She has one chance

Veronica is "moderately excitable."
The first who's not "calm" or "tranquil" or "quiet."
I bet she would love playing with siblings, learning to run... and I bet you would love teaching her.

There's not a lot of info about her. Of course, any time you adopt you don't have a lot of info, and half of what you get is wrong. It is not at all unusual to bring home a child you were told you were getting full medical info on, and find out that they had none of the problems mentioned, extra problems not mentioned, or maybe even the problems that were mentioned that you thought they didn't really have. Of course, any and all of this happens with birth children too. Most parents of biological children who are blind, have cerebral palsy, or have other special needs didn't expect it. You never know what you are going to get... I know I've said all that before, but it's still true.

Look at that sweet 3 year old girl. She deserved her own post. She deserves her own family. But right now her only shot is that someone sees her on the list of "additional children" and decides to pursue adopting her. Based on one out-of-date picture, a two-word personality description, and a leading from God.

Blessings

Jesus told him that if we feed, clothe, and care for the least of these, we do it for him.



This is Theo. He's 3 and has Down Syndrome.

I don't know if he is hungry. I do know that in some orphanages and institutions in Eastern Europe, malnutrition is common.

I don't know how long he's been wearing these clothes, or if he has any others. I do know that sometimes orphan boys are put in girls' clothes, and that sometimes they wear the same outfit for years (although I do think it is laundered occasionally, it's not as often as we would do for our kids).

I don't know what his care is like, but I do know he doesn't have a mommy and daddy. It's doubtful he gets much one-on-one attention.

Theo and others like him are the poor, the needy, the "least of these" that Jesus commanded we serve.

Will you be the one God will bless for being willing to feed, clothe, and care for him from now on?

Wouldn't you like an additional child?

Gena turned two this month.



Maybe next year you could celebrate it with her.
She's "calm."

Wouldn't you like an additional child?

If she were yours....

Margaret is 1 1/2.
She is an additional child.
She is "tranquil."

What if she were your daughter? Would it matter whether she had a heart defect? Would it matter whether she ever came out of the walker (or if she was only in it for the picture)? Would it be important for her to have good food, medical care... a mom and dad?

Margaret is someone's daughter.

Desperate need for a family for this girl

Taking a break from the additional kids of Region 23 to talk about Karina.
From her description and appearance Karina may have Apert Syndrome, like Ivan, Kacey, Sammy, and Mandy. She is described as having craniofacial differences and differences of her hands and feet as well. She has a cleft palate and an aortic defect. You can see from the pictures that her fingers look fused.

You can also see that her hydrocephalus has not been properly treated. In this country the treatment of hydrocephalus is routine... this little girl will probably not receive treatment in her country though.

She needs to be adopted not just because she needs a family, but because she is in urgent need of medical care she will not receive in her country. Do you think she could be your daughter?

Her profile says "PLEASE someone help her, she will die alone and waiting."
She was born right around the same time as my son.

I also saw some more pictures of Ivan here.

Redheaded cutie who needs a mom and dad

What a precious little girl! Catherine is an additional child who is just over two. Does your family need a redhead?

Her need for a family may be just as desperate as those kids many advocate for because they are in need of medical care... she needs a family to love her just as much as a little girl with a pageful of information. She deserves to be a daughter, not a statistic.

Catherine is calm.

"Quiet"

This precious little girl is turning two (or has just turned two) this month. Alina looks like such a sweet little baby... she is also described as quiet. She's another face on the list of additional children in her region. But she is special, she is lovable, and she deserves to be someone's daughter.

I wonder how many of these children would still be summed up as "calm" or "quiet" if they got stimulation and the opportunity to be active.... Can you imagine summing up one of your children in a single personality trait? What would Alina's personality look like if your kids were her big brothers and/or sisters?

She deserves a chance to discover who she is.

a face on a list

Diana was born in the same region as Rudy in the same month.

Her parents did not bring her home, likely because she has Down Syndrome.

She is also one year old now--she likely turned two without special attention, let alone a cake or presents.

But maybe when she is three, she can have a cake, and candles, and special birthday hugs and kisses. Maybe she can have a mommy and daddy, brothers and sisters. She deserves to be a daughter, not a statistic. Not another face on a list with almost no description.

Diana is described as calm.

Are you a parent?

Rudy is another additional child. He is a cutie. He's just two. I don't know for sure but most likely his diagnosis is Down Syndrome. Rudy is quiet.

If you have biological children... that is likely more than you knew about them before you became their parent.

I have been a parent to each of my 3 children since the moment they came into existence. I knew nothing about them... I didn't know the color hair they would have, or whether they would be healthy, or what they looked like. I didn't know my daughter would love the alphabet or my son would be lactose intolerant. But when sperm and egg combined, before I knew I was pregnant, long before I could discover their gender, I was a mommy.

Look at the additional children. You don't know a lot about them, but they are little boys and girls who need homes. They are people who need parents.

And God may just say to you, "This one is your son. I planned him for your family before I created either of you."

Doesn't Rudy look like a blessing?

Your son?

Zane has Down Syndrome and needs a family. He is social, loves to be hugged, feeds himself, and plays appropriately with toys. He likes to color.

His first family rejected him, likely because of his Down Syndrome.
He needs to be accepted and loved. He has so much potential. Could he be your son?

Little girl with HIV

Sabrina needs a family who have medical insurance, because she will need medication to control her HIV.

That's it. She's a 4-year-old girl who needs medication and quarterly doctor's visits. She has a normal life expectancy, no known emotional issues or cognitive involvement. She just needs a family.

Another sweet blind girl

Sera is described as cute, clever, giggly, happy, and healthy. She loves to play hide and seek. I have a daughter just her age :)

Sera also happens to be blind... this is a totally manageable special need. Blind people can work in almost any field sighted people can. She needs parents to help her develop the creativity to figure out how she can use her skills to compensate for her blindness. She needs parents who are willing to put sticky Braille labels all over their house. She needs parents who are willing to work with education professionals to make sure she gets the education she deserves--an education that will expose her to the the world through her ears and fingers and increase her independence. And she needs a family who will love her without regard to ability.

Is any of that really so hard? She is developing well and most likely cognitively normal. There is every reason to believe that one day Sera will lead a normal, independent life.

God loves her

Sarah is in the same place as Carissa (the orphanage that was very bad but is getting better, hopefully). She is underweight and severely delayed, but finally these kids are receiving good medical care. She also is diagnosed with cerebral palsy and blindness. Somewhere, though, there is a family willing and excited to love a 5-year-old girl with severe disabilities back to health, to help her reach her potential, to teach her about God's world and His plan for her through what means she can learn. God intended Sarah to be a daughter, not an orphan.

Badly in need of a family

Carissa is 4 1/2 years old, but likely functioning more like a much younger child. She may have FAS but is simply diagnosed with delays. She has been in a very poor orphanage that has recently come under new management, so she is likely now getting a more humane level of care. Carissa is walking and trying to talk. Her need for a family is desperate.

Another pair of siblings

Alyssa and Yates are 9 and 8 years old. One of them has HIV. They are sweet kids who just need a family.

Sweet 4-year-old boy

What an adorable kid! Jeffrey has HIV but he has so much potential. He probably turned 4 just recently (his exact birthday is unknown or not public). Jeffrey needs a family to help him reach his full potential--which is likely the same as any other kid. He is in a "decent" orphanage and has excellent medical care. He still is a four-year-old boy who needs a family.

A young man who needs a family

Duncan is 15 and needs a family very soon, or he will age out and likely end up in a mental institution:


Duncan has CP and believes that because of this he is ugly and a family will not want him.

He uses a wheel chair, but he is very bright and in a great orphanage. He will not be able to stay where he is forever, though.

He deserves a chance and a family of his own.

UPDATE: He now has one!

In a mental institution

Stacy is 5. She is in a mental institution because she has Down Syndrome. She likely is in this crib all day, every day. (The odd glare on her picture is because it was taken through a window.)

Stacy needs a family, not an institution... she would blossom in a family.

Precious jewels

This sweet little girl is another who was born in the same month as my son. She is HIV+ (which is really a minor, easy special need that poses little if any danger in ordinary life to other children--since the new drugs were introduced, there have been no cases of those receiving medication spreading the virus in ordinary family life. None.)



2-year-old Jewel also has a 7-year old sister, Jessica. No photo of her is available. I believe both girls are HIV+.

There have been reports that children with HIV in their country may not be able to continue receiving the medications they need... At any rate children with or without medical problems all need the love of a family! Are you the family that can make Jessica and Jewel daughters instead of orphans?

No news is... no news

I have recently featured some of the kids that are special to me and have new photos and updates.

But some kids never get new photos and updates. And they continue to wait. And they continue to desperately need families.

They grow--or perhaps fail to. They have needs that may be changing. But their sites aren't updated....


Juliet has not had any updates since she was listed. She is now one.





Shaun still has no family. It is a miracle he has made it as long as he has if his diagnosis (Trisomy 18, also known as Edwards Syndrome) is correct... he may have mosaic trisomy 18 or another diagnosis altogether... but no one will know for sure unless a family commits to him. In the meantime, we don't have a new picture; we don't have more information; we don't know if his condition has changed.





Sweet Victoria C. (additional children Region 16, bottom of page) is still an additional child. She still has the same picture, holding the same doll. We may not know if she was transferred. We may never get more information about her. But we know her need for a family is not getting less urgent. She is 5. By the pictures of kids born a year earlier--who look to be less happy and with close-cut hair--she may be due for transfer this year.





Lindsey is also 5. Reece's Rainbow does not have her medical information (her agency may). She is said to be calm, independent, and shy. I don't want to see an update that she is transferred; I want her next update to be that she has a family!





Owen has no new updates or pictures. He still needs a family who will love him just as he is, and care for his needs, including any surgeries or other medical care that may be necessary for him. He turned four at the end of last year.












Wyatt has had updates since I first blogged about him, none good. He has many medical needs; he is tube-fed and may have cystic fibrosis. But Wyatt needs a family who will love him and can take care of him. This little boy needs to be adopted or he will die. He just turned 3.

What a cutie

Neville is a little over 1 and loves to be held and receive attention--no attachment problems for this guy. His primary diagnosis is hydrocephalus. He's had two surgeries for this--one unsuccessful and one not fully successful. He may have some epileptic brain activity but has not had an epileptic episode. It seems likely that with good medical care all of this could be resolved.

Neville is not meeting his physical milestones. That's likely because of the lack of stimulation in the orphanage environment. Even when children have workers who care, even love them, there is not enough time and enough workers to take care of all of the children. Neville needs the love of a family, and deserves to be a son.