Do Not Discard: The Inspiring Story of a Forgotten Boy Who Refused to Give Up

Amanda Lauer recommends the true story of a child abandoned as a newborn and given a second chance that led to a life-changing trip to the United States.

Do Not Discard: The Inspiring Story of a Forgotten Boy Who Refused to Give Up

By Marlene Byrne

Publisher: Good Stories Publishing

Something drew me to read the book Do Not Discard by Marlene Byrne. Generally, I steer away from books that depict children in abusive situations, but reading the back blurb, I knew that the subject of the story, Samuel, would triumph in the end, so that convinced me to read this.   

A life full of challenges

Sam, who was born in impoverished circumstances in El Salvador, had a stomach issue as a newborn that led his mother to literally throw him in the trash. Thankfully, a man happened to notice a baby’s hand as he was discarding his own trash at the dump. Jorge brought the baby home to his wife, and they raised Sam as their own, even after they started their own family.   

The story is told each chapter from either Jorge’s perspective or Sam’s perspective. Sam felt secure and cared for in Jorge’s home, but when Jorge is ripped from his life, he was sent to live with Jorge’s brother Diego. Diego resented having another mouth to feed and physically abuses his ward and treats him more like a slave than a son. Eventually Diego’s father, in an effort to save Sam, steps in and has Sam sent to an orphanage.   

Unfortunately, life wasn’t much better in an El Salvador orphanage, where there was never enough food, and there was constant fighting amongst the children living there. Sam eventually runs away and lives on the streets with other outcast boys.   

After some time, Sam is caught and returned to the orphanage. By the grace of God, he is one of a handful of children chosen to move to NPH (Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos home) led at that time by Reverend Ronald A. Hicks, who is now the bishop of Joliet, Illinois. Under the care and guidance of that priest and the staff of the home, Sam’s life turns around.   

He gets the opportunity to travel to the United States with a fellow student who was fortunate enough to receive life-changing cleft palate surgery at Shriners Children’s Chicago. The teens are hosted by the Byrne family in Chicago. After living in the U.S. for the duration of multiple surgeries, Sam is given the choice to return to El Salvador and the young lady he loves, or stay in the United States and enroll in college.  

A true story that leaves the reader cheering 

While some names have been changed, this story of Sam’s life is true. The author, Marlene Byrne, was Sam’s host mother when he first came to the United States. She did an admirable job of relaying Sam’s story from two different perspectives. I found myself cheering for Sam and hoping he would make the best choices for his life.   

As Americans view the crisis at our Southern border and the influx of unvetted immigrants crossing into our country, it can be easy to judge the people we see flowing in. But, after reading this book, you get a glimpse of how difficult life is for citizens of some of these countries, particularly El Salvador. The gang violence, the warfare, the poverty. Hopefully we can find a humane solution to this issue.   

If you want to be inspired by the account of a forgotten boy who never gave up, I recommend reading Do Not Discard. It’s a story you will remember long after you’ve finished reading it.  

Do Not Discard is available for purchase on Amazon.com.

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Copyright 2024 Amanda Lauer
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