happiness and that’s why I’m supporting Lumos today.
Lumos is a non-profit organization founded by J.K. Rowling to help the eight million children living in institutions that deny them love and care. The organization’s website notes 80% of these children are not orphans, but have been separated from their families because they are poor, disabled or from an ethnic minority. These children are hidden and voiceless and are often harmed, abused or exploited. Lumos’ mission is to end the use of orphanages and institutions and to find these children a strong support system.
An article by Dr. Shirley Gracias, a consultant psychiatrist, shares how the Harry Potter series exemplifies the way institutions shape the development of a child’s resilience and personality. Harry and Voldemort had similar childhoods in that they both lost their parents as babies and grew up around people who didn’t care for them. Still, the two characters have differing personalities. Dr. Gracias points to Harry’s parents being able to care and love him for the first few months of his life. Meanwhile, Voldemort never knew the love of his mother and spent his childhood in an institution. Voldemort’s early social relationships and the care he received shaped his personality. This is what Lumos hopes to prevent by bringing children out of the shadows and into the light.
Lumos partners with governments, professionals, communities, families and children to develop accessible health, education and social services that meet the individual needs of these children. It also ensures families have what they need to help children develop to their full potential. Today, I’m donating $25 to Lumos, you can join me by clicking HERE.
Sources:
http://www.deinstitutionalisationguide.eu/
https://www.litfieldhouse.co.uk/consultant/dr-shirley-gracias
https://bounding-heart.tumblr.com/post/146608859888/harry-potter-the-boy-protected-by-his-mothers
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