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.

Facing transfer or transferred

These children do not have forever to wait for their families. Some will age out of the system and be locked away in institutions forever. Most won't make it that long; they will probably die, like Warner and Dakota did.

Today I wanted to point out some of the kids who I've posted here before who are in danger of being sent to institutions soon. (All of the girls at that link--except Teri Lynn, who has been adopted--are also institutionalized or in danger of it).

Kyle is one of those boys who looks a little like my son.


Kyle is 5 years old and has Down Syndrome. He'll be in a mental institution soon. His fifth birthday is this month. He has a $2700 grant.

Sergey was due to be transferred in September, but I haven't heard any updates.

(Actually it looks like I haven't blogged about him before--now I am!) Sergey is 4 and has HIV. He gets along well with other children; he's never aggressive; physically and developmentally on track, cognitively normal. There's no reason why Sergey shouldn't have a family. It's not known whether he was/will be sent to a mental institution or a boarding school for older children.

Last but not least, remember Sasha, age 7 but so tiny.

Sasha has Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, and possibly autism. No one pays attention to him or works with him. No one loves him. He lies in his crib and he chews on his tongue. At his age he must already have been transferred... he desperately needs a family. It is a wonder he has held on all these years. Sasha will need a lot of attention and care, but surely God has a reason for keeping him alive this long... perhaps because he would be such a blessing to your family. His needs would be a lot to take on... but even if you are not his mommy or daddy, you can pray for him.

Last but not least, remember Dmitriy and Genesis, who are both blind and in the same institution... they could be adopted together.


Every one of these kids deserves a family, not a warehouse. They deserve to live, not just be kept alive. Some have more difficult special needs, but sweet Sergey would fit into any family. And nearly every child would be adopted if money was not a problem--if we could fill Sasha's grant, maybe a family with a lot of love who had a heart for very special kids but not a lot of money would be able to commit to him.

Whatever we do for these little ones, we do for Jesus.

Reece's Rainbow is helping kids find their families....

This sweet little guy is Dmitriy. There is a family working to bring him home--but they can't officially commit to him yet (no, it's not us :)

Dmitriy is a very special little boy and I am sure he will bring his family so much joy... please join me in praying for Dmitriy's family to complete their homestudy quickly so that they can officially commit, and praying that he would be able to go home quickly! I have done some research on adopting children who are blind and it's not unmanageable; children who are blind need more help to engage the world, and they need toys and an environment that stimulates their other senses, but they are capable of growing up to lead independent lives.

I know that so far all of the kids that I've posted have been boys, and we are adopting a little girl. I guess that's just one of the funny things about how God works... but tomorrow I will feature a sweet little girl who is also not my daughter.

Reece's Rainbow does have other children with visual impairments who need homes, like Jeanne... and some others who are being adopted, like sweet Andriy!