We have passed court for Amos, Daisy, Lee and Violet! Keep an eye out soon for their photos to pop up on the posts about meeting them, and for longer descriptions of their court days! It will be January before they can come home due to a waiting period after court and extra paperwork time due to the holidays, but they are our newest sons and daughters!
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Court for Amos
Here is the update from court for Amos!
He was very excited for today. The facilitator talked with him a little bit before my husband came in, and explained that they were going to court to do paperwork. When my husband came in, he repeated what the facilitator had said about going to do papers. They visited and he brought him candy and juice, and some magazines to look at. He also really liked the tablet, but the battery ran out after a while.
At that point he laid down on a bench and started rocking and stimming. It's tough, knowing he did not have those behaviors just a few years ago. But we will get him home where he will be safe soon.
They all went to court, including Amos. He was rocking a lot in court, but he told the judge he was very excited to go to America with his new papa. It was the same prosecutor as last time with a different judge. We were told it would be a different prosecutor, but at least he was a lot more agreeable this time. Compared to the last time we went through this court, with multiple court dates and extra requirements, this was much faster. It was still not an easy process. They grilled my husband about everything. They asked a lot of questions. The orphanage was really impressed with the change in Barton, and it helped that they said so.
Passing court for Amos was the most emotional for me out of all four children. I clearly remember our concern two years ago as this same court was so difficult for Barton, and then for a later family adopting from the same orphanage. Amos's condition is also so shocking compared to a few years ago.
This is not a fancy video. The beginning is a clip of Amos at his old orphanage. He is in the middle singing, with Barton on one side and "Dell" who was since adopted on the other side. The second part is Amos now, in the orphanage before court. That stimming that no one had ever seen before is now a constant behavior. The only difference was the transfer from one older child orphanage to another a couple years ago. I can only imagine how much more he would have deteriorated if he had been transferred to the adult facility in his region with caged pavilions.
I am so, so glad that it was our family who chose to adopt him. Honestly, many people who had committed to the child in the first half of the video would not feel prepared to bring home the child in the second half. But he is OUR son now, and he will thrive here.
He was very excited for today. The facilitator talked with him a little bit before my husband came in, and explained that they were going to court to do paperwork. When my husband came in, he repeated what the facilitator had said about going to do papers. They visited and he brought him candy and juice, and some magazines to look at. He also really liked the tablet, but the battery ran out after a while.
At that point he laid down on a bench and started rocking and stimming. It's tough, knowing he did not have those behaviors just a few years ago. But we will get him home where he will be safe soon.
They all went to court, including Amos. He was rocking a lot in court, but he told the judge he was very excited to go to America with his new papa. It was the same prosecutor as last time with a different judge. We were told it would be a different prosecutor, but at least he was a lot more agreeable this time. Compared to the last time we went through this court, with multiple court dates and extra requirements, this was much faster. It was still not an easy process. They grilled my husband about everything. They asked a lot of questions. The orphanage was really impressed with the change in Barton, and it helped that they said so.
Passing court for Amos was the most emotional for me out of all four children. I clearly remember our concern two years ago as this same court was so difficult for Barton, and then for a later family adopting from the same orphanage. Amos's condition is also so shocking compared to a few years ago.
This is not a fancy video. The beginning is a clip of Amos at his old orphanage. He is in the middle singing, with Barton on one side and "Dell" who was since adopted on the other side. The second part is Amos now, in the orphanage before court. That stimming that no one had ever seen before is now a constant behavior. The only difference was the transfer from one older child orphanage to another a couple years ago. I can only imagine how much more he would have deteriorated if he had been transferred to the adult facility in his region with caged pavilions.
I am so, so glad that it was our family who chose to adopt him. Honestly, many people who had committed to the child in the first half of the video would not feel prepared to bring home the child in the second half. But he is OUR son now, and he will thrive here.
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Court for Daisy
Here is the update for passing court for Daisy!
Court was much tougher here this time than last time! Not that they didn't seem like they would approve it, but lots and lots of questions. This judge had only done one other adoption. The prosecutor had a lot of questions also. Lots of questions about all of the dossier documents, our home, why we want kids with special needs and why we want her specifically. This court had been pretty quick last time so that was a bit of a surprise, but the judge and everyone else seemed very happy to approve the adoption when they were done.
My husband also got to spend lots of time playing with the kids at the group home! Daisy was SO happy to see him!!! She stood up in her crib and out her arms out and hugged him with her head against him. So sweet. She has a cold sore on her nose that they have been treating at the orphanage.
She was also happy to be fed while he was there LOL. She had a bottle that she held herself and a bowl of mushy stuff that was fed to her. We might need to practice eating in bathing suits on the lawn and hosing everyone off afterwards, but I think she will be able to feed herself easily. Teaching her to feed herself without spraying the food everywhere shaking her hands might take longer!
She loves rattley toys that make noise, and she had a great time playing. We have some adorable video clips of Vance handing her a toy to shake and dancing while she made noise. (Vance ages out February 14! I would love to talk to any interested families about him!)
The kids were all great. He had a great time seeing them and playing with them. The ones who hadn't seen before were happy to see pictures of our boys here at home. The staff also remembered my husband and our boys, and some of them cried looking at their photos.
I have a lot of photos and videos of the other kids from this visit! I will be sharing them and talking about some of the waiting kids in future posts!
Court was much tougher here this time than last time! Not that they didn't seem like they would approve it, but lots and lots of questions. This judge had only done one other adoption. The prosecutor had a lot of questions also. Lots of questions about all of the dossier documents, our home, why we want kids with special needs and why we want her specifically. This court had been pretty quick last time so that was a bit of a surprise, but the judge and everyone else seemed very happy to approve the adoption when they were done.
My husband also got to spend lots of time playing with the kids at the group home! Daisy was SO happy to see him!!! She stood up in her crib and out her arms out and hugged him with her head against him. So sweet. She has a cold sore on her nose that they have been treating at the orphanage.
She was also happy to be fed while he was there LOL. She had a bottle that she held herself and a bowl of mushy stuff that was fed to her. We might need to practice eating in bathing suits on the lawn and hosing everyone off afterwards, but I think she will be able to feed herself easily. Teaching her to feed herself without spraying the food everywhere shaking her hands might take longer!
She loves rattley toys that make noise, and she had a great time playing. We have some adorable video clips of Vance handing her a toy to shake and dancing while she made noise. (Vance ages out February 14! I would love to talk to any interested families about him!)
The kids were all great. He had a great time seeing them and playing with them. The ones who hadn't seen before were happy to see pictures of our boys here at home. The staff also remembered my husband and our boys, and some of them cried looking at their photos.
I have a lot of photos and videos of the other kids from this visit! I will be sharing them and talking about some of the waiting kids in future posts!
Monday, November 28, 2016
Court for Lee and Violet
Update from the first court date! My husband visited Lee in the morning, went to court, and came back to see Violet afterwards.
Poor Lee spent most of the time crying, from when they put him in the stroller and brought him out to the main room, to when he laid down again. His muscles were very tight. He did smile when my husband sat and talked with him though! They kept his toy alligator next to his bed, which was nice. Typically at many orphanages, toys given to individual kids are quickly moved into a communal location. Unfortunately that place is often in a playroom kept looking nice for visitors, where the children aren't actually allowed to play. We were very happy that Lee still had his toy to brighten his days while we wait to bring him home.
Then most of court was spent reading over all of the documents for our family and the children. They asked a couple questions and approved the adoption. Yay!! This was a very quick and easy court process.
My husband went back and played with Violet this time. She is just too perfect. She talks a lot more than we expected! She told the facilitator that my husband was very nice, and funny to play with. But she also said she couldn't understand most of what he said! She thought he talked strangely. (He knows a few phrases, but mostly speaks English.) They had fun playing with a toy and she loved the juice box and candy he brought. Her new sisters especially can't wait for her to be home.
Poor Lee spent most of the time crying, from when they put him in the stroller and brought him out to the main room, to when he laid down again. His muscles were very tight. He did smile when my husband sat and talked with him though! They kept his toy alligator next to his bed, which was nice. Typically at many orphanages, toys given to individual kids are quickly moved into a communal location. Unfortunately that place is often in a playroom kept looking nice for visitors, where the children aren't actually allowed to play. We were very happy that Lee still had his toy to brighten his days while we wait to bring him home.
Then most of court was spent reading over all of the documents for our family and the children. They asked a couple questions and approved the adoption. Yay!! This was a very quick and easy court process.
My husband went back and played with Violet this time. She is just too perfect. She talks a lot more than we expected! She told the facilitator that my husband was very nice, and funny to play with. But she also said she couldn't understand most of what he said! She thought he talked strangely. (He knows a few phrases, but mostly speaks English.) They had fun playing with a toy and she loved the juice box and candy he brought. Her new sisters especially can't wait for her to be home.
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Miracles
We have been quieter than usual. We have been busy with some amazing things. Miracles!
There is a girl who is at the orphanage we are adopting from. We met her when we adopted a few years ago. She has not done well since being transferred to her current orphanage. We've been very worried about her. With each photo we receive, we have wondered again how she is still alive.
Everyone thought she had aged out and was ineligible for adoption. Our family began making plans and asking questions. We are always radical, but this was extreme even for us. We were trying to figure out how to bring our entire family to her, to take guardianship of her as residents of her country.
WE WERE ALL WRONG.
She CAN be adopted. Her paperwork is being prepared now.
As soon as we learned this information we approached our social worker and our facilitation team. We have rushed through updates and paperwork that typically take months in only a couple weeks.
While we were starting that process, a shocking photo was shared publicly. It spread quickly. It is horrifying. It is almost too much to look at, but it is her life right now, and it has been for quite some time.
Now we are nearing completion on our side, and we begin waiting for her to be ready. We are praying things move just as quickly over there as they did for us here. She does not have a lot of time to be rescued. Her situation is clearly very, very urgent.
If you would like to help us and help her, there are several different ways you can do so.
Her orphanage IS beginning to allow some help, including some added nutrition for her and other children, and two new caretakers. You can make a tax-deductible donation HERE to help provide those things. Because of her current condition, the orphanage doctor and charity worker monitoring the orphanage are keeping an eye on her as her calorie levels are increased. Refeeding syndrome can be a real risk. For now the best we can do while she is in the orphanage is pray she stays stable and that they monitor her closely.
We have a tax-deductible account for fundraising our adoption expenses HERE. We can access those funds once we receive travel dates from her country.
We have a non tax-deductible account HERE, currently only listing the expenses we have had in rushing to prepare our dossier. This money is available to us immediately.
If you would prefer to wait until her paperwork is closer to completion, Keshia Melton is tracking pledged donations toward the adoption. You can contact her by emailing keshia.melton@mayashope.org and she will also update donors as we receive more paperwork information.
We want to be very clear that at this point our very special girl has not yet been cleared for adoption, but we will be ready as soon as she has. We are completely committed to adopting her. However, because of her current level of malnutrition and her legal status, there is no guarantee that we will be able to get to her in time. We are praying and hoping that we can get her home to love and medical care before it is too late.
A few years ago, prior to transfer to the current institution.
9 months ago
She CAN be adopted. Her paperwork is being prepared now.
2 months ago
As soon as we learned this information we approached our social worker and our facilitation team. We have rushed through updates and paperwork that typically take months in only a couple weeks.
While we were starting that process, a shocking photo was shared publicly. It spread quickly. It is horrifying. It is almost too much to look at, but it is her life right now, and it has been for quite some time.
current photo
If you would like to help us and help her, there are several different ways you can do so.
Her orphanage IS beginning to allow some help, including some added nutrition for her and other children, and two new caretakers. You can make a tax-deductible donation HERE to help provide those things. Because of her current condition, the orphanage doctor and charity worker monitoring the orphanage are keeping an eye on her as her calorie levels are increased. Refeeding syndrome can be a real risk. For now the best we can do while she is in the orphanage is pray she stays stable and that they monitor her closely.
We have a tax-deductible account for fundraising our adoption expenses HERE. We can access those funds once we receive travel dates from her country.
We have a non tax-deductible account HERE, currently only listing the expenses we have had in rushing to prepare our dossier. This money is available to us immediately.
If you would prefer to wait until her paperwork is closer to completion, Keshia Melton is tracking pledged donations toward the adoption. You can contact her by emailing keshia.melton@mayashope.org and she will also update donors as we receive more paperwork information.
We want to be very clear that at this point our very special girl has not yet been cleared for adoption, but we will be ready as soon as she has. We are completely committed to adopting her. However, because of her current level of malnutrition and her legal status, there is no guarantee that we will be able to get to her in time. We are praying and hoping that we can get her home to love and medical care before it is too late.
Thursday, November 17, 2016
Court Dates and Matching Grant!
I have been a bit too busy to post lately. There is a good reason for that, and I will share more about it publicly soon! I am just way too busy making it happen right now to write it all up and then answer all of the follow-up questions. Let's just say it is amazing miracle of all miracles stuff. You will love it. Stay tuned!
In the meantime, I have some VERY exciting news about Amos, Daisy, Lee and Violet! We have court dates for all of them! They will be the week after Thanksgiving in America. The first date is the 28th, and the other two will be in following two or three days. My husband hasn't had time to get ready to fly out though, because we have been so busy with this other incredible thing!
We don't expect the kids to be home by Christmas. That is a bit disappointing. Some courts will waive the wait for court decrees to be finalized for kids with special needs and some don't. Some courts count ten days, some ten business days and also add a couple days at the beginning and end. We knew going into this that Amos's court probably would not waive it, so we weren't surprised by that. Plus we have a shorter delay to change Amos's state ID before he can be issued a passport. BUT my husband will fly back after all of their paperwork is ready to get them out! That is assuming things go smoothly and we really hope they do!
While we wait for that, we have ONE FINAL MATCHING GRANT for these four wonderful kids. It will get us fully funded to bring them all home! And with our new adventure already on the horizon, we are really excited to be able to knock out these final costs right now! When our FSP HERE reads $33,765, a donation will be made to fully fund us!
Thank you all so much for your support getting these amazing kids home! I can't wait to share the rest of our excitement with you also!
In the meantime, I have some VERY exciting news about Amos, Daisy, Lee and Violet! We have court dates for all of them! They will be the week after Thanksgiving in America. The first date is the 28th, and the other two will be in following two or three days. My husband hasn't had time to get ready to fly out though, because we have been so busy with this other incredible thing!
We don't expect the kids to be home by Christmas. That is a bit disappointing. Some courts will waive the wait for court decrees to be finalized for kids with special needs and some don't. Some courts count ten days, some ten business days and also add a couple days at the beginning and end. We knew going into this that Amos's court probably would not waive it, so we weren't surprised by that. Plus we have a shorter delay to change Amos's state ID before he can be issued a passport. BUT my husband will fly back after all of their paperwork is ready to get them out! That is assuming things go smoothly and we really hope they do!
While we wait for that, we have ONE FINAL MATCHING GRANT for these four wonderful kids. It will get us fully funded to bring them all home! And with our new adventure already on the horizon, we are really excited to be able to knock out these final costs right now! When our FSP HERE reads $33,765, a donation will be made to fully fund us!
Thank you all so much for your support getting these amazing kids home! I can't wait to share the rest of our excitement with you also!
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Posey Is So Close!
I can't believe that I am able to say this so soon! Posey is less than $200 from making her Christmas campaign goal! If you wanted to get an ornament of Posey, don't forget to order one! Raising her grant is only part of our goal here though. We also need to find her a family!
We have another great update. We have this brand new photo of Posey grinning for the camera! These new photos of her are amazing. We are very lucky to be able to get photos and updates right now. Typically they are very rare for the bedridden kids. These updates are going to make a huge difference and help Posey find her family!
I love that her new photos show her smiling! They show how alive she is! People asked if she ever smiled based on her baby photos. She was a beautiful girl with a very solemn face. Now we know that she certainly does smile!
The only thing that could make her smile more would be a family. She loved having someone play with her when she was sitting out in her chair during my husband's visit. The kids aren't usually out like that though. There aren't usually visitors to chatter away and tell her how precious she is. Usually there is day after day spent laying down in a crib.
Posey has SO much potential. She could be so happy in a family. She has been transferred, but she is still so young! She would thrive in a family. The sooner they get there, the better she will do. We have adopted older kids. The years of waiting take a toll on them. I am so thankful to be their mother, but I wish someone could have brought them home sooner. I don't want Posey to have to wait as long as my kids did. Where is her family?
We have another great update. We have this brand new photo of Posey grinning for the camera! These new photos of her are amazing. We are very lucky to be able to get photos and updates right now. Typically they are very rare for the bedridden kids. These updates are going to make a huge difference and help Posey find her family!
I love that her new photos show her smiling! They show how alive she is! People asked if she ever smiled based on her baby photos. She was a beautiful girl with a very solemn face. Now we know that she certainly does smile!
The only thing that could make her smile more would be a family. She loved having someone play with her when she was sitting out in her chair during my husband's visit. The kids aren't usually out like that though. There aren't usually visitors to chatter away and tell her how precious she is. Usually there is day after day spent laying down in a crib.
Posey has SO much potential. She could be so happy in a family. She has been transferred, but she is still so young! She would thrive in a family. The sooner they get there, the better she will do. We have adopted older kids. The years of waiting take a toll on them. I am so thankful to be their mother, but I wish someone could have brought them home sooner. I don't want Posey to have to wait as long as my kids did. Where is her family?
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Vance, Dixon and Dean Are Aging Out!
Aging out is when a child becomes legally unadoptable due to their age and the laws of either the child's country or the country of the adoptive parents. If you have any questions about this process, today's children, other aging out children, or how to adopt children with special needs internationally, email childinquiry@reecesrainbow.org for more information. See other aging out children who have been shared recently HERE. All of the aging out kids I post here have at least a $10,000 grant to assist with adoption expenses. Some have even larger grants! Please share all of these kids to help them find families! It helps!
Right now there are 12 remaining older child grants for children with special needs other than Down syndrome. If you would like to donate to that older child grant fund you can click on the donate button on their page HERE.
There are also 50 remaining older child grants for children with Down syndrome. You can donate to that fund by clicking on the donate button on their page HERE.
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Vance http://reecesrainbow.org/56885/vance paperwork and fees need to be filed before he turns 16 at some point in 2017
I had hoped to include a new description of Vance, but my husband was unable to meet with him during all of the chaos of the visit to his orphanage. Vance did have a committed family, but they were unfortunately not able to adopt him. I am very happy that he has been relisted! The facilitator said that paperwork is not an issue right now, so hopefully he will have a new family soon!
We love him! My husband spent a lot of time with him, living on his orphanage grounds for about half of our last adoption. I will write a longer update when my husband has seen him again. We are hoping to include current photos and videos to show how awesome he is and any behaviors he might have. I know another family was recently at the orphanage as well. They had their young children with them. He sat and played a card game with one of their kids.
Vance's country requires married couples with one parent at least 15 years older than him. He will need a family to turn in paperwork and fees before he turns 16 in 2017. We are waiting to receive his exact birthdate. Vance is eligible for a $10,000 older child grant!
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Dixon http://reecesrainbow.org/1128/dixon-b-304 paperwork and fees need to be filed before he turns 16 in March 2017
I am hoping Dixon will be one of the kids to receive an updated photo and profile description! Based on his current description he sounds like a very sweet kid with Down syndrome who can do a lot of things considering how long he has lived in an institution. He can walk and understands simple directions! He was learning how to feed himself. I wonder if he can now? He can make some sounds and was learning to talk. He knows his name! Would you believe me if I told you that a lot of kids in institutions never learn their names because they are never called by them? Dixon knows his name.
He likes attention even though he typically plays alone. It sounds like a lot of his play behaviors are very simple and might include a bit of stimming. Stimming is repetitive behavior that children in institutions typically acquire due to sensory needs and a lack of appropriate input. It can seem unusual if you aren't used to it, but it is a way for kids in institutions to help their brains trigger pathways that are rewarding in the absence of the stimuli most kids encounter.
Dixon has been listed for more than six years! He needs a family to file paperwork and fees before he ages out in March 2017. Dixon's country is open to adoption by both married couples and single mothers or fathers. Dixon is eligible for a $10,000 older child grant!
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Dean http://reecesrainbow.org/59152/dean adoption needs to be completed before he turns 14 in September 2017
Dean is a quiet boy with delays. He seems like he has taken a bit longer to reach milestones, but he has made consistent progress. His profile says he is able to perform self-care. He can run and use stairs. He entered the orphanage when he was found at 5 years old. He is described as a shy and quiet boy who gets alone well with the other children and adults where he lives.
Dean's country may waive many of their requirements for an aging out child. They typically will not waive their requirements for parents to be at least 30 years old. Dean's country is open to both single mothers and married couples. Dean is eligible for a $10,000 older child grant!
Right now there are 12 remaining older child grants for children with special needs other than Down syndrome. If you would like to donate to that older child grant fund you can click on the donate button on their page HERE.
There are also 50 remaining older child grants for children with Down syndrome. You can donate to that fund by clicking on the donate button on their page HERE.
If you would like to help us advocate for aging out children AND keep those grants funded, come check out the RR Older Child Advocates group on Facebook!
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Vance http://reecesrainbow.org/56885/vance paperwork and fees need to be filed before he turns 16 at some point in 2017
I had hoped to include a new description of Vance, but my husband was unable to meet with him during all of the chaos of the visit to his orphanage. Vance did have a committed family, but they were unfortunately not able to adopt him. I am very happy that he has been relisted! The facilitator said that paperwork is not an issue right now, so hopefully he will have a new family soon!
Photography by Genesis House.
We love him! My husband spent a lot of time with him, living on his orphanage grounds for about half of our last adoption. I will write a longer update when my husband has seen him again. We are hoping to include current photos and videos to show how awesome he is and any behaviors he might have. I know another family was recently at the orphanage as well. They had their young children with them. He sat and played a card game with one of their kids.
Vance's country requires married couples with one parent at least 15 years older than him. He will need a family to turn in paperwork and fees before he turns 16 in 2017. We are waiting to receive his exact birthdate. Vance is eligible for a $10,000 older child grant!
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Dixon http://reecesrainbow.org/1128/dixon-b-304 paperwork and fees need to be filed before he turns 16 in March 2017
I am hoping Dixon will be one of the kids to receive an updated photo and profile description! Based on his current description he sounds like a very sweet kid with Down syndrome who can do a lot of things considering how long he has lived in an institution. He can walk and understands simple directions! He was learning how to feed himself. I wonder if he can now? He can make some sounds and was learning to talk. He knows his name! Would you believe me if I told you that a lot of kids in institutions never learn their names because they are never called by them? Dixon knows his name.
He likes attention even though he typically plays alone. It sounds like a lot of his play behaviors are very simple and might include a bit of stimming. Stimming is repetitive behavior that children in institutions typically acquire due to sensory needs and a lack of appropriate input. It can seem unusual if you aren't used to it, but it is a way for kids in institutions to help their brains trigger pathways that are rewarding in the absence of the stimuli most kids encounter.
Dixon has been listed for more than six years! He needs a family to file paperwork and fees before he ages out in March 2017. Dixon's country is open to adoption by both married couples and single mothers or fathers. Dixon is eligible for a $10,000 older child grant!
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Dean http://reecesrainbow.org/59152/dean adoption needs to be completed before he turns 14 in September 2017
Dean is a quiet boy with delays. He seems like he has taken a bit longer to reach milestones, but he has made consistent progress. His profile says he is able to perform self-care. He can run and use stairs. He entered the orphanage when he was found at 5 years old. He is described as a shy and quiet boy who gets alone well with the other children and adults where he lives.
Friday, November 4, 2016
Meeting Amos
EDIT: PHOTOS ADDED AFTER COURT
My husband has selected the file, met, and accepted the referral for our fourth and final child of this adoption, Amos.
Amos was very excited to hear he was going to be adopted! The staff described him as one of the most physically capable kids in his part of the orphanage. They said he is very cooperative and a great helper.
They also described him as uncomfortable being in front of people. They said he spends most of his time in his room. They said he is restless.
Amos is significantly more institutionalized than he was a few years ago before being transferred to this institution. He spent most of the first visit stimming violently, unaware of his surroundings while he was stimming.
He was able to answer questions and talk when he wasn't stimming. He had calmed down by the second visit when my husband returned from signing paperwork. He had fun catching a ball and looking through his photo book.
We are 100% still bringing Amos home, even though we are anticipating his transition may be more difficult than the transition of our other kids. Amos still needs a family, now more than ever. And it is still going to be us.
I will be adding photos to this post after we pass court!
HERE ARE THE PHOTOS FROM THE FIRST VISIT WITH AMOS!!
Thursday, November 3, 2016
I Am Posey's Miracle Maker!
I am so excited to announce this! We are going to grow Posey's grant and help her find a family! First I want to introduce you to Posey if you haven't met her yet. She is so special. Then I will explain what we are going to do to help her find a family!
This beautiful little girl is Posey.
Posey needs a mama and a papa. We are going to help her find them.
It has been at least a year since Posey was transferred to the older child institution. Posey caught my eye during our last adoption. She reminds me of a girl we met named T. I will come back to her also!
Posey is a tiny, dainty little girl. She sometimes seems a bit cautious of her surroundings due to her vision impairment. Orphanages can be scary places. Posey is in the bedridden wing of her institution.
My husband was able to see and play with her during his recent visit there! So exciting!
He was able to glean some information based on the fact that she was out in the open in a group of a few of the healthiest looking children. Sometimes when there are visitors to the orphanage this group is taken out of their beds and cribs. They are placed in wheelchairs in front of a TV in a main room. Since Posey was in this group I am REALLY hoping it will mean she is getting some extra food and attention. It doesn't help the other kids who are never out of their beds, like our Lee, but I am glad for Posey's sake.
My husband had a great time playing with her. She smiled and interacted with him. She seems to be completely blind, but she does turn her head to follow the sound of your voice. She held onto his fingers with her hands. I don't know how much she can move in general because she is always laying down or rarely out in a chair like that. She would benefit SO much from therapy and medication to keep her muscles loose. He said she is absolutely beautiful, but we already knew that.
So now let's talk about what Posey's life might be like if she stays in the orphanage. She reminds me so much of the girl I mentioned earlier, T. T has spent her life in state care. This is a photo of T back when the charities were first beginning their involvement at the old orphanage.
Due to years spent without interaction or sensory input, T touches and pushes on her eyes a lot. This is a very common stimming behavior among blind children and adults in institutions. During a recent visit to the current institution T had a bad infection from doing this.
T will never have a life outside of the bed that she is in right now. T never goes outside. She will spend the rest of her life laying down in a room with no stimulation. I had hoped that Posey would be spared that dull and stifling room. Unfortunately since she was transferred from the baby house, her crib is now in the same room as T's bed. The cycle is continuing. Children are transferred from baby houses to adult institutions. They slowly deteriorate because they are never given the opportunity to develop. T will NEVER be free of that bedridden room. Posey can still escape.
_____
Now on to our job here! We are going to help Posey find a family. We are going to tell everyone all about her! We are going to raise her grant by $1000 between now and New Years Eve! It will be awesome! Anyone who wants to help, feel free! We are going to be a little bit busy with our own adoption and travel during this time, but we didn't want Posey to go unnoticed, so we jumped in!
There is a change in the name of Reece's Rainbow's Christmas campaign. In the past it has been called Angel Tree. The new name is the Miracle of Adoption Christmas Campaign. You can see all of the kids on the page HERE. You can search for her on the page with Ctrl F, or just scroll through looking at all the kids! If you donate $35 to a child, you get an ornament ($5 of the donation goes toward this) and the child's grant goes up by $30. I love these ornaments. The ones I have purchased in past years are very, very special to me. I love seeing how many of those kids have come home to families now!
We will also be running fundraisers for this, including Superman Was Adopted shirts! I am hoping to have the ordering process for those set up soon, so that they can be ordered, printed, and shipped in time for holiday shopping! I will keep everyone up to date on how that is going and what else we have to offer to raise that $1000 for Posey. Please share this and our other posts for Posey to help us make this a success!
This beautiful little girl is Posey.
Posey needs a mama and a papa. We are going to help her find them.
It has been at least a year since Posey was transferred to the older child institution. Posey caught my eye during our last adoption. She reminds me of a girl we met named T. I will come back to her also!
Posey is a tiny, dainty little girl. She sometimes seems a bit cautious of her surroundings due to her vision impairment. Orphanages can be scary places. Posey is in the bedridden wing of her institution.
My husband was able to see and play with her during his recent visit there! So exciting!
He was able to glean some information based on the fact that she was out in the open in a group of a few of the healthiest looking children. Sometimes when there are visitors to the orphanage this group is taken out of their beds and cribs. They are placed in wheelchairs in front of a TV in a main room. Since Posey was in this group I am REALLY hoping it will mean she is getting some extra food and attention. It doesn't help the other kids who are never out of their beds, like our Lee, but I am glad for Posey's sake.
My husband had a great time playing with her. She smiled and interacted with him. She seems to be completely blind, but she does turn her head to follow the sound of your voice. She held onto his fingers with her hands. I don't know how much she can move in general because she is always laying down or rarely out in a chair like that. She would benefit SO much from therapy and medication to keep her muscles loose. He said she is absolutely beautiful, but we already knew that.
So now let's talk about what Posey's life might be like if she stays in the orphanage. She reminds me so much of the girl I mentioned earlier, T. T has spent her life in state care. This is a photo of T back when the charities were first beginning their involvement at the old orphanage.
Due to years spent without interaction or sensory input, T touches and pushes on her eyes a lot. This is a very common stimming behavior among blind children and adults in institutions. During a recent visit to the current institution T had a bad infection from doing this.
T will never have a life outside of the bed that she is in right now. T never goes outside. She will spend the rest of her life laying down in a room with no stimulation. I had hoped that Posey would be spared that dull and stifling room. Unfortunately since she was transferred from the baby house, her crib is now in the same room as T's bed. The cycle is continuing. Children are transferred from baby houses to adult institutions. They slowly deteriorate because they are never given the opportunity to develop. T will NEVER be free of that bedridden room. Posey can still escape.
_____
Now on to our job here! We are going to help Posey find a family. We are going to tell everyone all about her! We are going to raise her grant by $1000 between now and New Years Eve! It will be awesome! Anyone who wants to help, feel free! We are going to be a little bit busy with our own adoption and travel during this time, but we didn't want Posey to go unnoticed, so we jumped in!
There is a change in the name of Reece's Rainbow's Christmas campaign. In the past it has been called Angel Tree. The new name is the Miracle of Adoption Christmas Campaign. You can see all of the kids on the page HERE. You can search for her on the page with Ctrl F, or just scroll through looking at all the kids! If you donate $35 to a child, you get an ornament ($5 of the donation goes toward this) and the child's grant goes up by $30. I love these ornaments. The ones I have purchased in past years are very, very special to me. I love seeing how many of those kids have come home to families now!
We will also be running fundraisers for this, including Superman Was Adopted shirts! I am hoping to have the ordering process for those set up soon, so that they can be ordered, printed, and shipped in time for holiday shopping! I will keep everyone up to date on how that is going and what else we have to offer to raise that $1000 for Posey. Please share this and our other posts for Posey to help us make this a success!
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Meeting Daisy
EDIT: VIDEO ADDED AFTER COURT!!
My husband has now selected her file, met Daisy, and accepted her referral! This orphanage visit was quite an adventure!
It started out with my husband and the facilitator picking up the regional social worker. They headed to the orphanage, but the social worker was car sick many, many times. It took them so much longer to get there than they had planned that the orphanage staff didn't think they were coming! The orphanage director had to be called back when they finally arrived. He remembered my husband from our last adoption and everyone was thrilled to hear how our kids are doing now.
Then they went over to meet Daisy. I have an absolutely precious video to share after we pass court! She was a little surprised to be taken out of her crib to play after her bedtime, but she loved the chance to shake her toy and make noise with it without anyone else to take it from her.
HERE IS THE VIDEO!
It was after lights out for the rest of the orphanage by the time they were done, so he wasn't able to visit the boys. He did get to see and spend a little time with the girls while he was meeting Daisy though!
Since it was so late they traveled back with the social worker, still sick, and ended up driving her home because her parking lot was already locked. Today they finished the paperwork for this region, so we are just waiting on a court date for this orphanage as well.
My husband still has to meet Amos, and then he will be headed back home to wait for court. We have been given a few tentative timelines, but we won't know our exact court dates for a few weeks. We are hoping everything will coordinate smoothly for the timing with all three courts and my husband's work schedule. He already had to move things around when our travel dates were changed twice, so I don't think he has any more favors left to ask for!
We are also hoping the kids will be safe and healthy until we can get them home. They have all been wonderful so far, and we can't wait to have them here with us!
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