Broken heart

My heart is broken for these children who so deserve a home and a family.

Some of them will get it.

Remember Sergey?



He has a family coming--praise God!

Doyle not only has a family coming, but they are adopting a baby as well--Fischer, a healthy 7-month-old with Down Syndrome.



They are a large adoptive family and I'm sure they will bless these boys and the boys will be a blessing to them.

Right now my heart is especially broken for 4 kids who have Apert Syndrome (which involves craniofacial differences and fused fingers and toes).

Ivan, who I posted about not too long ago, now has this medical update:
"He needs surgery very soon or he will miss the window of opportunity to correct the fusion of his skull bones before it damages his brain. The webbed fingers and toes seem to have all of the bones present by the pictures, but we would need an x-ray to be sure."



Reading this made me wish I could go and bring him home tomorrow... I just can't. Realistically it's unlikely we will be restarting the process before 2013. And I fear Ivan needs a family before that. Please pray for his family to find him soon! Even better, pray about whether you are that family.

There are three other kids with Apert Syndrome on my heart as well. I've posted about all of them before but I am doing it again.

Remember Sammy, who has always been one of my favorites?

Sammy is growing up, losing that toddler look and starting to be a big boy... which is great to see, but makes me wonder if it's that much less chance he has of finding a family. Look at that crazy hair, that sweet face.



This picture also shows his hands, which gives you an idea of how those are affected with Apert Syndrome. Doesn't he look like he would be a blessing to any family?

Then there is Mandy. Apert Syndrome is not an official diagnosis in her file, but she does sound and look like that may be what's going on.
She's young, she's a girl (girls are much more likely to be adopted), she's cute as a button, and she even sounds relatively on target developmentally... why is Mandy waiting?


Sweet Kacey has a new picture too, and a lot more info.

Her hands and feet look good, and before that she was keeping up despite her limitations. She is determined. She's due for another surgery soon, probably on her skull. And she desperately wants a mommy. From a mom who met her a few months ago:
"Every day she'd walk up to me and say, 'Mama?' It broke my heart to tell her no."
Imagine being able to tell her yes. That would make every dime, every scrap of paperwork, seem worthwhile.

There are a few other kids on RR with Apert Syndrome, but these 4 are the ones I would bring home if I could... and Tatiana.

Five children who desperately need the love of a mommy and daddy. Could you be the one to bring one of these home? Or could you help Sergey or Doyle and Fischer come home?

Please pray with me:
God, you set the lonely in families. You are a father to the fatherless. As much as it breaks our hearts that Ivan, Sammy, Mandy, Kacey, and Tatiana do not have families, you are more broken. As much as we rejoice that Doyle, Fischer, and Sergey will have mommies and daddies who love them, you are more joyful still. And you are watching over the little ones who are not yet spoken for, working out their lives for their good. You love them as much as you love us. Father, please bring them home to their families. In Jesus' name.

So many need families

Sweet Doyle has a family!

But Bethany and Wyatt lost their families.... Wyatt has additional medical needs. This little boy needs desperately to be saved. He is fed through a tube and is now listed as possibly having cystic fibrosis.



















Dorothy needs a family too:


She has Down Syndrome and is only 8 months old. She has a heart defect that will need attention. But she is so little and will benefit so much from having a family soon.

Hope

What do this little girl and this little boy have in common?

They have families trying to adopt them! Hooray!

Please pray that Bethany and Wyatt's families are able to bring them home quickly--Wyatt especially is not doing well.

Here is another little boy who still needs a family:




Darby has Down Syndrome, and also has some craniofacial differences. He had one surgery already and it is likely he will have more in the future, but the first surgery was great for his development. At 2 1/2 he is kind, friendly, and healthy. He is developing within range for his age.

Darby will continue to grow and blossom in a family, but if he is sent to an institution he may not receive the care he needs... he certainly won't get stimulation and the love of a family. This sweet boy deserves a family of his own! Can you give him the hope that Bethany and Wyatt have now? If you aren't Darby's mommy or daddy, you can help by spreading his image and story, donating to his grant, or praying for his family to find him.

Another little boy, and a prayer request

From an adoptive family who visited him in February 2011: "He is precious, loves attention, very smart, loves piano and type of music. He has a smile that will melt your heart. Even though he only has a few fingers on his right hand he still grabs and holds things. He walks. Lovely Lovely child!"



This little guy is Doyle. He is 3, just a few months younger than my daughter, and he sounds like aside from his physical differences (missing fingers and toes, some webbed fingers, cleft lip and palate) he is pretty normal. He is doing a great job adapting to his differences and there is no end to what he could accomplish with the help of a family.

Someone just needs to step forward and be that family.


I have not yet shared on this blog that part of how God made it clear we were not Genesis' family was through his gift of another biological child. I am 16 weeks pregnant with a little one that for now we are calling Melchizedek. I have been having gallbladder problems which are worse than with previous pregnancies and am scheduled to have my gallbladder removed later this month. I would appreciate any prayers for my baby's safety.

Little boy, "easy" adoption

This adorable young man is Ivan and he needs a family. He is 2 1/2 and has Apert Syndrome. He cannot speak due to a partially cleft palate, but understands what is said to him. He can walk and the doctors say his prognosis is good. He is no longer hydrocephalic.


His adoption might be possible in only 2 trips and could cost under $25,000, which is not bad, especially in his country (which you can find on his profile).

Ivan is described as happy. More pictures and medical information are available.

Ivan is created in the image of God, and it was through Jesus he was made. Before the foundation of the world was laid God knew him and planned for him. God knew he would live in a country where his parents would leave him in the hospital due to his special needs. God knew that he would need someone to be a voice for him when he was 2 and could not speak. God knew that his best chance for a family who could meet his needs lay halfway around the world. And God knew you would read this blog post today. He planned that.

Maybe He just wanted to make sure you prayed for one of the least of these today. Maybe He wanted you to be Ivan's daddy or mommy. And maybe He had some other message for you in this post.

God, Father, you set the lonely in families. Please send a family to a 2-year-old boy who doesn't look like other boys, who doesn't talk, who lives far away. Please show him Your love through a mommy and daddy who know You. Please bless a very special family with this very special little boy. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Sweet, sweet girl

Tatiana is a sweet, gorgeous little girl who desperately needs a family. From her Reece's Rainbow profile:
"Tatiana is a sweetheart, and she wants a mama so badly. When we'd go to get our kids, she kept asking "And Tania? And Tania?" She would sob when we would leave her with the groupa. Out of all the kids there, she was the only that I saw playing pretend – eating pretend food, taking care of baby dolls. She is very emotionally fragile, and she seems to get overwhelmed. She is very small and thin. She has big blue eyes, and she desperately wants to be held and cuddled."

Tell me this girl doesn't break your heart... when we weren't sure we were equipped to be Genesis' parents and still thinking we could adopt this little girl was one of the top two children we considered (the other was Mandy). I don't know how I haven't posted about Tatiana before. She sounds very sweet and high-functioning and needs a family oh so badly. She is HIV+ and diagnosed with FAS (which has a very broad range of effects on kids who are diagnosed).

Today I saw her new profile picture.



Please, someone go rescue this sweet girl.