Zeke cannot sit and generally has very little control of his head, although he will lift it up occasionally. His overall muscle tone is low, but this has improved with therapy. Zeke cannot yet roll over, but can often be seen wiggling around and trying to accomplish this – if he can figure out what to do with his arm, he will be fine! Ezechiel is non-verbal, but expresses himself through happy noises or crying. He will likely require ongoing care his whole life. From someone who works with him: Zeke is such a happy little guy. He loves to sit outside and watch the leaves blow in the wind. His eyes light up each time he is given attention. He loves to be held and even more loves to be tickled. Zeke has the cutest little dimples and a beautiful smile that can melt any ones heart! He is always in a good mood and very rarely cries. Even though his name was given to him recently, he already response to it! Zeke is a picky little guy and often requires special meals made for him as he doesn’t like what the other kids are having. He has only been here with us a short time, but has already touched many people’s lives. He is such a joy to be around and is loved dearly by his nannies, volunteers, and the other children! Zeke has very little control of his muscles. We are hopeful that with the right therapy he will improve in these areas. Update Feb 2018: Getting to know Zeke is like unlocking a vault of hidden treasures. We have learned that he was picky about his food because even though he can chew, it’s a lot of work for him and he didn’t like having to put that much effort into every meal. Now when his food is blended he’ll eat pretty much anything! We had been figuring out what he wants by facial expressions and body language but his new special education teacher made him a board with yes/no buttons to press. He’s not always in the mood for it, but much of the time he can communicate well with this tool. It takes a lot of effort and concentration but he does have control of the movements in his right hand. We’ve also learned that in all his time in school over the years he has learned his letters and numbers. We are excited to see how he can continue to progress! With his board he has told us he doesn’t like his physical therapists because they make him work hard, but I think he knows it is helping him because he still goes without fussing.

Update Jan 2015: Quint is an adorable little guy. He appears to have cerebral palsy and possible other delays. He can sit up on his own and scoots all over the place. Quint can stand unassisted and has recently started walking on his own. He is very proud of this new skill and practices it often, although scooting is still his primary choice. Quint tends to grab at anything he is close to, whether this is a toy, grass or someone else’s clothing. He will hold on tight, and sometimes put the object he finds in his mouth. Quint currently has trouble making eye contact, but he still loves to interact and play. He is non-verbal, but can often be heard making loud noises as he plays, by himself or with others. These noises are sometimes an expression of frustration and sometimes indicate joy. Quint loves to be tickled and get kisses! Update Feb 2018: Quint has become quite mobile and is very steady walking, sometimes even trying to run. He hasn’t figured out the pedals, but loves to scoot around on his tricycle. While he still puts everything in his mouth, he does know the difference between food and other things and will always take it back out if it’s not food. He is learning to feed himself and does pretty well with a fork and is getting better with a spoon. He also holds his own sippy cup. We have been working on using the toilet and he still urinated mostly in his diaper but has many bowel movements on the toilet. His problems with making eye contact have greatly improved and he has been able to make some strong connections and attachments. He loves to cuddle and hold hands. One thing he struggles with is sleeping through the night, which has gotten a little better since he started taking melatonin but he’s still a pretty early riser!

Photos available. From someone who works with him:
Resiliency only begins to describe Peter! This young boy has gone through so much medically, yet still finds the strength to smile through it all. No matter what, rubbing his head will produce a sweet smile of pure contentment and a look of peace in his eyes! Peter certainly has faced more than his share of medical challenges these past months. For quite some time, he was experiencing both scalp and skin issues that were resistant to seemingly all conventional treatments. After a long course of steroids and special mixtures of creams, Peter has finally experienced some relief and his skin is in the process of healing. While he has a history of seizures and is positive for sickle cell, both of those conditions are wonderfully under control with daily medications. Peter enjoys receiving special care and attention and really responds well to being able to attach to certain people he can trust. Update Jan 2015: Peter has lived with us for the past several years. He has cerebral palsy and sickle cell anemia. He cannot sit independently, but he can hold his head up in his chair or during tummy time. He has a skin condition called, “kerion,” but this is usually fairly well controlled with special creams and shampoos. He has frequent muscle spasms and is on medication for seizures. In the past several months, we have seen Peter learn to express himself more, and are seeing more of his adorable smile! Peter recently had a g-tube placed and is now getting fed through this. He can also eat soft foods by mouth and these are offered to him regularly. Peter enjoys receiving special care and attention and really responds well to being able to attach to certain people he can trust. His favorite nanny tells us that he calls her, “grandma”. Update Feb 2018: “Peter” is so alert and aware of everything going on around him. He is great at visual tracking and watches everyone carefully. He’s also starting to use eye gaze to communicate between choices and his new special education teacher has learned through this method that he knows his letters and numbers. He can’t control his movements well but can sometimes communicate on the yes/no board using eye gaze. Even though he is one of the oldest boys in the house, he still enjoys some cuddle time and will really relax if we hold him in the right position.

Michael, Finn and Felix are three brothers who love to play together. Felix is the youngest. He is a charismatic 2-year-old, who likes playing with balls and running around. He is much of an explorer in the making. He also enjoys watching videos for kids such as Peppa Pig. Felix gets along well with his peers and with adults. He loves demonstrations of affection such as hugs. He sometimes finds it hard to share his toys with other kids but is working hard with his caregivers to improve this. He is a fast learner. Michael is the middle child. He is a very active 10-year-old who loves sports, but soccer beyond all. His favorite subject in school is math and physical education and needs a little extra work in subjects that involve writing and reading. Michael likes to spend his time playing soccer, with marbles or playdoh. He is an animal lover and finds dalmatian dogs the most beautiful of all. Michael is very protective of his siblings; he is the happiest when he gets to spend time with them and is always looking out for them. Michael dreams of learning how to speak another language and to karate. Finn is the oldest in this group of siblings. He is a 12-years-old who loves to laugh. He gets especially happy when his brother Michael blows his tummy and makes funny noises. He loves spending time with him. He likes to eat Yogurt and enjoys it when Michael spoon-feeds him. Finn is diagnosed with cerebral palsy with mils associated mental delay, dorsal scoliosis with generalized muscular atrophy, ligament hyperlaxity and severe delay in his cognitive development. Felix, Michael and Finn would do best in a family that have experience with kids. Their family need to be patient, very loving, and open to spend individual time with each of their kids in order to cover their different needs.

Mateo has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy. He received physical therapy to help develop muscle tone and coordination. He attends a local school and receives support from a private instructor. Mateo enjoys using his iPad, being read to, and spending time outside. The adoption agency has more detailed information on this child that they can share with potential families.

Update August 2019: Maddie is such a sweet girl with an easy going personality. She has spastic cerebral palsy and microcephaly. Maddie prefers to keep her head tilted to one side, but has made a lot of progress in her ability to move it to look the other way. She tends to be very stiff but does great at tummy time and will lift her head up to look around. Maddie also loves to be held and can easily be soothed when you pick her up for some cuddles. Maddie does have a lot of muscle spasms, but we do not think this is seizure activity. Maddie takes a muscle relaxer medicine which seems to help her a lot. Despite her delays, Maddie is very observant of her environment; she can often be seen looking at those around her and she has gotten good at tracking people and objects with her eyes. Maddie cannot yet sit on her own, but can sit supported on a chair or a bench with a little help in the right places. She attends therapy three days a week for stretching, exercises, and stander time. Sometimes she loves it and sometimes she hates it. Maddie is an easy going girl, except sometimes at meal time when she does not want to eat, but she will gobble down anything that has peanut butter in it. She smiles so big when we sing songs and will make herself known if she doesn’t get to see the pictures when we are reading books. In December 2018 Maddie got a g-tube. She still eats blended food by mouth the same as she used to, but we use her g-tube to ensure she gets enough liquids and consumes all of her medicine. By mouth she has trouble swallowing thin liquids. Maddie is a petite girl, but has had a good growth spurt in the last year. Although Maddie does not talk, she knows how to communicate. She will smile when happy and will cry to alert discomfort or hunger. She has been working hard in school to learn so many things. Maddie can read and spell almost any one syllable word and her name. Every single week last year she came home from school with a 5/5 on her spelling test. She knows opposites, what happened next, and basic addition and subtraction as well. To show off these skills she uses magnetic letters on a magnetic board and will choose the next letter with her hand. Maddie also likes to use her yes/no board for simple questions and being able to be given choices like what movie she wants to watch that day. Maddie is so smart. With access to more communication devices she will tell great stories. Maddie knows who her people are and prefers them over anyone else. She loves kisses and will instantly return the favor with a big smile. Sometimes when she really gets going she will let out a belly laugh that forces you to laugh as well.

Sweet Jubilee is doing well. She has cerebral palsy and is on medication to control her seizures. Update Feb 2018: With lots of patient attention, we are finally seeing Jubilee make an effort to be part of the world around her. She is doing so much better lifting up her head during tummy time. She has also started making some small but intentional hand movements when we are holding her with a toy in her lap. Updated August 2019: Jubilee is a sweet 6 year old girl. She goes through phases where she is very happy and smiles a lot, and then goes through phases where she doesn’t smile very often. She is quite opinionated and will always let us know when she is uncomfortable, hungry, etc. She is adored by everyone that knows her. Her nannies love to dress her up, do her hair, and take her for walks. At school she is working on making choices, using her hands to reach out, and focusing her eyes on one thing at a time. In therapy she is also working on purposeful movement, range of motion, standing, and several other things.

From someone who works with him: We have had the privilege of caring for Josiah for 3 years. He is the oldest child in our care and has been with us longer than any other child. Josiah was abandoned at a nearby hospital when he was 1. Josiah has cerebral palsy and requires special care and attention. He has limited control over his movement and needs support when sitting. For 3 years, our nannies and staff have cared for Josiah, fed him and bathed him. Ask any person who has cared for Josiah though and they will say that they are the one who was blessed. When you are with Josiah, it is clear that God’s love resides in Josiah. Josiah can’t talk, but he loves to smile and interact with anyone who will talk to him. Josiah cannot sing like most of us, but each day during nanny prayer and singing Josiah joins in with a big smile. Our deep desire is for Josiah to join his forever family through adoption. We have had difficulty finding that family, but we know that God has a plan for Josiah . We also know that where ever he goes, Josiah will be a blessing as his loved ones bless and care for him. Update Jan 2015: Josiah has been with us longer than any other child and is waiting for his forever family. He was abandoned at a nearby hospital when he was a year old. Josiah has cerebral palsy. He can be very interactive and seems to comprehend what is being said to him. He does have seizures that are being controlled with medication. He loves when people sing songs with him. Josiah is a very happy and loving boy. He is always full of smiles. Josiah can hold his head up, and is practicing learning how to sit, although he has not yet mastered this skill on his own. He prefers the tripod position while someone supports his efforts. Josiah is very strong and his muscles are often tight; he is receiving therapy to help him relax and control his muscles better. Josiah is nonverbal, but can still express several of his needs very well; he will cry if he wants attention and will happily reward you with a smile when you talk with or sing to him. Our deep desire is for Josiah to join his forever family through adoption. We have had difficulty finding that family, but we know that God has a plan for Josiah . We also know that where ever he goes, Josiah will be a blessing as his loved ones bless and care for him.

Jesse is definitely a smart boy! He is nonverbal, but already recognizes a lot of letters and their sounds. He communicates by moving his hand closer to the letter or option he is choosing. He is working hard on these skills in preschool, which he currently attends two afternoons each week. He also uses his eyes to communicate. Sometimes I will tell him to look at someone to say please, thank you or sorry and he is always quick to comply, unless he is mad, in which case he will either shut or roll his eyes. If given two choices, I’ll ask him to look at one person for the first choice and another person for the second choice. He is quick to answer, especially if it’s something he really wants. For example, I will say look at Irene if you want your milk or look at Judith if you want more food and he will look at Judith to indicate he wants another bowl of food. Jesse knows the name of all his familiar people and will quickly look at them with a smile if I ask where they are. Jesse loves to laugh and is quite entertained by the antics of his foster brothers and sister. Every night, I take Jesse into his bedroom to sit by his bed and pray together. Our one year old has a habit of following us in to the bedroom and sitting down beside us until another adult comes to get him. Jesse always anticipates this and as soon as I sit down with him, he watches the door and smiles, until the toddler comes in and Jesse wiggles and dances with joy. Sometimes after Jesse is in bed, his buddy will climb in with him and they both laugh at the craziness of bedtime. Physically, Jesse can balance in a sitting position for several seconds, with his legs crossed and using his arms for support. He doesn’t do it for long at a time before he tumbles over, but he is always very proud of his accomplishments. He doesn’t roll over, but when he is laying on his tummy (his favorite position!), he can lift his head up and look around. Jesse loves to practice his walking, especially if he can “chase” the other kids around. I support him by holding him under his arms and then he lifts his feet and off we go. Jesse wears AFOs to use his stander every day. He really enjoys this time and rarely fusses while he stands. He has a musical light up toy that he likes to use during this time and he is quick to fuss if one of the other kids tries to take it. He also goes to physical therapy four days a week where he works hard on continuing to develop his skills. Jesse still wears a diaper, but he is working on potty training and sits on his modified potty every evening before bath time. He will usually use it and always smiles proudly when we praise him for this. Jesse eats well, with mostly pureed food, although he also likes to eat things like crackers or cookies. He does not self-feed, but if we give him the spoon to hold, he works hard to bring it to his mouth. Jesse drinks from a sippy cup and a water bottle with a straw – he especially loves milk and juice, but nothing too cold! Jesse enjoys spending time being pushed in a supportive swing and fusses when it is time to get out. He also likes watching movies and going for walks in our stroller. Jesse enjoys story time and holding his baby doll or stuffed lamb. He is an amazing little guy who will definitely be a huge blessing to his family!

Diana was born to a teenage mother who felt unable to give her the attention and stability she needed. Diana is unable to speak, but communicates non-verbally. Diana enjoys being outside, bath time, and hand massages. The adoption agency has more detailed information on this child that they can share with potential families.

Update August 2019: Carlton has taught himself to read in Creole, and needed very little help learning to read in English. He can do multi-step word problems inside his head. Although school is very easy for him, he is not very motivated to do his schoolwork or find different ways to communicate. He has shown a little interest in a keyboard to type out words, but mostly he prefers to communicate what he wants with signs, gestures, and noises. He loves one on one attention but can also play quietly by himself if he is not competing for attention. He can get in and out of his chair and bed by himself, and can independently move around in his wheelchair. He wears diapers and still needs help with eating. There is a very funny video of some things Carlton can do if you would like to see more.

Update Jan 2015: Breckin has cerebral palsy, but he can sit up and stand with assistance. He can even take a few steps if you hold onto his hands. He has been receiving regular therapy and loves this time. Breckin is making great improvements – he now has a modified crawl that he uses to get all around his house and can quickly move to wherever he wants to be. He can also pull himself up to stand and does this often. Breckin does not yet feed himself, but he has practiced holding his own spoon and sippy cup and has made great progress. Breckin is a happy little guy who loves to play. Update July 2020: Breckin is such a fun kid who loves hugs and one on one interaction. If you go in for a hug, be ready to stay awhile because he will want to hold you there. He can currently hold his own bottle to drink on his own. He is spending more time in a walker in therapy. He needs encouragement in it, but is getting better. He will walk with you with support for a little ways as well. With more intense therapy, he would really excel in this area. He loves it when his caregivers sing his favorite songs. He really likes hymns as well as the Goodnight Song sung in his house