Sweet Sonny is post-operative cleft lip and palate and deaf. Sonny is generally a happy boy, but will cry when he feels wronged. The agency staff observed that he had good interaction with his caretaker. He attends a boarding school for deaf children. He likes doing math problems. Sonny is often bullied by a group of girls, but does not fight back. His caretakers say he shuts down when he is angry. His cleft lip and palate have been repaired. He has good physical and mental development. He can make sounds to communicate and is very independent. He is an affectionate and cuddly little guy!

Update 2019: Sonny is now 12-years-old! He is athletic and he loves to play sports – especially basketball! He is pretty good at table tennis, too. Sonny’s nannies say he is very outgoing and he makes friends easily. He is a polite young man and he will often help his nannies.

Sonny goes to school outside of his orphanage where he learns math, art, and science. He is focused and actively participates in his classes. Sonny is deaf but he has found ways to adapt. He knows sign language and he can also communicate by using body language. His nannies usually communicate with him by using body language or writing things down.

Porter is 8 years old and deaf, but has no other health issues. He was abandoned when he was 4 years old. He lives in a foster family, where he is a good helper and playmate to his foster siblings. He is described as kind, sensible, and clever and everyone likes him. He attends kindergarten in the orphanage. His foster mother has taught him writing and drawing, and he can write his name and draw pictures. Porter takes care of himself (feeding, washing, dressing) and likes to help his foster mom with chores. He loves to learn and wants to do homework like his foster brothers do. He feels proud when he earns a “thumbs up.”

Penelope has been diagnosed as deaf. She is also post-operative for a PDA heart condition and has received treatment for cataracts, which do limit her vision. Penelope can visually perceive light and people moving around her.

Penelope came into care when she was about a year and a half old. She has good development of fine motor skills in that she could do the motions of grasping, holding, picking and putting things down as well as feeding herself. She has a strong sense of curiosity and experiences the world primarily by touch. We hope she can be adopted by a family who can provide her with the special education and care she needs.

Kipper is a handsome and outgoing boy who is 9 years old. (Note: his photos from his file have spots on them…these are not skin blemishes) He came to the orphanage when he was about 3 months old. They discovered he had hearing loss, with no other developmental issues. Kipper began “language recovery training” when he was 4 years old. At that time, his left ear was at 90dB, with his right ear having more hearing ability at 75dB. Kip had no language at 4 years old. He attended the language center during the week, then returned to the orphanage each weekend. He received hearing aids in 2010, and was soon able to repeat words and phrases. He is now able to speak in full sentences. Sometimes Kipper’s speech can be hard to understand, but for the most part, he can communicate with others with no problem. Kipper is a very smart boy, who quickly learns new skills. He has a fantastic memory, and can quickly recall passwords he has only seen one time.

Kipper is a very compassionate boy, who looks out for the other kids. One friend at the orphanage is blind. He and Kipper are good friends, and he is able to understand what Kipper says every time. He refers to Kipper as his eyes, since Kipper helps him so much. Kipper is a sweet, active, energetic, and loving boy who wants to have a family of his own. He is inquisitive, polite, and eager to learn. He will be such a great addition to a loving family!

From reading 6.5 year old Frannie’s file, it is clear that this girl will do very well in a forever family! And speaking of files, hers is full of information! Frannie likes to play with other children. She also likes to play with dolls, games, and do puzzles. Her favorite foods are apples and eggs and she like to drink milk. She also loves snacks.

At the age of 6, Frannie began going to a special school. She quickly became a favorite. Frannie quickly learned to follow the teachers and learned some sign language. She is learning more gestures, such as one for her name, the numbers 1-10, and a sign for toilet. She has learned to write many numbers and some words. She is an active student in school and she enjoys games and crafts. Frannie won two awards at school- one for “good child prize”, and one for “small pacesetter who helps others prize.” The awards made her very happy and proud. Her overall performance is excellent! Even when she loses a game, she will smile. Frannie needs some help when it comes to fine motor skills, but she is fond of learning and can imitate quite well. She seems to be very interested in gymnastics and can do many tricks. She is flexible and has talent in dancing. Frannie is enthusiastic, outgoing, and fond of learning. All the caretakers in the orphanage love her very much! It is clear that with the love of a forever family and some guidance, this child will make huge gains and will soar!

Conner is a handsome boy who will be 5 years old in February. He came into care when he was about 1 year old, and was found to have mild hearing loss (30dB) Conner’s file was done when he was 2 years 7 months old. At that time, Conner’s motor skills were on target, and he was imitating words. Conner is active, engaging, and lovable. He enjoys listening to music, and can swing all by himself (at 2 years 7 months old). As often happens, a child with hearing loss can be misdiagnosed as having an intellectual delay. Conner’s medical reflects this misconception. Conner appears to be a typical little guy who happens to have some hearing loss. We do not know if this could be improved with treatment, or hearing aids (if necessary), but he will certainly not receive the help he needs until he comes home! Conner is ready for a family!