Trina also projects a strong need for belonging, parental protection and a strong desire for firm support, these aspects are explained by her life history and have been worked from different approaches by psychology, overall a calm state of mind is reported.
We know that an adoptive family can greatly help Trina feel valued and loved, and will help her improve in these areas with love, security, acceptance and healing.
Photo available from agency!
Trina has Sickle cell anemia, and she was medicated with folic acid. Sickle cell anemia is one of a group of disorders known as sickle cell disease. Sickle cell anemia is an inherited red blood cell disorder in which there aren’t enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout your body. While there’s no cure for most people with sickle cell anemia, treatments can relieve pain and help prevent complications associated with the disease. Many people with this condition live very normal lives. Learn more about the illness and living with Sickle Cell by visiting Sickle Cell Speaks.
High altitude risk: The air at high altitudes, such as in an unpressurized airplane or in the mountains at altitudes greater than 5,000 ft (1,524 m), has less oxygen than at sea level. The lack of oxygen can cause cells to sickle which is painful and dangerous for a carrier. For that reason, it is not advisable to place a child for adoption with a family living at higher altitude / mountains.
Photo available from agency!
When the medical report was first performed when he was about one year old, AJ was not walking and a level of delay is reported in the cognitive, language and motor areas that are related to the state of severe malnutrition with which he was found as an infant.
His Grade I Osteogenesis Imperfecta is the mildest form of the condition. Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a genetic disorder characterized by bones that break easily. OI is highly variable. Its signs and symptoms range from mild to severe. In addition to fractures (broken bones), people with OI sometimes have muscle weakness, loose joints (joint laxity), curvature of the spine (scoliosis), brittle teeth (dentinogenesis imperfecta), and hearing loss. A classification system dividing OI into several types is commonly used to help describe how severely a person is affected. Type I is the mildest and most common form of OI.
There is a $1,000 agency fee reduction for August’s adoption with a specific agency! August needs a family with an approved home study to be able to move forward with adopting him. If you are interested in learning more about, or adopting, August – the agency would be happy to assist you.
Additional photos available!
VIDEOS (Password: Adoptmaa)
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-kinsley1
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-kinsley02
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-kinsley03
There is a $500 agency fee reduction for Kinsley’s adoption with a specific agency!
Kinsley is eligible for a $10,000 grant with the LPA, as long as the family joins LPA!
Kinsley needs a family with an approved home study to be able to lock her file or submit a letter of intent to adopt her. A family without a home study can look at her redacted file. If you are interested in reviewing Kinsley’s file or in adopting Kinsley, the agency would be happy to assist you.
Florence is nonverbal but uses other ways to communicate. She smiles and arches when she is happy and will cry when she is in pain, hungry or sad. For example, she usually gets sad if others go on a walk and she thinks she’s not going to go. She likes when you give her simple yes/no questions like which outfit she wants to wear for the day. At school, she has been working on different ways to communicate like using an eye gaze program to speak through a dynavox or trying to use her hand to choose answers.
Florence has a g-tube. In the past, she has eaten meals blended by mouth. Her g-tube was used to give her medicine and water. However, currently she is being fed all food and water via her g-tube as her caregivers are assessing what is safe for her. There are not swallow studies available in her home country so it is a little bit challenging to figure out what is best for her. Her diet is being supplemented with a mix of complan, a powdered-milk nutritional supplement, and real food blends. She is doing well. Also, she does take muscle relaxing medication to help with her spasticity.
Her personality has started to shine through even more so. She likes to laugh. She thinks her friends that do silly things are really funny and often they make her snort when laughing a lot.
She attends therapy four times a week currently for stander time, stretching and exercises. The therapists always say she doesn’t complain unless it is a day where she is clearly uncomfortable before she comes.
Florence enjoys being held by her people and especially when they sing to her or dance with her. Even though she cannot talk, she interacts well with her friends in her foster home! Such a joyful, sweet girl she is.
Johnny has a diagnosis of Down syndrome with developmental delay, a gastrostomy and thyroid profile within the normal upper limit for his age. He is a little late for his age on his speaking and would do best in a family that can help him work on this. His family must be very loving and work consistently on his development.
Video available.
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.
Xavier has a history of abuse/trauma. More information available from the agency for serious inquiries. Xavier is capable of following instructions but requires close adult supervision and encouragement. He is gaining autonomy in his daily routine and sleeps throughout the night without waking. Xavier’s caregivers say he is honest and is capable of giving and receiving affection. At times, Xavier can become frustrated easily and this often leads to him giving up on a task. His caregivers are working with him to regulate these emotions and improve his emotional communication skills. When asked about an adoptive family, Xavier expresses interest and says he wants a family “to help him with his homework”. Xavier would do best in a home where he is the youngest child. His adoptive family needs to be able to provide him with plenty of individualized attention and support.
Willow arrived at this orphanage in early February 2013. She loves music and loves to dance. She has responded well to the pre-school program taught at the orphanage. She has a bright smile and a contagious laugh. When visitors come, Willow is delighted to swing with them or go on walks in the neighborhood.
From a missionary who visited with her in 2013: ” I’ve met Willow! Seriously, this girl ALWAYS smiles. Whenever I would come near her she’d just grab my hand and grin at me. She wants to go exploring so bad, but she can’t walk. She would just point at stuff and grin at me to try to get me there. She is a sweetie pie. my roommate got to feed her lunch one day. She is a happy little girl who went from being scared of others near her to loving the attention! “
Violet has a $1,000 agency fee reduction for her adoption with a specific adoption agency.
Older sister Teresa is confident and a leader in her class. She is optimistic and enjoys hanging out with her friends. She likes art, especially making bracelets. She also likes to play with her younger sister.
These sweet sisters participated in the summer hosting program in August of 2018 and were very well behaved girls that got along very well with others. They were kind, considerate, and would do well in a family. These girls had a family at one point, but the family had to back out. Teresa has reached out, begging for help in finding them a family. Teresa and Tia would love to have a forever family of their own and we hope that a family will come forward for them very soon!
There is a $1500 agency grant for Teresa and Tia’s adoption with a specific adoption agency.
Vaughn is a beautiful boy who has many interests. He likes to dance, listen to music, and play the maracas and drums. He also likes to look at books. Vaughn relates well with his peers. He recognizes and respects authority figures. Vaughn participates in many activities. During his free time, he likes to play with a ball on the court and run.
VIDEO: https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-vaughn1
Password: Adoptmaa
There is a $1,500 agency fee reduction for Vaughn’s adoption with a specific agency.
Communication with her is limited since she is deaf and has yet to learn sign language. She understands some signs such as “sit” and “no”, but has yet to repeat signs back to us such as “more” and “food.” Sasha continues to work on those both in her foster home and with her teacher at school, but it has been very slow progress. She also has a VSD (hole in her heart), but her body has learned to live with it well. She has been taken off all her heart medicine, and seems to be doing well so far. She has seen doctors about surgery, but none has been needed so far. She is also on medication for seizures, but under the current combination of seizure medication, she has not a had a seizure.
He understands English as well as his native language. He can say a few words but often only speaks with people he knows well. He communicates non-verbally like with hand gestures and responds appropriately to yes/no questions by nodding his head. He comprehends everything but is a bit inconsistent with how he responds to directions. Some times this depends on the space he is in or the situation. For example, fast transitions are often a challenge for him so he may freeze until you give him the time to complete the task on his own.
His favorite place to be is playing outside. He will often choose to play on the swing, zipline or trampoline. He has been practicing kicking and throwing balls too.
Robert enjoys school. He has mastered drawing circles, tracing shapes, and writing his favorite letter “O.” He can write other letters too though. He also has one on one time for school to practice his letters and numbers. He gets really excited to show off his projects from school and when you compliment him.
Robert is gentle with younger children/babies and children with special needs. He loves to engage with them by singing or dancing with them and will try to hold them. He is such a happy boy with so much potential! We are praying his family finds him soon! Video available.
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!
Phillip has a significant language delay, but his vocabulary and verbal productions are increasing. He communicates using single words, gestures, and signs. He recognizes and points out his body parts, imitates animal sounds, follows rhythms, dances and sings songs. He understands and performs routine and simple tasks. Phillip enjoys to interacting with adults and peers. He looks for help in adults when he has needs.
Video available through the agency for inquiring families.
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.
Felix is the youngest. He is a charismatic toddler, 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 boy 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 boy 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.
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.
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.
In school she is working on responding to different stimulation and focusing her eyes on one object at a time, and at therapy she is doing range of motion stretches, standing, and several other things.
Leonel wants to find a forever family that can love him and take care of him forever.
These siblings have a history of abuse/trauma. More information available from the agency for serious inquiries.
Kelsi is described as respectful to authorities, calm, and kind. She is very attached to her brother and is protective over him. Kameron is the outgoing and extraverted one of the pair. He loves drawing, soccer and watching YouTube videos.
Kameron presents some difficulties in speech and reading comprehension which causes him to struggle in school. He is receiving extra help in this area and is showing improvements – in fact, since learning he and his sister are candidates for adoption, Kameron has shown a greater interest and dedication to his school studies.
Kelsi and Kameron need to be placed in a home together. Neither child received consistent schooling prior to entering into care so an adoptive family should be prepared to provide any necessary educational support and resources. It is important for Kelsi and Kameron to join a family with a calm and even-tempered father figure and it is best if there are no younger or vulnerable children in the home. Kelsi and Kameron dream of an adoptive family who will love and protect them for the rest of their lives.
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.
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!
Update Feb 2020: This file is old, so the information is from one year ago. He is verbal. He attends speech therapy. He has some difficulty pronouncing some words. His speech is delayed according to his age. A year ago he was using diapers, but he was telling when he had to get it changed because he felt discomfort. He is very affectionate, very loving, and respectful with adults. He follows norms and rules. He was sometimes pulling the hair of peers at school. The neurologist states he is a child that has progressed a lot since he has been receiving therapies and recommended that he not stop them.
A specific agency has a $2,500 grant available for his adoption.
Frederick has low muscle tone, and he has been diagnosed with developmental delays. He is capable of feeding himself (but he makes a mess!) and just needs more practice to develop that skill. There is concern about core muscle development, but Frederick works hard, so it is believed that he may be able to walk some day.
Frederick is a hard-working little boy who wants to develop his skills. He has developed friendships with some of the other kids in the orphanage (both able-bodied and special-needs kids). He responds well to physical therapy, and in just a couple of months he progressed from simply lying on a mat to attempting to stand and taking small steps. Multiple unrelated children can be adopted together.
Devin gets very excited when someone he cares about comes to visit him. He will receive them with hugs, kisses and lots of smiles. He also likes it when he gets to go out to walk around or play in the park. Devin has a diagnosis of speech and language development disorder and microcephaly with what is suspected to be a cognitive deficit. He would do best in a family that can work with him through all the different parts of his development, keeping in mind his own necessities.
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.
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-bria
Password: Adoptmaa
Bria has a $2,500 agency grant for her adoption with the agency who listed her; additional grants may also be possible.
This sweet boy deserves a loving family who can provide him with care and support as he continues to grow and progress.
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.
He is fully mobile, can feed himself, and go to the bathroom independently. Bennett wears a helmet to protect his head. He has become fond of his helmet though because he can show off his headstand. You will often find him enjoying jumping on the trampoline, playing on the playground or going on a walk. He needs redirection often because he is always on the move. Although he is generally happy, he can get frustrated when people do not do what he wants to do or if he is being asked to do something he is not ready for.
Bennett’s favorite part of school is circle time because he likes to sing songs and answer ALL the questions even if his answer has nothing to do with what was asked. He understands and speaks English as well as his native language. He is known for reciting the four seasons in English quite well. At home, he loves to ask other people to dance and sing with him too. Bennett loves to make people smile!
The agency has a video available of Bailey! There is a $2,500 agency grant for Bailey’s adoption with a specific adoption agency.
Adorable Anton loves to color, play with the hole puncher and throw confetti. He is also interested in photography. He loves going to school to be with his teachers and classmates. He likes to wear his school uniform. He can play alone but prefers to play with other children. He likes to be a leader and share his favorite toys. Anton recognizes geometric shapes. He generally follows rules and respects the instructions of adults. He understands what he is asked of him. He is potty-trained during the day, but wears a pull-up at night. Anton is expressive, recognizes the parts of the body, has good personal presentation and is known for leaving his work area very neat. Anton is a charming young boy that will bring happiness and joy to a family.
A grant of $2500 is also available from a specific agency, for Anton’s adoption!
At school he uses his arm moving it along a cookie sheet to spell words, make sentences, answer questions, etc. He also likes to use his arms to reach out and tag you, unplug cords or get cellphones… such a jokester he is! When he doesn’t want to work or he is tired then it is harder to get him to respond.
Alan has a g-tube but does still eat all meals blended by mouth and drinks water well from a honey bear bottle squeezed for him. His g-tube is used to supplement snacks for weight gain, to give him more water and to ensure he gets all his medicine properly. Some times when he is sick or is having a difficult time eating safely by mouth then he chooses to use his tube for meals. This helps us to ensure he is getting enough food/water too. When you ask him, he will often indicate to us he wants to be fed via his tube when he is struggling. Alan was slow to gain weight for a long time. He threw up a lot when he was on a milk-based formula and cried like he was in pain. Since then he has remained mostly dairy free and now his diet is supplemented with real food blends. There has been positive improvement overall!!
In the past, he had a couple unexplained episodes that were thought to be seizures. He is on Keppra but has not had any recently so his medical caregivers will try to wean him off soon to see how he does. The heat does seem to affect him so he is often more uncomfortable/grumpy in the summer months here in his home country. It is no surprise then that he loves when he has a fan by him to cool him down or if he is involved in water play. Swimming in pools or sitting in his water chair are two of his favorite activities to beat the summer heat. When swimming he likes to float on his belly and paddle his arms and kick. It’s a workout with him in the pool because of how excited he gets! With little head control, he has benefited from a float that can keep his head up while he tries to move his arms. He attends therapy four times a week currently. The therapists say he does much better in the stander when he has had his stretching beforehand. Often though he is not a big fan of standing unless someone sits with him and interacts with him.
Alan enjoys being held by his caregivers and going for walks. Going over bumps makes him laugh a lot. He loves to interact with his other friends in his foster family. He will make a great addition to his forever family and has so much potential!! Alan LOVES music and dancing. He gets really excited when people want to sing to him or help him dance. Sometimes if you are holding under his armpits he will lift up his feet like he is trying to walk. He can also flip himself over super fast. He keeps everyone laughing when he is in his good, giggly moods!