Friday, September 24, 2010

Help Ethan!

This little guy warmed my heart last year when I magaged to take him for a walk away from the carewaorkers. There I photographed him and cuddled him and did a brief developmental workup. Poor little Ethan, so medically involved , enjoyed the attention he so rarely got. Back in the Baby House he reached out for me whenever I approached.  He craved the attention. This year, I found him looking healthier and more alert. I'm so glad that Ivanna's family was able to snap the adorable picture of him that drew the Malone family to want him as their son!!! The doctor in his Baby House expressed concerns that he was going to soon 'age out' of their orphanage (just like Monroe)! I had brought a helmet with me that my daughter had no longer needed, and they were disappointed that it was too large for him.  I found it shocking that a helmet that my daughter Jillian had outgrown (and she'd microcephalic) was TOO large for this little guy's head! He's so tiny!!! Hopefully, soon he will be in the loving arms of the Malone's and no longer have a need for the protection. If you are looking to help and not sure what you could do PLEASE consider clicking on the picture of Ethan and donate what you could to help bring him home. His family was not planning on adopting again so soon and need help to raise the money. Not everyone could adopt, but everyone should be able to help, even if it's only a dollar! Let's get all the orphans out of Vorzel as soon as possible!!

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Back to my MISSION, after going back to WORK.

I have had a lot of people contact me, wondering when I’ll post again! As you may know, I am an Early Intervention Teacher and am back at work full time, in a public school program for children ages 3-5. We have been busy with evaluations and settling all our new little ones into the daily routine once again. My own daughter, Jillian, has returned to Mercy Special Learning Center, and quite frankly, both her and I have been exhausted! I’ve been busy following the blogs of the families who are either over in the Ukraine or heading over soon to adopt and bring home their special child. And for all of us who grew up listening to fairy tales, I am happy to say that sometimes life does have happy endings!!!



Remember little Ivanna? Well, the little Princess was carried over the threshold by her new daddy and spent the day at the zoo with both her biological parents and new parents!!! She is making progress everyday and is just so lucky to have been given the greatest parents who are willing to keep her birthparents involved in her life!! What a special couple they are! God knew exactly what he was doing when He matched little Ivanna with Andy and Darlena!!!



And little Ivan’s parents will be boarding a plane in five days to meet him! Ivanna’s parents went out of their way to include both Ivan/Igor and little Leeza while they visited their daughter and were concerned that Ivan would be lost without his ‘best friend’. I had brought a photo album of his family and a stuffed dragon from them while I was over there, and hope that the care workers reassured him that he too was going to have a mama and papa coming for him soon. But the wait will soon be over for the little boy I found standing in the road last summer! God Bless the care worker who let me photo him, and Reeces Rainbow for posting his picture and information. And of course for Danielle and Ben who choose this special little guy!



The Sandra and Marshall is also over there picking up their little Peach and Mallory, and were nice enough to deliver photo albums to the care workers from me of my visit with them this summer!! I really wanted to thank them for allowing me to visit with the children like I did. In all the baby houses, they pulled out photo albums from the families and other missionaries and ‘bragged’ about their children. I also wanted to let them to know that I will be returning and bringing a team through ServingSpecialOrphans soon. (If anyone is interested in joining me, let me know!!!)



I have really thanked God that my daughter Jillian was born here in America! I think about all the hours of therapies and educational programming, and supplemental supports and services, medical and dental care and DIAPERS, that she has had at NO cost to me, just because she’s entitled to it in America. Because she is a human being whose life is valued! And I compare it to the absolute NOTHING that a similar child would be entitled to in Eastern Europe and it sickens me and reminds me of my mission. Would you believe that when I presented the Head Doctor in the Baby House the two Rifton Walkers, and gait trainer that they commented that they had ‘never seen anything like it’! Imagine a nonambulatory child without equipment!! Well, they had non for an entire Baby House! They were so grateful for their donations and posed proudly for pictures with them. These children and the people charged with caring for them have none of the adaptive equipment and services that enhance the abilities and decrease the disabilities of our special children!



I am now collecting any and all adaptive equipment for the Baby House. ServingSpecialOprhans is in the process of incorporating as nonprofit, so your donations will be tax deductible! Please contact me if you have any unwanted walkers, chairs, helmets, therapy equipment, crib toys, musical toys (non battery) that you’d like to donate!! We have been so blessed to have so much, please reach out to help the little ones not so lucky to have been born in America!