Updates

Not much blogging in November.  We are actually adopting..... a rescue dog!   I think this will actually prove an important step in helping the whole family deal with the kinds of issues that are likely to come up in a real adoption, but on a much smaller scale.  And she is wonderfully adorable!

Some really good news:

Garreth has a family coming for him!


Sasha has a family coming for him!  After all these years!  I am so excited to follow his story home!



And some bad news:

Alexei has been transferred to that same "Lost Boys" institution.  He is a nine and a half years old toddler.  In the baby house, his eyes sparkled mischievously, and he had some serious spunk.


How long will his spirit hold out in a life of sitting in an empty shed with a pack of mistreated, neglected boys and youths who spend their days rocking and grunting?


And a sad story that I didn't know about until it was over.

Garreth

Bulgaria often releases the files of some children with special needs for a month or two, during which time they are available through adoption agencies.  At that point, if no families have committed to them, their files are returned, and they must be specifically requested in order to be adopted.

Garreth is one of these children.  He has both Down syndrome and hydrocephalus.   He has had surgery for the hydrocephalus, but will certainly need that to be followed up on as he grows.  He is 3.5 years old:


His file says:
When an adult appears, Garreth looks at them and maintains eye contact for several seconds. He smiles when jested. He stands when put in a walker. He holds his head upright stably. He remains seated when provided with a stable support. He grabs and plays with toys when they are placed close to him so that he does not have to put much effort in reaching them. His speech activity is at a stage of producing sound combinations and sometimes syllables.

Can you see yourself loving this adorable boy and helping him reach his potential?