Awesome progress!

Not mine, sorry.

Look at this little boy, who spent the first 6 years of his life in a crib because of severely clubbed feet.  Less than a year later, after progressive casting, surgery, and a LOT of therapy, he is WALKING!!!!

I was thinking recently, after reading all the responses to the Russian adoption ban, about domestic adoption from foster care.  After all, American children who age out of foster care have greatly elevated levels of homelessness, suicide, drug use, crime etc.  Looking at the special needs children, however, it is clear that there is a world of difference between the way they are treated here compared to many other places.  Here they receive medical care, therapy, and special education.  So many "medically fragile" children are fed with a g-tube, and are growing well in spite of their severe needs.  In other countries children in this condition would be in a "laying down room", fed with a propped bottle, which would not only leave them severely malnourished, but at risk for aspirating the liquid, resulting in infections and possible choking.

I do wonder, though:  What is the prognosis for "medically fragile" children in American foster care? What happens to them when they age out of the system? What is their life expectancy, compared with a medically fragile child who is adopted?  I have been looking for info on this, and could not find any.