Other Special Needs Boys, 6-9

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.

Introducing Kellet! Kellet is a medically healthy 6-year-old boy who is active and very curious about new people and environments. He likes playing with younger children and is able to interact and share toys with peers. Kellet likes adventures and challenges and takes initiative to play with others. He has age-appropriate gross and fine motor skills; he can pour water without spilling, draw meaningful pictures, run and climb stairs without rails for support, throw and catch a ball, and much more! He also has good verbal expressions and age-appropriate language development. He can count from 1 to over 100! Kellet can also engage in back-and-forth conversation and tell a story by looking at pictures. He sleeps deeply at night and eats the same food as adults for three meals a day. We hear that Kellet has good focus at school and can follow class progress and teachers’ instructions.

Update May 2022:

Kellet was seen as a part of virtual SuperKids in February 2022.  Kellet recently turned 7!  Kellet is in first grade and his favorite subject is Math!  He is doing well in school and enjoys his friend group.  His social worker shares that she is impressed by his patience and involvement with activities during their time together.

Kellet shows his imagination through art and storytelling as he recently drew a picture for his best friend, who is a mermaid and lives in the sea!  Kellet expressed a desire to also be a mermaid, so he can be with her all the time!  How sweet is that?!  Kellet enjoys imaginary play through dress up with peers and enjoys playing with Legos.  Kellet is enthusiastic about life, playing games, and has a high level of attentiveness.  He lives in an area where he is able to hike and run in the outdoors- activities that he appears to enjoy!

Kellet has foster siblings.  When they are available, Kellet enjoys spending time with them.

Adrien is a charming and smiley boy. His behavior is very good, he respects the rules in the orphanage. He is interested in learning new things and willingly participate in games and activities. His skills are importing in all spheres. He is willing to play all games proper to his age.

Brandon  walks, runs and climbs. His right side has some weakness, but he is able to use his right leg and right arm/hand. He does favor his left arm/hand and completes more activities using his left hand. However, he can use his right hand and has recently started completing activities with the right hand as well. Brandon speaks in sentences. He asks questions and cal also answer questions appropriately and follow verbal directions. He knows his colors and body parts. He’s currently working on learning to tell time. He is able to play and draw independently. He enjoys playing with cars/trucks and robots. He enjoys playing on the playground with other children. He can independently climb/play on the play structures. He is receiving academic instruction and therapy to help with deficits. He continues to make progress both physically and developmentally.

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.

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

Ethan is well developed for his age. He is a warm and curious little boy. His best toy is a ball. He laughs and shouts every time he got his ball. Ethan is a cheerful and peaceful child. He likes the other children. Observes and manipulates with toys. He knows how to charm his caregivers and receives lots of attention.

With a familiar adult, Ethan has a good emotional tone – he enjoys a hide and seek game and sometimes gives his hand for “hello”.

He cannot walk yet, but he sits, crawls and staying straight caught for fixed support, showing progress in his motor skill development. The child has flat feet with valgus deviation of both feet – it was recommended to wear orthopedic shoes. Ethan stands up on his own until he is caught on a fixed support, stands on tiptoe, does not step aside, placed in a walker, moves short distances; pronounces long sound combinations.

Isaiah is a sweetheart who has spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy with low muscle tone in his lower trunk area and high muscle tone in his arms.

Isaiah practices walking with a gain trainer and the other boys cheer him on as he takes off in a cute, hoppy walk! When he gets tired he vocalizes loudly and one of the older boys pushes him around while he giggles. He continues to work on independent sitting and crawling and always laughs through his exercises. He can’t 4-point crawl yet, but is working on it, however he moves himself around the room in an army crawl. He can sit by himself if his back is against the wall, for short periods of time. Isaiah’s communication is growing. He is working very hard to control his body movements enough to reach for an item or choice he wants to make. His receptive language in both his native language and English is excellent, and responds non-verbally with facial expressions, body movements and sounds. He is learning colour identification in class. Isaiah cannot yet eat solid foods and his food is also blended for him.

Isaiah got a bowling set for Christmas and he giggles endlessly when his caregivers help him knock the pins down! He likes watching music videos and kicking along to the dance moves and really enjoys his fabric tunnel. He moves through it and laughs and laughs when his caregiver pretends she can’t find him. Isaiah then kicks or hits the side of the tunnel to “help” her find him! Isaiah also loves knocking over big towers of blocks. He laughs loudly every time! He is pure joy and would thrive in a family.

January 2022 Update: The first word that is always used to describe Zack is “naughty”, which in his country is said with love, meaning charming and funny. He is a social butterfly and adores making new friends. When going on walks in the neighborhood, Zack will call people as he passes by with a friendly “hello” and huge grin. He also sits on his balcony and shouts “hello” down to the people walking on the street. Zack’s caregiver and teachers often call him a “handsome hero.” He cannot get enough of it! Due to this fact he has begun brushing his hair to the side with his fingers and smiling up at people until they tell him how handsome he is. It is endearing. Zack is truly the sweetest boy. Anytime anyone is sick or seems sad he will ask to sit with them and attempts to cheer them up or offers prayer. He deeply desires to see all of his friends happy at all times. Zack loves fashion and really enjoys picking out his outfits. He makes the female staff giggle when he compliments their clothes or jewelry.

In classes Zack has learned all his colours and shapes and identifies many objects in English. He is working on identifying his English alphabet. In play time he often requests blocks in order to build towers. Once they are completed he will call his caregiver in order to proudly show off his creation. When he is not building blocks he loves coloring, making crafts and playing with toy cars. His favorite sensory play is with shaving cream.

Zack is able to propel himself in his wheelchair. Zack speaks well in his first language and knows a lot of English as well. He speaks enough that he often translates between the languages for his caregiver. He moves around the home by scooting on his bottom. His core strength has improved and he is learning to balance on all fours. He is now working on rocking and crawling on all fours. It can be challenging for him to hold the weight of his head in this position but he’s very motivated. He is also practicing standing using orthotics.

Zack often asks about his future family. Many of his friends have been adopted and he longs for a family too. His favourite song is Daddy Finger and he asks so many questions about the different members of a family.

January 2022 Update: Connor is a sweet, kind, gentle soul with captivating dark brown eyes. He has displayed the ability to cultivate deep connections with a trusted caregiver. The cheeky boy that he is, he loves to wiggle and kick when being fed with his feeding tube. He laughs and laughs as the nurse struggles to administer his feeding!

He loves playing on the trampoline when the staff make him bounce really high! He likes sitting with the adults and being engaged in their conversations and always wants to be involved in whatever is happening in the home.

Connor can identify his body parts and knows his colours in sign language. His favourite colour is blue. His favourite animal is a monkey and he likes the song Five Little Monkeys. He jumps, scoots, rolls and laughs when he hears it! He likes fashion and beams with excitement when he wears a new outfit and staff take his picture!

Connor can sit independently for a few minutes at a time and is able to turn his head to sounds without losing his balance. He is non-verbal but very communicative in other ways. He is now upright for most of the day, in his wheelchair. Being able to tolerate sitting upright for so long has really decreased respiratory issues that he struggled with when he was younger. He would make a wonderful son and his heart longs for a family and deep connection with others.

Georgie was transferred to his current home in April 2018. He had experienced neglect and under-stimulation in his previous orphanage but already his development is progressing and we look forward to seeing Georgie learn and explore the world. Georgie is functionally blind and has very little light perception. He has been doing so well in his transition into this new chapter of life. Everyday we are more captivated by his bubbly, sweet, gentle disposition. Georgie is rapidly changing and developing. He is learning how to scoot around, bear weight, and explore with his hands. He had no experience in his previous home with self feeding, but already is making great progress and is self feeding with minimal support. He had no English exposure previously, but in just a month his English understanding is already developing and he responds to several commands. He is weak, but gaining strength. He can pull up to a stand using a surface for support. Georgie loves making silly noises and often vocalizes silly babbles, finds interesting surfaces to tap on, or picks things up and throws them to hear their clatter. Georgie is very social. He loves to be held and swung around. He sometimes whimpers when he is put down and communicates non-verbally that he wants to be held. He mimics sounds others make and often bursts with excited laughter when playing with other adults and children. We are so excited to see him begin to hit the milestones he is already working towards.

UPDATE July 2020: Georgie has been making steady progress in his language skills. Lately, he has begun to make requests on his own or make jokes in conversations with his teachers, caregivers, and house mom. Georgie’s favorite little joke right now is to reply “JUICE” to each and every question asked of him. He erupts into giggles and repeats the word over and over until tickles and exclamations prompt him to give the real answer that we were looking for. We recently celebrated Georgie’s 6th birthday, and when asked what he wanted to do for his party he answered without hesitation: “DANCE PARTY!” Georgie can count to 10 and is learning his first braille characters!

From a family that met him 3/16: He’s a good size for his age. I was allowed to hold him and he let me do the “mom sway”. I kept trying to get into his line of vision, but he kept averting his gaze. It seemed like he could possibly be purposefully avoiding eye contact. I was able to easily shift him to a seated position in my arms, though I don’t think he could sit unassisted.

He is a cheerful and happy boy who likes music and loves to sing. He is a rule follower and likes to participate in group activities.  He is a very smart, kind and non-aggressive child who is loved by other kids and caregivers.

He cannot talk. He permanently uses anti-convulsants. He can feed himself without assistance.

Alan is a smiley, friendly boy who likes to engage with the people around him! Although Alan does not talk, he is very vocal and knows how to communicate. He is good at tracking people and objects with his eyes. At school, he has been working on using an eye gaze program to speak through a dynavox. He needs assistance with holding his head but he focuses really hard and gets excited when he can say things. When asked a yes/no question, he will raise his eyebrows for yes or shake his head for no. He is quite opinionated, especially when he is hungry!

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!

new pictures & updated info April 2019 :
He can walk with support; he plays with toys and other kids, and is active in communication. He already can swallow some food taking it from the spoon but mostly he eats with feeding tube.

He made a great progress last year and needs a family asap.

His special needs are related to the after affects of a head injury by his birth mother; he was severely beaten at early childhood. He requires permanent physical medicine and rehabilitation. He pulls his leg and doesn’t have full use of one of his hands.

He has a pretty good memory and good eyesight.

Robert is a sweet boy who loves to smile and has a contagious laugh. He happily greets his friends with a double high five and fist bump. Sometimes, he will also jump up for a big hug after.

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.

Such a sweet, squishy little guy! His head is completely flat on the back.

Andy is very persistent! He tries to reach for a toy that interests him. He is receiving good care and is monitored by a neurologist. Andy really needs someone who can show him what unconditional love looks like and care for him. We hope you can be the one to give him a loving home he deserves!

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!

Robby is delayed in all aspects of his development, but has begun to make small gains in learning . He will interact with caregivers and other children if an activity is interesting to him. His attention span when working on tasks has begun to increase. He enjoys playing in the sensory room. He learns best with multiple repetitions of a task.

His current agency has videos and pictures that can be shared with interested families

He just started talking, and his stature is pretty small.

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Dorie

The girl has a poor vocabulary, and therefore difficulties with understanding. She is active in words, conducts a dialogue, makes a simple description, but her statements are simplified and not always logical. Speech defect (interdental). She is an active child, shows great curiosity and wants to attract attention. She is willing to play and imitate but is less fond of organized games and has difficulty concentrating, as well as controlling and planning his activities.  She shows a bond with her siblings, especially her brother Nathan.

Nathan

Strong motor skills – correct for age. Walks, runs, overcomes obstacles. He participates in games, wants to attract attention and is upper active.

Perception and hand-eye coordination – within the normal range for age. The boy notices details, differentiates shapes and colors. Recognizes pictures, selects pairs. He connects the pictures. He places the blocks in the holes of the puzzle. Builds block structures – simple and complex at the age level. Slight speech delay. Social behavior and emotional zone – age appropriate. There is a great need for a relationship, attention and contact. Sometimes he is too impulsive and reacts hypersensitive.

Iggie

Low birth weight,  FAS

Strong motor skills – the boy walks independently, runs, overcomes obstacles with a slightly lower fluency. He imitates simple, single body movements, claps his hands, raises his hands up, stomps his feet, enjoys simple games with adults, keeps up with the group. He puts circles on the pyramid, builds a tower from blocks, creates a row (“trains”). He scribbles with a crayon without imitating the direction and shapes, but he likes to draw with adults.

Speech shaping – reacts to sounds from the environment, looks for the source of the sound, reacts to musical sounds. Active speech at the word stage – repeats many one and two-syllable words on command. Points to parts of the face, says the correct words (ear, eye, etc.).

Social behavior and the emotional sphere – visible improvement of contact and relationships, establishing contact without difficulty. He is cheerful, establishes basic relations with children, reacts positively to games, and imitates. Develops the basics of independence in everyday activities. Eat by himself.

 

The children experienced neglect and abuse before coming to the orphanage.

He is happy and  cheerful boy with a great need for individual forms of contact and no behavioral disturbance. He walks correctly, runs, overcomes obstacles, and willingly participates in  the physical games. He has the features of motor hyperactivity, but the boy is able to adjust the activity to the form of tasks. Recognizes pictures, selects them in pairs and combines them correctly. Easily places shapes in the holes of the puzzle. Builds simple and complex structures. Mild speech delay – he can name objects, activities, features. Expresses single sentences, also complex ones, but uses these sentences less well.

From an agency representative who met him June 2021: He is pure joy and his little giggle is contagious.  He is so sweet, always look happy and friendly.  D is getting wonderful care while he waits for a family!

Photos and videos are available through the agency.

Leo is very agile and curious. He likes to read and play sports and is talented in music. He has many friends, has completed 3rd grade and is eager to learn at school. He is helpful and quick to understand. He is describe as curious, calm, friendly and smart. He forms his own opinions and quickly absorbs new information. He is very interested in creative play and books. He is talented in music and likes to sing, dance and play instruments. When conflict occurs, he tends to feel hurt and then he checks for others feelings. He tries to provoke other children when he gets angry. He communicates well and has strong social skills. He enjoys playing with other children. He is diagnosed with Hypermetropia.

K is active, strong and is very close with his brother. He enjoys music and is in the 2nd grade. He is independent, curious and likes to think. He is talented in music and enjoys tasks where fine motor skills are required. He has congenital glaucoma and can’t see with his left eye. He is self conscious of his eye, has low self esteem and visits a psychologist to help him learn how to manage his anger and express his emotions. He likes to be alone or in a quiet environment and enjoys watching TV. He has difficulty making friends but wants to communicate with other children and staff members. He has a speech disorder and difficulty with attention, concentration and self regulation. He takes medication to lower his anxiety. He is diagnosed with mixed disorder of scholastic skills, congenital cataract and congenital glaucoma.

Steve is a visually impaired child with normal IQ and intelligence. He needs a family soon because he wants to learn/study and only a family can provide the resources he needs.

Steve was born premature in the 7th month of pregnancy and required NICU care. He developed Retinopathy and Prematurity for which he was operated on. Currently he is 6 years old. He has almost no vision in his left eye and 10-15% vision in the right eye. Steve needs an adoptive family soon, otherwise he will be transferred from the adoption agency to a boy’s shelter, making his adoption extremely difficult, if not impossible.

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From a family who met them July 2017:
Finley is precious and has the most adorable dimples! He walks very well and we are told has recently made incredible progress! The nannies love him and say is very friendly and helpful, and especially enjoys helping to set the table. He is soft spoken, but communicates well. We adored him!
Fern is doing so well! We were told he has improved dramatically with a change in medication. His smile just lights up the room! Updated pics, video and info 7/17!!

Brody walks independently. He is able to navigate stairs and playground equipment at the park. Most of Brody’s delays seem to be related to being unable to hear and communicate his wants/needs. For example, the foster family reports that he is not aggressive, but he does demonstrate frustration at being unable to communicate with them to express his thoughts and what he wants. He uses some gestures to communicate, such as opening the refrigerator to express that he is hungry. He is supposed to be under the care of a specialist to work with him now that he has the cochlear implant (and to continue to develop his communication skills), but this has not been consistent due to COVID restrictions and the fact that the family must travel to another town for Brody to see the specialist. The foster family does report that Brody seems to be able to hear now that he has the implant and they have seen improvements with the implant in place. Brody does attend a day program for children with disabilities and has recently become more interested in the other children.

Sweetie!!

He has a brother born in 2012 who was placed in a different orphanage.  A prospective family should be approved for two — they may be required to be adopted together.

He understands everything and talks back; he follows instructions. He is waiting to get his family.

These brothers must be adopted together!

They have a younger sibling who is not available.

Despite his diagnosis of infantile cerebral palsy Teddy walks independently. He climbs on and gets off the bed independently. Teddy examines objects with hands, eyes and mouth. He is able to transfer objects from one hand to another. He is able to hold two toys in his hands and knock them in one another.

When the foster mother leaves the room Teddy would start crying and looking for her.

He likes playing with musical toys and shows excitement when they make sounds. He also looks at and likes some of the TV commercials.

The foster mother feeds Teddy with a spoon and some improvement has been reported, as he is now eating solid food. Teddy loves bananas, biscuits with milk, homemade soups and sops.

Anders currently lives in a small Eastern European country. He is happiest listening to soft music or playing with toys that make sound! Anders is described as a happy, calm child. Tests show that Anders has learning and motor delays, as well as occasional seizures.

Ozzie has decreased muscle tone. He can’t walk, but has recently started standing up in his crib with support. He smiles and has positive emotions when interacting with adults and when he is with the other children. He pronounces combinations of sounds. He laughs when playing peek-a-boo.

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

sweet smile!

Andres has a sister who must be adopted with him!

Total of 6 siblings: the other 4 siblings are 14 (a boy), 12 (a girl), 10 (a girl) and 8 (a boy). The older 4 have been to the US for hosting.