Meet Eric!

18 months

3 years

The description from Eric's Reece's Rainbow page:


"Boy, born Dec 2008, Eric is a smiley little fellow who likes to feel his caretaker’s heartbeat or pulse, because it comforts him. He would be a wonderful little brother in a household of older children.

Eric has arthrogryposis and compensated hydrocephalus. He has had a surgical repair of spina bifada. Overall, he is healthy and would do well in a family without smaller children. His upper body is quite strong and he has full use of his hands, fingers and arms, but he has little control or movement in his lower limbs and they are significantly smaller than his upper body. He can squeeze very tightly with his hands, and reach a full arm’s length with no problems even though his resting position is the one you see in the pictures. He does not talk, according to the caretakers but does make sounds to communicate. Cognitively, he has significant delays due to his history of spina bifida and hydrocephalus. He is very much still an infant in many ways.

The picture in the orange shirt was taken at age 18 months, and the second picture was taken at 3 years old. He may have a sister a few years older in a different region who possibly could also be available for adoption or he could be adopted separately. She also has special needs."

From the description it seems AMC is the least of Eric's special needs. It may either be arthrogryposis or a similar condition--something that would require working with him to reach his full potential. Eric seems to have elbow contractures in both pictures, but he can reach a full arm's length which contractures would not allow him to do. In fact he seems more affected by the spina bifada and hydrocephalus than anything. Even though he has lots more functionality than maybe a severely affected arthrogryposis case, those still look like clubfeet to this Mama's eyes. That would require Ponseti serial casting if they were not correct already. But who knows based on a picture.

Eric really needs a family, and we are lucky to have him listed! Whereas AMC (as we've said over and over) is NOT a cognitive-impairing condition, a family interested in Eric would need to be aware of his significant cognitive delays.


You can go here to donate to his adoption!