George H.W. Bush secretly sponsored Timothy, a Filipino child, for 10 years and wrote to him using a pseudonym. Photo / Compassion International
George H.W. Bush secretly sponsored Timothy, a Filipino child, for 10 years and wrote to him using a pseudonym. Photo / Compassion International
Former US President George H.W. Bush used a pseudonym to write a series of cryptic letters to a little boy for 10 years, but repeatedly hinted at his own identity.
Bush, who died last month aged 94, started sponsoring Timothy, 7, in the Philippines through charity Compassion International in 2002.
Over the decade that followed, the 41st president of the US sent funds that went towards Timothy's education, extra-curricular activities and some of his meals. Bush did all of it under the pseudonym "George Walker", which he also used in a series of letters he exchanged with Timothy — some of which have emerged this week.
"P.S. Be sure to say your prayers. I do every day," President Bush wrote. Photo / Compassion International
"Dear Timothy, I want to be your new pen pal," his first letter read.
"I got to go to the White House at Christmas time. Here is a little booklet that I got at the White House in Washington."
Bush reportedly kept his identity secret over concerns for Timothy's safety. The former president didn't want the child to become a target if people found out the boy was in communication with a former US President.
George H.W. Bush often breached security by revealing more details about his true identity than he was supposed to, according to a source. Photo / Compassion International
Wess Stafford, the former president of Compassion International, told CNN that Bush provided more information than he was supposed to in his letters to Timothy.
"His letters were the most sweet, spirited letters I have read from any sponsor, but he kept giving hints as to who he could be," Stafford said.
"He was really pushing the envelope."
In one letter to Timothy, Bush shared a photograph of his dog.
"Here is a picture of our dog," he wrote.
"Her name is Sadie. She has met a lot of famous people.
"She is a very good dog she was born in England. She catches mice and chipmunks, and she runs like wind. G. Walker."
Stafford, who screened all correspondence between the pair, told the Colorado Springs Gazette that Bush became more brazen as time went on.
"Years later, he wrote, 'We're going to have Christmas this year with my son at his house.' And then he adds, 'Oh, and he lives in a big, white house.' And I'm like, 'Come on, Mr. President. You are really pushing the envelope here.' "
A letter from Timothy to former US president George H.W. Bush. Photo / Compassion International
According to Stafford, Bush signed up to sponsor a child when he was at a Christmas concert in Washington, D.C., where several Christian recording artists sang. During the show's intermission, audience members were asked if they wanted to sponsor children through Compassion International.
"To everybody's surprise, all of a sudden George Sr. raises his hand in the middle of his security entourage and says, 'I want one!'" Stafford said.
When a packet was passed down to the former president, "all of these security people were like, 'Has anybody screened this? Does anybody know if this is OK or not?'"
George H.W. Bush secretly sponsored Timothy, a Filipino child, for 10 years. Photo / Compassion International
Timothy never caught on to the hints in Bush's letters, but became aware of who his sponsor had been years after graduating from the program.
According to Stafford, Timothy was stunned when he learned the truth, after a staff member from the organisation told him in person.
