It was on a round-the-world trip with her children, Paul 16 and Melissa 14, in 2001 that Tracy Cosgrove first met Jakpan, a young boy who had no eyes.
Tracy had long been aware of the dreadful conditions in which many hundreds of Thai children are forced to live, and had already been working with them for many years.
However, it was this chance meeting with Jakpan that proved to be the turning point. As she held the little boy in her arms, Tracy, whose husband, Brian, died five years ago in a road accident, made a life-changing decision.
She has never looked back.
Tracy has given hope to thousands of youngsters throughout Thailand and Myanmar (Burma) through the Melissa Cosgrove Children's Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation which she set up after seeing at first hand the terrible conditions in which many are forced to live.
Her transforming work in orphanages, street children's projects, and for Aids and disabled youngsters, has received international recognition - and inspired hundreds of people who have been touched by her courageous story.
Now based in Pattaya she is working with the booming construction industry to improve the lives of children living with their parents in the many labour camps around the city. (More about this in the "News and Events" section).
A laugh, a smile, and a hug need no language - little blind Jakpan showed me that.
I'd been talking with someone when little Jakpan tugged at my clothes, and I instinctively picked him up and cradled him, but still continued talking. It was only after a moment that I looked into his face and saw the two sockets where his eyes should have been. I cried, and little Jakpan spread his arms and hugged me. It was at that moment, as this child, with all his own disadvantages, gave me his love and his caring, that I knew what I must do.
In many ways I started the Foundation for the benefit of my own two children. I wanted them to grow up knowing that children in Thailand are children just like them; and that a different language, or a disease such as HIV, doesn't mean that you can't be friends.
When Melissa was 6 and Paul was 8, their Dad, Brian, died in a road accident. At just 6 years old, and on the day after her Dad had died, Melissa said to me: "At least I had a Daddy for six years.". When we visited the HIV Children just one of them had a Daddy.
Seven years have now passed, and the refugee kids, the children in the labour camps and in Myanmar have become a very big part of our lives - and have helped Paul and Melissa greatly.
All these children are here for a reason, and if we can help them we should.
2008: MCCF is now asking for sponsors to help - Big Time! Help make this a brilliant year and put a smile on the face of every child you may never meet.
2008:
• April: Tracy and friends visit Myanmar (Burma). Read the account here.
• Work begins on the second nursery which is due to open its doors in May (more about this in the "What we're doing" section).
