Tears of joy over a smile.

When all of us at Bring Hope saw this painting for the first time, we knew right away who it was. "Raymond!" There are his eyes, those eyebrows and that face! This was the artist's vision of Raymond with a family. Future Raymond. Raymond smiling.

The artist, Rachael Rossman, decided not only to help us show Raymond's future joy, but she insisted on doing it pro bono and moved it to the top of her priority list as Raymond now faces transfer. You can read about Raymond's impression on her and see more of her work here.

Since seeing this picture I cried right into my daughter's hair. She said, "These are happy tears, right?" She knows the difference. She's Raymond's age. She also has a smile. She also has arthrogryposis.

Every time we advocate for this guy the same question is asked, "Do you have a better picture?"

One of our Bring Hope staff has blogged on her personal blog about how important a good picture is for these very vunerable orphans. (You can read that post here.) Notice how she shows her own boys and their good and bad photos? She also shares her adopted son's picture that was on Reece's Rainbow and another picture that was taken at his orphanage that is not flattering. Wow. Her son also has arthrogryposis too and was older than Raymond when adopted. (Her son was adopted after having been transferred out of the baby house. It was hell for him.) What struck me was how much a picture can made a difference! What was communicated through that picture mattered! What if that first ugly picture of sweet dimple-faced Aaron had been his listing photo?

No other pictures can be taken of Raymond unless someone flies over there, gets the director's permission and snaps a shot! That's HIGHLY unlikely. So this is what we have. Well, and one from the listing in his birth country that is also blurry and even older.

This precious baby needs love. He is facing transfer soon. Those of you who have been following our blog know that transfer is not a good thing. The institutions where young children with special needs are sent have care that is below the basics of what they receive in the baby houses. Some are sent to adult mental institutions. The survival rates there are dismal. After transfer it is estimated that between 85-95% die within the first 12 months. And they don't die from their special needs. Arthrogryposis is not a condition that carries any expiration date. It is not a mental condition in the least!

To quote the founder of Reece's Rainbow:

"That is when I found out what happens to children with Down syndrome and special needs when they are born abroad," Roberts said. "There is a very high rate of abandonment. They are transferred to mental institutions at 4 and a great many of those children do not survive their 5th birthday."

"We recently, just in the last two months, had an 8-year-old girl adopted out of a mental institution," Roberts said. "They put 18-month clothes on her. She was 15 pounds. It is far more common than people realize."

(Interview found here.)

And adoption can change Raymond's life! Just as it has changed so many others.

To donate towards Raymond's adoption please go here. If he can get up to $5,000 then he will move onto a new "sizeable grant" page on Reece's Rainbow and have an even better chance of being adopted as parents often look there first when considering a child to adopt. (I know my family did.)

Also please consider sharing about Raymond on your social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and blogs. Just two weeks ago a friend of a friend committed to adopt our Anthony. Sharing works!!

Let's work together to make this beautiful smile a reality for Raymond!