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.

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.