Sweet, sweet little boy who desperately needs a family

Sorry I haven't been on top of things....

I've wanted to share sweet Maxim for a while, but I wanted to do it with a video of him playing in a ball pit.


I can't get the video to work, but you can see it here--along with some very cute pictures of this guy. Maxim loves playing with balls.

Maxim needs a family because every little boy needs a family.

Maxim would do great in a family. The missionary working with him (whose blog is linked to above) says he would be a joy to parent. She says he is doing very well, understands a lot, follows directions, loves to play, accepts affection.

Maxim needs a family so that he can have medical care.

In his country, any problem he has is attributed to his Down Syndrome. In Eastern Europe, when a child has Down Syndrome, if his abdomen is distended, it's gas and it's because of Down Syndrome. If a child is 10 pounds at 9 years old, it's because of Down Syndrome, not criminal neglect. If a child can't walk, it's not rickets or lack of stimulation, it's Down Syndrome. If a child doesn't know what to do with toys, it's not that they haven't been given a toy and played with--it's because of his disability.

Maxim needs a family to reach his full potential.

Missionaries have visited him and worked with him and he shows so much promise. Even with just an hour a day of one-on-one stimulation, he's made great strides. This kid will blossom even more with a family, medical care, and therapy.

Why doesn't he have that?

Because he was born in Eastern Europe, where if your baby has Down Syndrome, you don't bring him or her home. Because he is a little boy and not a little girl--so many more little girls are adopted. Because he has strabismus (because when he was a baby he probably was left to stare at blank walls all day). Because his tongue sticks out. Not because he's low-functioning--he seems to be doing very well. Not because he isn't worth it.

Maybe you're Mzxim's mommy. Or maybe you can give just a little bit to help bring him home. Or maybe you can share on your blog how much he needs and would benefit from a family.

David (from Adeye's blog) has a family coming for him.

Genesis' family is also adopting Dmitriy.

Each week families are stepping forward to adopt the kids the world considers the least of these. You can be a part of it.