A Dream Come True!!

Since the first time I was at DOH I have taken care of the most beautiful babies! Unfortunately some of them were labelled as "special needs" which for an adoption agency translates into "not adoptable". So many of my kids have been put into a permanent home simply because they will need just a little more love and attention than other but what really gets to me are the ones that I feel could be adoptable! I understand why my S.N. kids have to move but what would make me mad is that no one would follow up, watch how they develop, and then later on put them up for adoption.

One example is a beautiful little boy that we had come to us a few years ago through the baby bin. He was less than an hour old and less than three pounds. He was blue, ice cold, and grunting with each breath so we took him straight to hospital. We gave him a name that means "to hold on" and then we prayed as this little boy spent the next week fighting for his life.

Two weeks later, we had the exact same thing happen with a new born little girl. She was also very small, blue, and not breathing so again we rushed her to the hospital where she spent the week fighting for her life.

Both the babies made it and were eventually able to come home to us but the sad part is only one of them was adopted. They both had the same problems (brain bleeds, increased tone, etc...) but one was matched with a family before they saw a problem. Thankfully for the one baby, this family was really meant to be and they said they would take the baby with or without all the problems. The little boy however is still in a special needs home to this day. Now I am not saying he is a perfectly normal little boy. I know that he may never grow up to be a rocket scientist or even a doctor. He may even struggle through school BUT he still deserves a family! Of course I understand that most families adopting just want the happy healthy newborn baby, that is every mother dream but does that mean that we have to just sign these kids off as un-adoptable?!

I have had many more like this. One little girl came to us but when we were full had to go to another home. I always keep track of my kids no matter where they are and so one day when I went to visit this little girl the house mother told me that the doctors said she had cerebral palsy and could not be adopted. I was shocked and did not believe it! I told the social worker to place her back with us (we now had space) and to give me six months to get her caught up. Sure enough, eight months later this little girl is now happy with her new family! What would have happened to her if I had not fought for her? What home would she be stuck in?!

SO all of this is to explain my dream and how it has come true! For the longest time I have wanted a special needs home. I have wanted to love all the babies that were unloved by most people. I liked the challenge of helping them prove to the world how well they can do with a little extra TLC and finally it has happened!

As most of you know we now have a new house for our toddlers to live in. They have two house mothers and it is more of a family set up. We also do not let anyone visit that house so that the children don't ever have to feel like they are on display.

Now the empty flat that the toddlers left at the house here in Glenvista is what I like to call our "Special Needs With View of Adoption" flat. Any child that has the potential for adoption but needs a little extra time to develop will move into here. Right now we have five kids (soon to be 6) with the following obstacles (I don't call them disabilities because it is simply something we need to overcome!)

two are extremely premature (less than 1kg at birth)
one has fetal alcohol syndrome
one has rickets (soft bones due to lack of VIT D)

and one came from a creche (day care) at a year old weighing only 3kg (6 and a half pounds)

All of these kids at the moment have been told they cannot be adopted but I just say wait and see! I have hand picked the staff working with the special needs and set up a daily routine of different exercises and stimulating play for each child according to his/her age and development. I will also have each one involved in their own mother and child play class or swimming lessons or something similar so that they get that one on one time as well as some extra therapy. My goal is to have each child assessed six months later and have another report done by the doctor saying they can be adopted. I know every case won't always go the way I hope but I know I have to try. For each of these kids, this is their last chance.

I ask you all to join me in praying for these kids. They have a long road ahead of them. Please pray for their development as we work on it each day. Please also pray in families for these children! There are only a handful of these wonderful families who are willing to take on the challenge but I pray that more and more will open their eyes to the love these kids have to give and the happiness they bring! Please also pray for money! It has costs me a lot of money to set up this department and we are still needing a few more thing, please pray that the funds are there to provide all the needs.

Below are just a few photos of some of the kids and the new flat. Sorry this post is so incredibly long, I guess I am making up for lack of entries :)