Month: April 2017

You turned 4 yesterday.  I missed it.  A few weeks ago I noticed your birthday was coming up.  I made a mental note to do a post for you on that day.  And I missed it.  I am so sorry sweet girl.  You deserve so much better.  You deserve to be doted on and celebrated on your birthday.  Maybe they celebrated at the orphanage.  I’m not sure.  Maybe your first Mother celebrated you in her heart.  Not sure about that either.  But I AM sure that your forever family will never miss it.  We just have to find them first.  I know your Mama and Baba are out there sweet Harlow!  And trust me when I say I’m all I know to do to find them.  My prayer for you is that yesterday will be your last birthday alone.

Harlow is available for adoption through Madison Adoption Associates.  There is a $1,000 grant available to the family who adopts her.  Email Sarah@madisonadoption.org for more information.

You must watch the video until the end.  Until you see her amazing smile and giggle when talking to her Ayi.  She is trying so hard to get that sock on!  She does not get frustrated, but instead sweetly asks her Ayi for help.

Her update matches that sweet giggle of hers.  Viv is kind and obedient.  She is known to share her food with the younger girls.  She follows directions and helps put things away.  Viv doesn’t like to be criticized, and will pout in the corner if she is.

There is so much potential in this angel, with her determination and sweet demeanor!  Viv would excel at lightning speed in a family!

Viv just turned 3.  She is diagnosed with Apert syndrome.  She is available for adoption through Madison Adoption Associates.  There is a $1,000 grant available for the family who adopts her.

We got Allen’s update today, and it is perfection!  My initial reaction to reading it was ˜Thank God.  He’s loved.’  The care and detail that went into his update, you can tell it was written from a place of great love for this child.  And the icing on the cake?  Hearing how amazing Allen is!  He may look a but different, but it clearly isn’t holding him back!  What this boy has overcome, to how he is now, is nothing short of phenomenal.

From the first question:

How is his mental ability compared to peers the same age?  He is very smart.

To the next:

Please describe his personality in details.  He is very happy and smart. He is easygoing and very extroverted.

To the added detail, very uncommon in these updates:

How is his emotional development? Is the child attached to anyone? Who is he close to? Does he care for other people?  He will be close to people who are nice to him, not a particular person. He cares for kids younger than him. He shares with other kids.

Is he well behaved and obedient? He is very obedient and well behaved. Once, he was taken to the hospital for exam. The doctor required that he could not eat or drink from morning to afternoon. In the hospital, the nanny told him the exam was for the purpose to fix his head and he needed to cooperate. The other kids were eating and he would not even look at them eating. He just stayed quietly with the caretaker for long time, not cranky at all.

He is loved.  You can read it in his update seeing the extra care his nanny took to make sure we all knew what a good, smart, caring, loving boy he is.  While we all know he would do best in a family, the nannies filling in the gap until that happens are crucial.  His nannies are able to look past his deformities, and love him for who he is.  Now we just need to find his family who will do the same!

Allen is 2 1/2 years old and is available for adoption through Madison Adoption Associates.  There is a $2,000 grant available for the family who adopts him.  Email sarah@madisonadoption.org for more information.

Kendra is a feisty 4-year-old.  She is a sweet girl, who enjoys helping the nannies soothe crying babies.  She has a soft spot for her favorite nanny, and is known to crawl onto her lap for snuggles.  Kendra is described as quiet and cute, and loves to imitate adults.

Kendra has been waiting for her family to step forward for years!  Could it be you?  

Kendra is 4 1/2 and is available for adoption through Madison Adoption Associates.  She is diagnosed with post-operative hydrocephalus.  There is a $1,000 grant available for the family who adopts Kendra.  Please email sarah@madisonadoption.org for more information.

I was scouring the shared list one evening last week, and I came across you.  I skimmed your referral, and felt drawn to know more when I read, œyou would not forget this girl after meeting her.  You were described as an active and BRAVE girl.  You had already overcome so much in your five short years from orphanage life to undergoing surgeries.  You must be brave!

You intrigued me.  So I requested your file, and asked for an update.  And then the email came.  ˜She has died.  We cannot place her.’  No other explanation.  My head began spinning with questions¦ How?  When?  Did you have a favorite caregiver with you?  Were you alone?  Were you ˜home’ at the orphanage?  Or in a hospital?  Were you in pain?  Was someone holding your hand?  Was it sudden?  The questions kept swirling around in my head, along with pleas to you, ˜Please know you were loved,’ ˜Please know people cared about you,’ ˜Please know we made that call to your orphanage because we were committed to finding you a forever family,’ ˜Please know you will not be forgotten,’ and on and on.

Sweet girl, we hadn’t even given you an English name yet, but since I cannot share your real name, you deserve at least that.   A name to be called by your friends on this side of the ocean.  Taliah.  Means dew drops from heaven.  While some would say our ˜time’ together was insignificant, as it only consisted of reviewing your file and learning of your passing, it was more than enough for me, and you will forever be imprinted into my heart.  Rest in peace sweet Taliah.  I will not forget you.

œIf you don’t cuddle her, she will cry; if you cuddle her, she would laugh happily; you kiss her neck and play with her, she would giggle  (from Ava’s file).  I can picture sweet Ava laughing and giggling at her nanny’s touch.  The smile that comes across her face when she sees a familiar adult approaching.  But then I can’t help but wonder, how often is she given this opportunity to laugh and giggle from touch?  Once an hour?  Once every few hours?  Once a day?  Once every few days?  While her nanny does her best to tend to all of the children in her care, it is impossible for her to cater to each beyond his or her basic needs.  Ava has made it clear that she enjoys physical touch, as that is human nature.  But she doesn’t get it nearly as much as she should.

Many of us take human touch for granted, myself included.  I can’t even count how many times I touch my boys throughout a given day.  From the moment they wake in the morning, to the hug and kiss at tuck in, I feel as though I am constantly touching them holding hands, ruffling hair, bear hugs, tickles, high fives, snuggles.  If I had to guess, I’d say at least every 15-20 minutes I touch them.  It’s intrinsic to my Mom-denity.  I can’t NOT touch them.  Doesn’t Ava deserve the same?  A Mom who just can’t leave her alone?!

In a way, I am grateful that Ava craves touch.  I have seen far too many orphans in orphanages recoil in anticipation of touch, as they have learned to fear it whether from abuse or strict unfamiliarity with it.  Nurturing human touch is something so foreign to them that they cannot recognize any good from it.  But not Ava.  Ava holds out hope for that touch.  Somewhere within her, she recognizes its importance, and how it brings joy to her sedentary life.  Ava has made amazing strides in physical therapy, maybe in large part because touch is involved.  Oh to think of the positive gains she would make in a family.  In a family who would love on her, and hug her, and kiss her, and tickle her to her hearts content.

Ava is 3 1/2 and is waiting through Madison Adoption Associates.  There is a $1,000 grant available for the family who adopts her.  Email sarah@madisonadoption.org for more information.