Other Special Needs Boys, 10+

Seeley had just turned 5 years old (these photos are from 2014) when he was listed. He was born with club feet and scoliosis. He is a smart and observant little boy who enjoys playing with building blocks.

Seeley will need treatment to straighten his feet, so he can hopefully be mobile. He needs a family to help him get the medical care he needs in order to reach his full potential!

Pattie has FAS, hypothyroidism and mental delay.

She completed 3^rd grade and needs help with her classes. Her caregivers describe her as kind and nice girl who smiles a lot. She has a positive attitude with her peers and adults. She is very close with her brother.

Paul graduated from kindergarten this year. His health is good, but he has a speech impairment and minor developmental delay.  He likes to play outside and enjoys soccer and biking. He loves art and is making progress with learning.

They are nice children who are dreaming of having parents and will do well in a family.

Phineas is described by nannies as an observant child who has positive relationships with peers and caregivers. He enjoys being with his caretakers and knows/understands their individual personalities and is challenging for him when he has a new caregiver. He gives and receives affection with individuals he likes. He participates in the orphanage activities and loves to explore. He can express his feelings if his caregivers encourage it and knows some self-care.

Phineas needs a loving family that can provide a nurturing environment, felt safety, and knowledge regarding older child adoption.

UPDATE 7/21:

Described as tidy, helpful and observant, Phineas is a sensitive boy who needs time to warm up to new people and new situations. His focus is interest-based and he really enjoys exploring, playing, and spending time with his favorite male caregiver (an orphanage volunteer).

This curious boy has been institutionalized since infancy. He would benefit from individualized attention and, as such, would do best as the youngest or only child. He needs a loving family that will provide a safe and nurturing home environment that offers the safety necessary for him to expand to explore his inner world and interests with confidence. His parent(s) should have a warm demeanor and prescribe to the use of positive and connected parenting strategies that propel Phineas to feel empowered.

This handsome 14 years old boy is a practitioner of the Christian religion, he likes sports activities such as soccer and cooperative games, he is characterized by being responsible in the preparation of school tasks and he likes research. His favorite food is ceviche, fries and chicken, his favorite color is green, his favorite toy is drones, his favorite character is Cristiano Ronaldo. He wants to be adopted and have a loving and caring family.

John: He presents difficulties in cognitive processes such as: verbal comprehension, visual space, fluid reasoning, which prevents him from learning according to his peers.

He receives classes and educational support under the tutelage of the educators, allowing him to reinforce each area of development. The child receives constant medical check-ups. Since his admission he receives psychological attention, according to the emotional and psychological needs of the child.

He and his sister have a good emotional relationship. He complies with norms and rules within the Center, respects his peers and the staff that works in the Institution.

Jane: The girl receives the necessary medical care, has been assessed in several areas of medicine such as: Traumatology, Psychiatry, Pediatrics, Ophthalmology, Neurosurgeon, Clinical Psychology, performing frequent health checks, in June 2018 she was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis, like her brother, in the case of a hereditary disease. The care must be thorough, attend medical check-ups and use the creams prescribed by the specialist, it is possible that this disease will affect future learning.

From the assessment process carried out on the student, she shows difficulties in her cognitive processing skills, evidencing immaturity in learning. Her learning style is slow.

She has a good understanding and develops school activities correctly. It does not make it difficult for her to relate to her peers, she likes to talk and also communicate her feelings and emotions. Respect her peers and staff as well as abide by the rules and regulations of the Special Protection Center. She is attached to her brother.

Keller: Is there anything cuter than a little 3 year old boy in a train shirt with yellow sleeves?  Keller had just turned 3 when agency staff met him in November. He has some developmentally delays, but seems to be doing really well. He may have some mild hearing loss, there is further testing scheduled. He likes playing with toy cars and playing outside. He communicates in short sentences and can follow 1 step directions. He scribbles with a crayon and made a nice stack of blocks for us. Keller has an older sister who is also available for adoption.

Kelsey:

She did well on all of the tasks asked of her. She even did some simple multiplication!

Kelsey told us her favorite color is pink and she loves bread. Her favorite animal is a water buffalo, which she had recently seen at the zoo. She likes playing outside, and when she gets to play frisbee in PE class at school. Kelsey is in the 2nd grade and her foster parents told us she especially excels in Mandarin and math.

Kelsey has been living with her current foster family for about year. Foster mom and dad both came to meet with us – which is rare, we usually just get to meet foster mom. It was clear that Kelsey has a good, trusting relationship with her foster parents – who we learned are both social workers! Kelsey has had a bit of a tough past, but it seemed to us that she is in a wonderful place now. Her foster parents confirmed that they have seen positive changes in Kelsey throughout the last few months.

Update 2022:

Keller is described as a lively, cuddly child.  To view his original post, click here.  Keller was seen by virtual SuperKids in February 2022 and wow, he has developed into a happy kid, loving to learn new things and share his knowledge!  Shy and reserved around the video camera, he was hesitant to sing for us but did hum the tunes of Paw Patrol while playing and interacting.  Some of his favorite cartoons are Paw Patrol, Robocar Poli, Masha and the Bear and Shimajiro!

Keller is almost 5 1/2 years old and learning in kindergarten class.  He is now able to participate in sports, ride a bike, paint, build towers, and enjoys watching cartoons.  He is receiving early intervention services and has an IEP, with goals of maintaining focus while in groups, improving fine motor skills and interpersonal interactions- all goals he is working hard to achieve!  He receives weekly speech therapy.

On a recent outing, Keller was able to go to Ocean World to watch the dolphin and sea lion show.  He really enjoyed this experience and seems to enjoy learning about animals and nature!  How amazing would it be for him to be home next years with his forever family, enjoying theme parks, aquariums, and the zoo?!

Keller is progressing in multiple areas, including language and motor skills – he enjoys singing songs, counting to 30, and working on fine motor skills such as using scissors.  Keller has received speech services for since 2019.  While he is working on various goals, there have been gains as he is able to shown ability to problem solve, and speaks in more complete sentences!  Keller responds to reward and encouragements in his day to day life.  He is encouraged by  receiving stickers when he learns something new!

Keller has quite the sweet tooth! He likes cakes, cookies and pudding.  He shared that they are yummy treats and shares his treats with his caregivers.   Keller wants to bake and eat cookies with you!

Kelsey: Kelsey will be nine years old soon and is still waiting for her family. When we met with her, she kept a steady smile on her face and appeared to be in good spirits. She told us that her favorite class in school is P.E. and she finds English class to be the most difficult. It certainly isn’t easy learning a second language, but she put her skills to use saying ‘thank you’ several times during our visit. We learned that Kelsey’s favorite sports are dodgeball and frisbee, and summertime is her favorite time of year. Kelsey showed off her knowledge by correctly answering our multiplication math problems without hesitation. Kelsey’s favorite colors are yellow and blue, and she told us she wants to be a dancing police officer when she grows up! Kelsey is a medically healthy and active young girl waiting for the loving family she deserves. She has been diagnosed with ADHD which is controlled with medication.

Sanders was born in August of 2008 with cerebral palsy, global developmental delays, and epilepsy. In 2019, he has a gastrectomy surgery. Sanders has grown up in an orphanage and has never known the love of a family. Sanders has certain gestures when he sees people of his liking. On February 22, 2018, he had a surgery for tendon lengthening of the adductor muscle. Sanders continues his stage of schooling. In addition, he attends physiotherapies, which are important for his muscle development.

Contact the adoption agency to learn more about Sanders! They’d love to share photos and more information privately with an interested family! We hope his family sees him soon to give him lots of affection and love!

Zeke has a pair of small eyes, but his eyes are bright. He is an obedient child, is active. Every morning he helps mom to fold up a quilt, clean and take care of young sister; he helps sister to put on clothes and he is very diligent. He holds sister’s hands to go to school and helps sister to go upstairs when back home after school; he teaches sister to sing children’s songs, play games, draw and he watches carton with sister together; he puts food onto the plates of sister when having a meal; he is a little sweet guy and is so caring. He speaks clearly.

Zeke gets along well with classmates in the class; they like to play with him. When his foster mom takes him to play outdoors, he always runs around mom and doesn’t let her out of his sight; he is naughty and adored. He loves sports, loves to run, loves to jump and loves small toys. He likes to take photos and is good at making pose; he always makes a handsome pose to ask mom to take photos for him.

Zeke is very clever. He loves to learn, to use his head and has good memory. He knows the knowledge taught by the teacher and is able to finish his homework alone; he would teach sister to draw and write after school. He is careful in learning; he also likes to play puzzles with sister and spell outs various patterns.

He has been living with a foster family since 2013.

He has a systolic murmur along the precordium; hyperkinetic conduct disorder and a mild mental delay. The child started walking on time, but his speech is underdeveloped. The child cannot stay focused for a long time while playing. He understands and follows simple instructions.

The agency has current medical reports available for serious inquiries.

UPDATE March 2017:   previous Diagnosis of Atypical autism that was changed to hyperkinetic disorder, very interested in motor activities. Responds to positive interactions and praise from familiar adults, but can become anxious in new situations or if a familiar caregiver is not around. He seeks comfort from familiar adults and can become sad if one leaves.

Damian is able to speak and understand everything but prefers using mimics and gestures to communicate.

He prefers sporting and free activities. He orientates well and quickly when solving puzzles. He likes riding a bicycle, playing with pins and mini-soccer.

Damian participates in playing activities, both individual and group, but often does not follow the rules. Damian is able to make his bed when he gets up. He can fold his clothes and tidy his wardrobe. He needs to be reminded about maintaining his personal hygiene and shows no interest in acquiring skills for cleaning and maintaining his personal space, cleaning utensils and other daily activities.

Damian eats well and sleeps calmly. His attitude towards possible adoption is positive.

Ollie is now living in foster care. He is physically well developed. He has good coordination of his hands and feet. He walks without falling, and can run as well. Climbs up and goes down by the stairs when holding an adult or the railing. He can play with cubes by putting them and taking them out of a cup, but has some problems manipulating with smaller objects. He cannot eat and dress by himself yet, but does make attempts. He understood almost everything and fulfils small tasks. He likes playing hide and seek. He hides behind the door and when he is found, he laughs and stomps his feet. He is interested in musical cartoons and copies the movements of the actors.

*There is a younger child that is believed to be Ollie’s younger brother. However, they are NOT listed as needing to be adopted together. The other child is listed as Ozzie.

Brandt loves riding bikes and playing soccer and plays for the soccer team at his school. His caregivers describe him as a cheerful child who is talkative and very sweet He attends 1st grade and his favorite class is where they learn the ABC’s. He is not a fan of coloring or drawing and when he doesn’t like an activity at school, he prefers to go to the bathroom and clean. He is calm and loving with other children and he enjoys social activities and helping with chores.

Brandt had a complicated birth history, and was premature. He typically wears glasses. Brandt needs a prospective adoptive family with excellent educational resources including ESL support, and a good understanding of developmental trauma, institutionalization and older child adoption. He needs a family that is open to some unknowns.

Quinntavius is missing his right hand. It looks as if he may have ptosis (droopy eye lid) of his left eye, but that is not a formal diagnosis. Quinntavius likes to look at picture books and be read to. He really enjoys going outside and playing and basking in the sunshine. Quinntavius has good fine motor skills and is very observant. He knows his name and likes hearing his named called. Quinntavius has good expression and is very curious. He is a quiet boy and doesn’t cry often. He can combine actions with words, such as shaking his head no and saying no. He really likes to play with toys, especially blocks, and he enjoys rolling balls. Quinntavius sounds like a wonderful little boy who doesn’t let anything stop him. Now he just needs a forever family of his own! Video available from spring 2017.

When Gentry was born he had a bad case of pneumonia and was behind his friends in his physical development. Gentry’s pneumonia cleared up, but it has taken him a little while to learn to do things that his friends could do. At 7 months he started to hold his head up and roll over. At 9 months he was able to sit up all by himself and look for my caregivers when they called his name. When the doctors started to examine Gentry they found that one of his testicles was descended. Gentry also has leukoma in his left eye. Gentry can follow toys from side to side so his caregivers do not know if it is affecting his vision. Gentry loves to laugh, imitate caregivers, and groove to the music.

May 2019 Written Update:His mental ability is similar to other kids of the same age. He has thalassemia and needs blood transfusion every month. He has a good personality. He is quiet. He listens to the staff, and likes reading, painting, singing, and playing chess. He is well behaved. Duncan has no delays with gross motor or fine motor skills. He attends school. Duncan has a close friend at the orphanage. He knows how to care for others. His social skills are good and he gets along well with others.
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“I love observing others in a big group of people and seeing others happy makes me happy. I am an easy kid who doesn’t need much to be entertained. I just like holding hands and feeling close to people. I’m a total lover, not a fighter! I always listen to what my nannies ask of me and I obey with a smile on my face. I’m gentle with my friends and treat all my belongings with care. People who know me describe me as sweet, shy, loving, happy, kind, and as a good listener.” This was written by volunteers who have gotten to know Duncan well over the years. What a gem of a kid! And don’t get us started on that smile….that smile that pretty much never leaves his face!

Duncan was born in January of 2009 with beta thalassemia major and is transfusion dependent. He needs a blood transfusion approximately every 3 weeks and he receives iron chelation daily. He is easy-going, obedient, and very happy. Unfortunately, Duncan has not been able to attend school outside of the orphanage due to his needs, but does receive schooling inside the orphanage. He knows how to count and can draw, color, and sing songs. Duncan is a polite boy who gets along well with all of his friends. A forever family and the medical care Duncan could receive in the United States would be life-changing for this precious boy!

There are several videos available.

There is a $4,000 agency grant for Duncan’s adoption with his current adoption agency. The Cooley’s Anemia Foundation is also giving a $1,000 grant for any child with transfusion dependent thalassemia.

Lennox is described as smart, clever, quiet, and pleasant. In March of 2014 he had surgery for one of his special needs. Lennox is a handsome and active boy who has a ready smile. The caretakers and other kids all like him very much! His agency has asked for an update and hope to have one soon!

Stan takes medication to manage his thyroid. He’s also on medication for behaviors, and his foster family reports that the medication helps him to sleep better at night, which has improved his overall behavior. He can memorize, retain, and reproduces information. Motor skills are well developed. Self-help skills are well developed. He follows the rules and behaves well in public. The medication he is taking has decreased his mood swings. He talks in complete sentences and is able to ask/answer questions, tell a story, etc. He occasionally mixes up verb tenses and other grammatical errors, but is able to be understood. He is working with a speech therapist at school. He responds well to verbal praise and verbal prompts when he needs correction. He enjoys music and loves animals. He eagerly engages in activities with other children. He likes to put puzzles together, watch TV and play on the computer. He is behind academically at school due to difficulty with attention span.

Currently, Andy & Kayla are being raised together in a foster home, while Izzy is being raised in a different foster home in the same town. The children see each other often and want to be adopted together so that they can all live in the same home. The foster families do not speak the country’s native language in the home, so the children speak one language while at home and a 2nd language at school.

Andy tested at age appropriate levels on all psychological and emotional testing. He does well in school and does not have any behavioral concerns. He has age appropriate friendships, social skills, communication skills, and self-help skills. He likes to play football and eat French fries. When he grows up, he wants to be a policeman.

Izzy tested at age appropriate levels on all psychological and emotional testing. She does well in school and does not have any behavioral concerns. She has age appropriate friendships, social skills, communication skills, and self-help skills. She enjoys playing outside with her friends. When she grows up, she wants to be a teacher.

Kayla has speech delays that make it difficult to understand what she is saying. She is working with a speech therapist and learning to make the correct sounds so that her words are more easily understood. She is very active and takes medication to control impulsive behaviors and to help her attention span. Her foster mother reports that her behaviors have greatly improved with the addition of medication. She is attending kindergarten and responds well to play based learning.

*Abner’s social worker reported that according to the specialists, supervising Abner’s condition and development, the diagnosis of atypical autism is no longer valid and it will be deleted from Abner’s formal paperwork that is to be updated in the following months

Abner likes to keep himself busy exploring! His favorite activities are the ones that include movement, such as going for a walk. He very much likes to spend time looking through books. He also likes all musical instruments and toys that play melodies and sounds. His favorite toy is a children’s laptop that plays songs. When he hears a melody he tries to dance.

There has been a progress in Abner’s speech development as he has started using a lot of words. He now forms sentences containing 3-4 words, albeit dyslexia is observed.

Severely impaired condition, polymalformative syndrome: Dandy-Walker syndrome, epilepsy, congenital hydrocephalus-ventriculoperitoneal shunt installed, dysfunction of the valve with a neuroinfection and a surgical treatment and revision of the valve system in the spring of 2015; anal atresia, sigmostoma and sagittal proctoplasty; mylticystic right kidney, kidney dysplasia, pyelectasis and hypertrophy of the left kidney, severe mental delay.

Connor is being raised in one of the biggest orphanages in Bulgaria where children often suffer from severe malnutrition, muscle hypotrophy and have severe delays in the neuropsychological development. He has a polymalformative syndrome, but one could see a dramatic change in his appearance in just two pictures- the first one taken in the end of November 2014 and the second one in June 2015.

He grabs a toy that is handed to him, holds it for a while and manipulates with it. He has started to more and more often reach with his hands and manipulate with hanging toys independently.

While involved in active interactions with adults, he would make his emotional responses known with his nonverbal behavior. He seeks contact with familiar adults by reaching out his hand, grabbing an adult’s hand and he would even sometimes direct an adult’s hand towards his face so as to be caressed.

He falls asleep easily and his sleep is calm. He is fed with a bottle. He gets anxious while his clothes are changed and while bathed.

Jonas is on several medications.  Jonas’s motor activity completely corresponds to the expected developmental level for his calendar age.  Although his fine motor skills need to improve further, Jonas is able to hold a pencil properly. He can inlay elements with some guidance. He puts cubes one on top of the other. He threads colored rings on a fixed stand, but not yet in accordance with their size.

There are some difficulties in attracting and keeping his attention focused. Jonas plays for a longer period of time whenever he is interested in the respective activity. Jonas orientates well in a familiar environment. He distinguishes between day and night based on his everyday routines – sleeping, meal times, rest. He recognizes the neighborhood around the foster family’s home.

Jonas is reported to have achieved noticeable progress in terms of expressing his emotions and feelings, which are becoming more diverse. He reacts appropriately to smiles and angry faces and also to the tone of voice one talks to him with. He demonstrates his love, attachment and attention for others. He greatly enjoys it when others play with him. Jonas has attached to all members of the foster family.

Rocky is a calm, pleasant  boy who lives in a group home in Eastern Europe. He is attached to his caregivers and responds well to them.

Although Rocky was born premature and with low birth weight; cerebral palsy; and speech, motor and cognitive delays, he is making good progress in his physical therapy and other supports. He can walk with minimal support, and his fine motor skills are also improving.

George can fulfill simple instructions, does not walk very well.

Martha does not react to her name, does not know colors, does not play with toys.  Can feed herself, but is not adequate. She would eat banana with skin and candy with cover. She is not potty trained. Her speech is almost not developed.

There is a history of prior neglect; George has better development because he lived in the family less time than Martha, before they were removed.

He has a brother in a different orphanage born in 2007. They must be adopted together!

Seth and Victor are brothers currently residing together in a foster home. Seth has a moderate mental and physical delay but is otherwise clinically healthy. Victor has hypothyroidism but is otherwise healthy and not delayed.

Clifton lives with a foster family.  He loves to listen to music and dance and is always looking for a dancing partner! His foster family is working on him walking longer distances independently.  He is learning how to play with toys and interact appropriately with other children.  He has few words and does not follow verbal directions.  Clifton is receiving therapy multiple times a week.

Clifton’s gross motor skills are well-developed – he moves around independently, even at long distances, and he has no difficulties walking on different surfaces. He can now run (since the beginning of January 2017). The deficits noted previously in Clifton’s fine motor skills have been compensated to a great extent. He can transfer small elements with a spoon from one bowl into another with an adult’s assistance, he plays with certain materials and toys, he clips and unclips clothes pegs, he looks for an object hidden in the sand and he takes it out with great interest. He holds a pencil and leaves pale traces with it on a sheet of paper. He does great eating with a spoon. Clifton accepts the toothbrush and allows for his teeth to be brushed.

It happens more and more rarely for Clifton to demonstrate anxiety in response to being introduced to unfamiliar places and people. The stereotypic movements he demonstrates when someone initiates interactions with him have decreased significantly. He imitates actions he has observed more often and more successfully than before. Clifton becomes lively and starts dancing whenever someone is singing or plays music.

Clifton is  calm in his new foster family, he often smiles and he laughs aloud while playing with an adult (or with the girls in the foster family). He is especially attached to the foster father and the younger daughter in the family. Clifton has become a lot more sociable in the last 6 months: he seeks children’s attention, initiates interactions, accepts unfamiliar people a lot easier, maintains a smaller distance between himself and others and makes eye contact.

Although Clifton has poor passive vocabulary, he follows simple instructions provided that those are accompanied by nonverbal means of communication. His speech development is at the level of producing chains of syllables. He uses “No” appropriately so as to express his disagreement, he sometimes uses “Yes” and “Give me”. Clifton initiates physical and emotional contact with his foster parents and their children as well as with the specialists working with him. He is especially attached to the foster father and the youngest daughter in the foster family. His interactions with other children have changed significantly – he plays with them for a long time and he is making attempts to cooperate with them.

More photos/file are available from his agency

updated pics/video Aug 2016

Ray is facing transfer to the institution.  Please share him so he can find his forever family!

Oscar is a very lovable boy with a sweet personality. He is very outgoing and playful and is always happy and bobbing his head to music when it is played. He enjoys playing with his caretakers and loves attending school. Oscar can sit upright independently for an extended period of time and can even walk with the assistance of someone to steady him. He is generally weaker on his left side but is working with a therapist to strengthen his fine motor skills and is developing and growing very well.

Update early 2021:  Oscar was brought to the children’s home when he was 8 years old after it was discovered he was being abused by his father. Over the last four years he has made enormous gains in many areas. Oscar has the widest smile in the world. He’s always on the move and is able to get around extremely well despite the Cerebral Palsy that affects his right side. Independently he scoots around using his strong side. In therapy he works with a walker and enjoys walking with the support of caregivers. Oscar is also diagnosed with Hydrocephalus that is controlled with a shunt. He needs assistance in most daily cares but is able to eat independently. Oscar’s favorite activities are sensory-based, and he loves to make a mess! Oscar is learning to communicate with a picture system but will also let you know how he feels with his sounds and facial expressions. This beautiful boy enjoys playing with toys and being tickled by caregivers. He is often able to figure out how to make different toys work and is always happy to listen to music. He brings great joy to the home and loves to be in the middle of whatever is going on. A consistent, loving forever family would allow Oscar to continue growing and learning, leading him to a life full of potential.

Leonard is full of laughter and enjoys playing alone and singing songs with his friends. Leonard was diagnosed with Autism and Epilepsy, but he is taking anti-epileptic medication to manage his seizures. He receives physical, occupational, and speech therapy on a weekly basis and has made great progress in his communication skills, mobility, and behavior. Leonard can walk, run, and can even feed himself. Leonard has been able to form healthy attachments to his caregivers and would benefit from a loving family.

Update Feb 2021:  Leonard is a joyful, loving boy whose presence is life-giving. He radiates light and warmth everywhere he goes, like sunshine! You will never catch him without a smile on his face. His favorite thing to do is sing songs, and he loves it when people join in and sing along. Leonard’s favorite song to sing is, “This is the day! This is the day that the Lord has made! We will rejoice and be glad in Him!” This boy is always teaching those around him what it means to live a life of joy and gratitude. His laugh captures the attention of everyone around him. It is contagious! Leonard loves being tickled, held, and loved on. He is a big cuddler! Sensory activities like water play, swinging, and playing in the sand are Leonard’s favorite. His favorite game is when a caregiver turns her back to him and then counts to three before turning around to chase and tickle him. Light-up toys, bubbles, and cause and effect toys quickly gain Leonard’s attention. The special thing about Leonard is that he notices and pays attention to the small details that often go unnoticed by others. He finds joy in the simple things. Leonard is an active boy who can walk and run independently. He needs full assistance in most self-help areas such as: bathing, toileting, and dressing. However, Leonard can independently feed himself. He is beginning to make huge steps in his communication. Leonard has started initiating interactions with those around him, making frequent eye contact, and using pictures to communicate his needs and wants.  He also shows an understanding of basic words and directions that are in his native language by responding appropriately to them. At school, Leonard is in a sensory and communication-based classroom. He loves attending school and seeing all his friends. Leonard’s favorite part of school is singing songs with his friends and teachers.

It is evident that Leonard deeply desires to have someone who will be his forever person. He would bring so much happiness and joy into a family because of the way he unconditionally loves those around him. Leonard would thrive in a family who will love and advocate for him and his communication needs. A family that never hesitates to share with the world what a gift he is!

Anthony is a happy 10-year-old boy who spreads joy wherever he goes! He has a love for any kind of music, but his favorite song is “You Are My Sunshine.” The truth is that Anthony is a ray of sunshine in the lives of those around him. Anthony gets so excited when his caretakers sing to him. It is a blessing to see the delight on his face!

Although he does require some assistance with daily tasks, Anthony is strong and determined. Anthony’s caregivers believe that with continued therapy, he will be able to do many more things on his own. He is learning through a sensory-based curriculum at school. His teachers report that he is making great progress on his communication skills and it is evident that Anthony will continue to improve in all of his abilities with the extra love and care of a forever family. Could you give Anthony all the love he deserves to help him thrive in life?

Update Feb 2021:  Anthony has been living at the children’s home since he was a year old. He is a smart and caring boy. Access to quality medical care to assess the severity of his disabilities would be extremely beneficial. Anthony does require support with daily cares and accessing education. However, the growth he has experienced at the children’s home has been nothing short of miraculous. Anthony loves music and physical touch. Although he uses a wheelchair his favorite place to be is on the floor; where he can move around and explore his environment. His smile brightens even the darkest of days and his tenacity and determination are inspiring to all. The best days are ones where Anthony is laughing out loud. Anthony longs to be with a family who will love him for who he is. He would bring unending joy to them and the growth he experiencing would increase 10-fold in the care of a forever family.

Cedar is a sweet boy with an adorable raspy laugh who is totally blind and on the autism spectrum. He is nonverbal and needs support in all his acts of daily living.

Cedar can stand up from the floor by himself and is able to walk independently. He receives training on using his white cane. He can go up and down the stairs independently. Cedar makes lots of sounds but does not yet say any words, although he does understand some words in his native language and in English. He feeds himself.

Cedar loves sensory play in shaving cream, and his last birthday party was a shaving cream party! He covers his whole body in it. The year before, his home played Cedar Says, an adaption of the game Simon Says, where all the kids copied Cedar’s unique sounds and acrobat moves! He loves the standing swing, water play and he gets excited when his teachers help him do the actions to Head and Shoulders. He is known as being his home’s acrobat and can most often be found climbing on something or hanging upside down! Cedar is a joyful kid and brings a lot of laughter wherever he goes.

January 2022 Update: Malachi is a very happy, friendly, active child! He loves to play with the other children in his home, jump on the trampoline, ride his bike, and listen to music. His home recently got gymnastics rings and he loves learning stunts on them and going upside down. Malachi is blind, but has good awareness of his surroundings in familiar settings. Malachi is independent in all his daily living skills. He attended a local school for the blind until class five and is now homeschooled. He is very motivated to learn new skills and new information – one of his favorite activities is listening to the news on the radio and also making up his own pretend news broadcasts. Malachi reads braille and is currently at around a 3rd/4th grade level. He says his favorite subjects in school are math and social studies. Malachi speaks Telugu fluently and English conversationally. In English he can communicate basic needs and sentences and he is continuing to learn more words every day!

Malachi enjoys playing independently as well as in groups of his peers. His favorite activities revolve around music, including learning new songs and playing the piano. Malachi has an ear for notes and can listen to a song and figure out the melody on the piano, without any instruction. Within a few days of starting on the piano he had figured out how to play “Happy Birthday” and “Jingle Bells” just by listening to the songs. He has expressed interest in piano lessons as well as learning other instruments. He plays around on the xylophone and ukelele and watches tutorials on YouTube to learn to play. Malachi got Bop It for Christmas and loves playing with that, as well as the Simon handheld memory game. At Christmas he performed “Oh Come, All Ye Faithful” at the party in both English and his local language. He is a great singer!

In homeschool, Malachi has been working on multiplication, subtraction, basic money skills, and continuing to improve his braille reading skills.

Malachi is a very sweet and spirited child who has formed healthy attachments with his current caregivers. He has a close relationship with a few of the other boys in his home and enjoys including everyone, regardless of ability, into his play. Malachi is finding his sense of humor and likes to try out different jokes and funny sounds to make others around him laugh. He says when he is an adult he wants to make robots! When asked what he likes about himself, he says he likes his strong brain that is good at math. His favourite animal is a parrot and he wants to learn more about parrots in school. When asked his favourite thing to do, he responded he likes to cook soup with playdough!

He has a best friend in the home and they like to wear matching outfits and call themselves twins. This friend is in process to be adopted and Malachi would love to be adopted too. He is a very bright child who would do incredibly well in a family!

Jan 2022 Update: Daylan continues to take this world by storm with his dedication in all he does, from learning new ways to communicate his needs and wants, to eating, everything is done with all his ability. He recently requested a mohawk and was SO excited the day he got his haircut. Every morning he uses sign language to tell his caregivers he wants to put gel in his hair, then shows off his new hairdo to everyone in the home. We love the joy and fun he brings each and every day to our home!

Daylan has found a love of audiobooks recently, especially ones that are full of mystery or scary stories! He is eager and determined to learn. He loves working on basic spelling and math and is so proud of himself when he learns something new! He is non-verbal but really enjoys using a combination of assistive technology, PECS and sign language to help him share his many thoughts. He also uses vocalizations, facial expressions and pointing to make his thoughts loud and clear. His dystonia has decreased over the years and he uses a back brace.

Daylan ages out of adoption in January 2023. He truly has so much potential to thrive in a family!

February 2020 Update: Daylan participates in daily educational and motor skill classes with the use of his wheelchair and a lap-tray. Daylan is eager and determined to learn! He loves working on basic spelling and math, and is so proud of himself when he learns something new! He is currently using a combination of assistive technology and PECS to help him with his non-verbal communication. Even without these, Daylan is still loud and clear in his communication using vocalizations, facial expressions and pointing to make his needs and feelings known. He loves to use switch-adapted toys and toys with large buttons that he is able to use independently. Unfortunately, Daylan’s dystonia has become more severe as he has grown over the past year. His ability to roll and scoot around the floor has decreased significantly, but he is still able to sit comfortably in his wheelchair with the support of a back brace. Daylan is incredibly joyful, sweet, goofy, sassy, and spunky. One of Daylan’s current favorite games is to lay next to one of the other boys in his home and attempt to stick his finger into their noses and ears! This always brings lots of laughter from everyone around him! Daylan truly has so much potential to thrive in a family! Video available.

August 2020 Update: Nolan is looking older and older every day. There is a new nurse in the home who is a male and Nolan is really enjoying having a male to spend time with, as most of the staff are female. Having a big brother figure to look up to has been so special to him! He is a great big brother himself, and really enjoys bringing toys to the younger kids and trying to help with them. In class Nolan is playing lots of new games that involve following patterns, reading, and categorizing items!

Because of his oral motor challenges, he cannot speak and is on medication to control drooling. No seizures. He does classes every day at home with his tutor. He is very social and loves to be around other children. He is bright and learns a lot, when he applies himself. He knows the full English alphabet in ASL and knows many words. He communicates mostly in single words in ASL, as well as simple sentences like I want… He is potty trained day and night. He craves 1 on 1 attention and cries when the younger children get adopted and he has to say goodbye. He likes to be silly and play jokes. He likes to be a helper and enjoys doing chores. He is sensitive and his feelings are easily hurt. He can get frustrated by lack of ability to communicate and be understood. He would thrive in an environment where sign language is understood.

Adorable Bobby is diagnosed with Progressive Muscular Dystrophy. From his file in June of 2014, his caretakers say they have not yet seen a negative impact on his physical development. He is already on a steroid regime and can walk, run, jump and climb up and down the stairs. His caretakers say he is an active and cute boy who observes his surroundings with bright eyes. Bobby loves to play with blocks and cars. He also likes to listen to music. He will clap his hands and shake his body and dance to lively music. Bobby likes to play outside and laughs every day as he plays with the other children. He has good self care skills. Bobby can feed himself, dress and undress and sometimes he helps the other kids collect the toys in the toy basket. His caretakers and teachers are very fond of him. This adorable little boy is waiting for a family to call his own who can help him access the most up to date medical care.

Barrett is described as a cute kid with a ready smile. He is said to be able to express himself and speak clearly. Because of his CP he needs help with many of his daily needs. He is not able to walk so must use a wheelchair.

His best friend was recently adopted and he hopes he can also be adopted soon and get the help he needs to live as full a life as possible. Could you be his parents and welcome him into your family?

Bradlee is a sensible and well-liked boy, born in August of 2008, who gets along well with the other children in his school and orphanage. He’s not always serious though, as he’s up for a good laugh anytime! Bradlee started attending school at the orphanage in September of 2015. He’s been taking language arts, math, art, music and PE. Bradlee’s teachers say he’s a good student and participates in class. At the end of the first semester of school, he received the “Star of Good Behavior” award! Bradlee is independent with dressing, bathing, and making his bed.

An adoptive mama and advocate has met this child, who she called Brett, and wrote this post about him: https://adoptingthalassemia.com/2018/04/19/smiley-brett/

When admitted to the orphanage Bradlee was initially diagnosed with a heart defect, but later ultrasounds showed it resolved on its own. Bradlee was born with beta thalassemia major and currently receives blood transfusions every two months, as well as chelation medication to treat iron overload.

It is clear Bradlee isn’t getting the care he needs or would get here due to the frontal bossing you can clearly see in the forehead area. If untreated or treated improperly, beta thalassemia major can cause the bone marrow to expand. Bone marrow is where most of the blood cells are produced in the body. The bone marrow expands because it is trying to compensate for chronic anemia. This abnormal expansion causes bones to become thinner, wider, and brittle. Affected bones may grow abnormally (bone deformities), particularly the long bones of the arms and legs and certain bones of the face. When facial bones are affected it can result in distinctive facial features including an abnormally prominent forehead (frontal bossing), full cheek bones (prominent malar eminence), a depressed bridge of the nose, and overgrowth (hypertrophy) of the upper jaw (maxillae), exposing the upper teeth. The affected bones have an increased fracture risk, particularly the long bones of the arms and legs. Some individuals may develop ‘knock knees’ (genu valgum), a condition in which the legs bend inward so that when a person is standing the knees will touch even if the ankles and feet are not.

Bradlee desperately needs to find a loving family soon- access to good medical care will be life-saving and life-changing for him!

There is a $2,000 agency grant for Bradlee’s adoption with his current adoption agency. The Cooley’s Anemia Foundation is also giving a $1,000 grant for any child with transfusion dependent thalassemia.

Ollie’s report states that he has good development. He gets along well with others and is closest to his caregiver. He is a quiet child who likes music and enjoys his swim lessons.

Meet Crew! Crew loves to smile and play with others! Crew enjoys playing with toys and anything that’s bright colored attracts his attention! Crew is developmentally delayed but has a great big heart! Crew recognizes his name, and will give you a big smile when you call him!

New pic January 2017!

 

Tommy is a darling boy. He was born with fetal alcohol syndrome and the physical effects of it. Please research this condition so you are best prepared to help him with his lifelong needs!

Samuel has an older sister who has already been adopted.

What a great smile!

He needs a smile!