Update on Victoria

Click here to read a plea for someone to adopt beautiful Victoria!

Many of you heard that they found Igor! He has been relisted for adoption. We are thrilled! They found him in Victoria's institution according to an online source.  Luckily for Victoria and Igor this place has been wonderfully open to adoption and willing to get outside help! An organization called Life2Orphans is working with this institution. Reports show that after some individual attention from L2O, Victoria is up and getting around on her strong arms! A great sign! Stories of Victoria's independent and nurturing nature are coming out too. She wants to be a little mommy. She's a doll!

There are a lot of pictures up of Victoria now! We have a few in our possession from Reece's Rainbow, but the mother load of pictures is here. There are some of Victoria smiling, surrounded with toys, in a pretty dress, riding a big yellow car and showing off the biggest grin in the world while being held by a clown! I can imagine her one day in a loving family, taking similar pictures with a beautiful head of hair!

Because of Life2Orphans, Victoria is getting attention, love, physical therapy, food and more! Click here to see their ministry. Note the first picture is of sweet Victoria!

Please contact Reece's Rainbow here if you have questions. Mention you're interested in Victoria, born December 2002, in Orphanage 1.

We cannot say this of every child we advocate, but it's true of Victoria: She has huge potential for independence. She would bring a lot of joy to a family too.

If you're not Victoria's mommy, please help her by donating to her adoption here. Actually please share that link with everyone you know so we can find her mom. Thank you!

Update on Joshy (Igor)

"Joshy"

<<<UPDATE 2/10/12>>> Joshy proved to be very much the gentleman. They found him! Not in the good institution we hoped, but he's found. His donation link is back up! Please consider helping him!

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For those of you interested in/praying for/donating towards Joshy's adoption (I call him Joshy, since Igor is not his real name either), we have some sad news.

Reece's Rainbow does not currently know where Joshy is located. That means he has been removed from their website until they get more information. There's no way to donate towards his account or advocate for him at this point.

For those of you who heard he was at a good institution (since he had been transferred), that is no longer (or maybe never was) the case. He's lost.

He was to be the main focus in a fundraising and awareness campaign in a few days. Now we are scrambling and trying to regroup. Our new focus will be on Laurel, whose need of rescue is more desperate. (See my personal plea for Laurel here.)

My heart is broken. Many tears have been shed over this little boy and this horrible news. I know of two families who were interested in him, but still working some things out. Sometimes that hope gets us going. Now we're holding out hope that he's found.

Part of me wants to think that Laurel's adoption needs were so great that Joshy needed to hide for a little while so Laurel could be saved. I like to think of Joshy as a gentleman like that.

I have Joshy's picture from the link that is no longer active. There's nothing to click on and nothing left to say. So...

Dear God help us find him.

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!

Laurel

This is Laurel!

Isn't her smile awesome?

She is 15 years old! 

She has arthrogryposis in all limbs 

She is an orphan and likely has been since birth

Can you Fathom that...15 years old and never having a family?!

Right now Laurel has something to smile about, even though she is an orphan in an Eastern European country she is in a good orphanage for older children with physical disabilities but.....

That will all change in just SIX short MONTHS....

Upon her 16th birthday in August...per her countries laws...she will be ineligible for adoption

Where will she go?!

She will likely go to an adult mental institution

An adult mental institution may mean very little food, no access to a toilet, no regular baths or dental care and confined to a bed...ALL day, EVERY day, for the REST of her life...

She needs to find a family ASAP!!! 

Large Families and older parents are allowed to adopt in her country 

Her family needs to be homestudy approved before committing 

Please SHARE this! Publicity will increase the likelihood that her family will find her!  

If you cannot adopt her you can donate to her Reece's Rainbow account the more money she has in the account the easier it will for her family to commit to her! 

If you're wondering if adoption is right for you please read this! 

If you need access to resources to learn about AMC or older child adoptions PLEASE let me know, I'll gladly connect you to the people who have "been there done that" please email me

If you're interested in adopting her PLEASE email Reece's Rainbow andrea@reecesrainbow.org ASAP! 

And please SHARE this! 

A new picture and an update on Alexis!

Look at how Alexis has changed! But oh imagine how much better off she'd be in a loving family! 

Alexis is almost 12 years old! Imagine being almost 12 years old and NEVER knowing the love of a Mom or Dad or siblings. 

She has arthrogryposis in all limbs. She currently uses a wheelchair to get around but that could change if she had access to quality orthopedic care 

Despite lack of treatment it sounds like she has adapted quite well to her AMC, she can feed herself and wheel her wheelchair on her own! 

She's been described as social, funny, friendly, easy going and quick to laugh

SHE LONGS FOR A FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She is in a very good institution but its still an institution and is not a replacement for a family 

Could Alexis be YOUR daughter?! 

We need to find her a family VERY soon, she is 11 years old after all! 

Her Reece's Rainbow profile can be found here!

Large families and older parents can adopt her!

She is an Eastern European county 

If you're interested in finding out more about Alexis and how to adopt her email Reece's Rainbow

Doyle has a family!

This little guy has a family!! 

Meet them here!!! 

Meet Drake

Meet Drake!! 

He was just added to Reece's Rainbow! 

He is born in 2008, so he around 3 years old

His Reece's Rainbow profile can be found here!

He has Freeman-Sheldon Syndrome (FSS), which is a form of arthrogryposis. 

Kids with FSS have multiple joint contractures (arthrogryposis) plus other issues, like craniofacial abnormalities (mouth is stuck in a "whistling" position, which is why FSS is often called whistling face syndrome) 

Drake is affected by the AMC in all limbs and does have facial issues listed 

"Drake was diagnosed with Freeman-Sholden Syndrome at birth based on the following observations after delivery: the four extremities of the child were with difficult passive mobility, contractures on the elbow and knee joints, and the bottom extremities were in permanent abduction. Ulnar deviations of fingers of the upper extremities were present and characteristic crossing of the fingers and deformations of the feet. Spontaneous movements of the right hand are missing, difficult passive flexion in the elbow and wrist joints. X-rays of the right hand: doesn’t show changes in the covered bones and joints. Facial dismorphism is present in the child: small mouth with characteristic form, and furrowed chin." 

Despite being in an orphanage likely since birth and being admitted to a hospital a lot in his first 3 years for bronchitis and pneumonia he is making great progress recently!!

"Drake was in the hospital several times during the first 3 years of his life for bronchitis and pneumonia. He is healthy now and his development has recently begun to improve in all areas. In the past 4 months, he has begun to grab toys, hold them and transfer them from hand to hand. He is now moving his legs and rolling over.  When laying on his back, he scoots around, turns in circles and moves around his crib. He can stay upright when placed in a sitting position. He looks around and is very curious when placed sitting up or allowed to be out of his crib. He plays with toys and focus on them during play. He shows a preference for certain toys. He will knock blocks together to make noise when imitating staff members. He can mimic some of their actions with toys.  He smiles and laughs out loud. He mimics the facial expressions of others. He pronounces sounds and combinations of sounds and can say a few words. He knows the names of some of the adults that work with him. He understands everything that is said to him. He follows verbal directions. He is beginning to eat food from a spoon. When he takes his food in a bottle, he holds the bottle independently to feed himself. He has recently begin making gains in all areas of his development."

 He is an Eastern European County. 

Single Moms, Large Families and older parents are all able to adopt him

He is three years old so this a GREAT time to get him home to a family where he can get adequate medical attention and most important LOVE! 

Reece's Rainbow only has file for a short time so if your interested in adopting him inquire about him soon! Email Reece's Rainbow here!