Other Special Needs Girls, 10+

They have lived in the orphanage since December 2018. Justice is a sweet, social, independent and kind girl. She is very bonded with her sister, Marley. She is a good student and her life is busy with school activities, trips and competitions. Marley is shy and her sister Justice is a role model for her. She likes to play with other children.

The girls want to be adopted and dream about their future family and new life.

Maleah is described as kind and sweet. Maleah has been in and out school due to inconsistent placements. She is excited to learn and share what she understands such as addition. She’s entered the teenage years and is excited to share her opinions.

Single mothers are encouraged to apply for her! Agency staff met beautiful Maleah in February of 2023. Our staff who met her believe she would do best in a home with older children or no children. The agency encourages interested families to contact them, for additional information.

Updated May 2019: Harmony was recently moved to a smaller family style center, where is receiving more attention and care. She still goes to the daycare center at the orphanage and will go to school once she turns 7. She is described as very friendly. She is not aggressive at all and interacts well with the other children. She responds to sounds and tone of voice. She can be comforted with a soft tone. She will hold toys and tries to interact with them, but she needs help to know what to do with them. She loves a rocking horse and will play on it for long periods of time. She will laugh and stop rocking to clap her hands in order to show her pleasure. She says some sounds such as “ba-ba”, “ma-ma”, and “la-la”. She enjoys tactile input and responds well to it. She can stand with support and can walk pushing a walker or when someone is holding her hand. She has not had any instruction in how to walk in a way that will accommodate her lack of vision. Since coming to the center, she has learned to drink from a special cup and is eating from a spoon.

Photos and videos from April 2019 are available through the agency

Updated Jan 2017: Harmony tries to sit independently and stands with the help of an adult or holding onto support. She can step aside holding onto support, pushes the walker with help and guidance by an adult. She is visually impaired – holds a toy handed by an adult, studies the objects with her hand. She has delayed neuro psychological development. When she gets upset, she self-harms.

Harmony expresses her emotions with vocalization – vowel sounds and random sounds. When frustrated she can express her discontent. She can tell apart the tone of voice, reacts with a smile to caresses when she’s calm. The child is fed with a spoon by an adult, drinks from a cup held by an adult.

Katrina’s physical development and gross motor skills are age appropriate. She talks, but has some difficulty with articulation. Her fine motor skills are developed, but slightly delayed. She is diagnosed with mental delays. She knows and names the colors. She knows the letters of the alphabet and she has started reading. She already counts up to 30 and she writes some numbers. She knows the days of the week, seasons, left vs right, body parts, and can follow directions using instructions such as over/under, front/back, etc. She plays well with other children and enjoys attention from adults. She likes to work on a magnetic board, kinetic sand and active cards. She already colors in a contour and she is very diligent when connecting lines. She can cut and glue ready elements. She can read and the fact that she is being praised for that makes her very happy.

 

She follows the directions of an adult in relation to the hygiene and household activities. She can dress and undress her. She washes her hands and feeds herself independently, she makes attempts for self-serving. She takes care her belongings. She keeps her materials from school in a certain place.

Nilo resides in a professional foster family. She has a congenital absence of her right forearm. Nilo is educated according to the Individual Study Plans of Students with a lower degree of complexity than the educational minimum for the calendar age, tailored to her individual needs. At a moderate pace, with individual help and guidance from the
teacher, she acquires knowledge, skills and competences foreseen in the individual curriculum for each subject of the individual curriculum. The girl distinguishes between the categories of good and bad, she knows generally accepted rules of behavior in social communication. She defines and expresses own desires and needs in words.

Nilo has diverse interests.

Nilo experiences attachment to children and therapists. She is sad when separated from someone. She seeks contact with adults, classmates and older students and engages in joint activities with them, she participates in role-playing games. She has mastered the social role of a student and classmate. Nilo helps her classmates when she sees that they are having a hard time. The comfort zone is the classroom and Montessori room.

The child communicates verbally, expresses wishes, and is often persistent about them, especially about things that spark her interest. When asked a question, she needs time to think about it and reproduce an answer; she constantly asks questions and seeks approval. The answer is not always adequate to the situation. She doesn’t always
understand the meaning of what was said and the execution of a relevant instruction.

Nilo likes a variety of toys, and she possesses different ones. She can play with other children and is cooperative, she shares her belongings. Nilo has developed self-service skills and readiness for academic work. She has established hygiene habits. She eats independently; dresses and undresses; unfastens and fastens; puts on and takes off shoes; she knows the parts of clothing. She can’t tie shoelaces.

She can say that she is in a foster family and that the foster mother raised her. The girl partially understands that foster care is temporary. She listens and accepts information related to the possibility of being adopted and meets potential adoptive parents, but still, she cannot imagine living in a different place.

Felicity, Kayla, and Yuki are two sisters and a brother in need of a family. They live in a group home for children without disabilities.

Felicity was born in December 2009. The dominant emotions are the positive ones. She demonstrates active social behavior. Sometimes she still demonstrates weaker control of emotions. When frustrated, she reacts with irritation. There is no data for anxiety, depression, or aggression. She is doing well with the maternal language. There are some minimal grammar mistakes. She is able to lead and maintain dialog. She can express sequentially and logically her thoughts and feelings. She is able to express emotions though non-verbal communication. She demonstrates positive self-evaluation. She has the typical characteristics of an extrovert. She enjoys watching TV, drawing, playing computer games as well as playing outside. She is oriented in the behavior of the children and the adults within society. She can attune her behavior towards the requirements of the situation. She participates in games and in the communication of her peers. She is mostly taking the central role. She does not step back from her goals easily. During the school year 2022/2023 she graduated from eighth grade, a class with professional profile. Considering the neglect in her birth family she has some gaps in the knowledge which are expected for her age. At school she works with a resource teacher. She has self-serving skills. She has habits for maintaining personal and environmental hygiene. She has skills to participate in collectively organized household tasks. She wants to be adopted.

Kayla was born in December 2012. She is an emotional child. She does not demonstrate aggression. She is empathic towards the problems of the other kids. She is eager to help her peers if they need it. She is doing well with the maternal language. There are some minimal grammar mistakes. She is able to lead and maintain dialog. She can express sequentially and logically her thoughts and feelings. She can express emotions though non-verbal communication. She is building a positive self-evaluation. She has the typical for her age curiosity and she demonstrates characteristics of an extrovert. She enjoys watching cartoons, drawing, playing board games and computer games as well as playing outside. She is oriented in the behavior of the children and the adults within society. She can attune her behavior towards the requirements of the situation. She is adjusting well in the group of her peers. She participates with big interest in all organized games and events. She can step back from her own goals and actions in line with those of her peers. She can wait for her turn to come. Considering the neglect in her birth family she has some gaps in the knowledge which are expected for her age. She is able to read and write under dictation. She makes minimal mistakes. She is well oriented into her school. During the school year 2022/2023 she graduated from fourth grade. She has self-serving skills. She has habits for maintaining personal and environmental hygiene. She wants to be adopted.

Yuki was born in February 2011. In December 2012, Yuki was a victim in a road accident and suffered a right lower leg fracture. Considering the changes that happened in his life, the adjustment process into the residential facility and in school went with some challenges. In November 2022 he was consulted with pediatric psychiatrist who put the diagnosis for “Other mixed behavior and emotional disorders”. His condition is being followed and therapy may be prescribed as well as work with psychologist. Now he is calm, he is acting with respect towards peers and adults. He observes the rules. With desire he performs all the given tasks in school and in the residential center. The speech and the language skills are well-developed. He was raised in a bilingual environment where d both Bulgarian and Turkish language. He can lead and maintain dialog and he provides enough verbal information. During conversation he communicates freely, he enters contact easily. He is able to express emotions though non-verbal communication. He demonstrates positive self-evaluation. He has the typical characteristics of an extrovert. He enjoys playing on the computer, playing soccer and going for walks outside. With desire he participates in the group activities. He performs the tasks according to his abilities. He likes being praised and to feel helpful, to be in the center of the attention. He is oriented in the behavior of the children and the adults within the society. He can adjust to new conditions. When disappointed he reacts emotionally. He participates in the games of his peers. Not always able to adjust his goals and actions around those of his partners in the game and he may react emotionally and enters into conflict. He finds challenges accepting the failures. During the school year 2022/2023 he graduated from sixth grade, a class with a profile in boxing. He works with a resource teacher there, After the incident he had he has been educating remotely. He is doing well and within the timeframe. He has self-serving skills. He has hygiene habits, but he needs to be reminded. He participates with desire in the activities related to maintaining environmental hygiene. He wants to be adopted.

Update Feb 2022:  Kinsley is going to be part of the 2022 summer hosting program if not outright matched first! Families in IL, NJ, PA, KY, IN, TN, or MO are eligible to host! Please contact Madison Adoption Agency for additional information on her hosting.

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Kinsley is a beautiful little girl who loves to look pretty. She likes to wear red, pink, and yellow dresses. She also loves accessories like hair clips, earrings, and bracelets. She loves to play with dolls and she also likes to play pretend teacher. Kinsley loves cats. She also loves to watch Princess Sofia. Kinsley is active and likes to swim, ride her bike, and play at the park. We hope this little sweet girl will find her forever family soon!

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.

Piper is a beautiful girl with a smile that can light up any room! Piper has a warm, sweet personality, and she adores her caregivers. She absolutely loves being read stories or just talked to. It’s clear that she understands what is being said to her. She enjoys music and appreciates a good nap! Piper has a medical diagnosis that may look concerning at first, but she has already made huge strides strides with some daily therapy and a lot of love! This special little girl will be a blessing to the family God has waiting for her. Could your family reciprocate all the love Piper has to give?

Miriam was born at 28 weeks gestation in early December 2007 in an emergency birth after a placental abruption. She spent five months in the hospital, then lived with her birth family for nine months before entering state care in February 2009. Miriam has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, affecting primarily the left part of her body, and a glioependymal cyst. She takes medication to address anxiety. Her development is delayed.

After complex surgical intervention, Miriam walks independently and can go up and down stairs while holding on to a railing and sits without support. She uses primarily her right hand and is independently able to eat with utensils, drink from a cup, brush her teeth and use the restroom. She requires assistance with bathing. Miriam is well oriented in the spaces, routines and among the people of her group home. She is emotionally stable but likes to be the center of attention and may show jealousy when other children are prioritized. Although she appears to have an unspecified speech/articulation disorder, Miriam is able to communicate verbally, constantly and curiously asks questions, and can participate in dialogues.

Miriam attends an auxiliary school and says she cannot imagine her life without the opportunity for education.  Her academic knowledge is on a preschool level: she can count to 20 and name all the letters of the alphabet as well as identify colors and everyday objects.  She works with more focus in a one on one setting but can get overwhelmed when tasks are too demanding. She needs many repetitions to acquire new skills. Miriam’s thinking is concrete and situational and her greatest delays are cognitive.

Miriam is friendly, sociable and trusting. She interacts preferably with adults, but also establishes warm connections with peers and joins group activities. Although she is reported to be selective with her relationships, she is well attached to her social worker. She likes to listen to music, play games, and spend time with the group home’s parakeets and yard dog.  Through the services of a non-profit organization, Miriam has the opportunity to go swimming and indoor rock climbing both of which she enjoys very much.

Miriam’s social worker and family therapist note that Miriam is willing to learn new things and would make continued and noticeable progress in a family that can offer her more appropriate interventions and individualized resources as well as a warm and loving home.  Seven years ago, Miriam experienced a disrupted adoption procedure, but her care team believes now that she is more mature, she would understand better the meaning and benefits of adoption and would seriously consider a family interested in making her their daughter.

 

Miriam has waited for a forever family for over eight years. A family interested in adopting Miriam must file their I-800A with USCIS before her 16th birthday in early December.

Rose was removed from an abusive home at 9 years old and could not even speak the language of her birth country at that time. She now speaks in sentences, understands everything that is said to her and has made rapid developmental progress. During the visit with our team member, she was talking about the Mom and Dad that she’s waiting for and having a fun time posing for all the photos (see below). She currently lives with an older foster couple, who she calls grandma and grandpa. They have worked with her to teach her many self-help skills. She’s now in school and doing well working with a resource teacher.

Trina just glows with positivity! She likes to participate in the activities carried out in the institution, mainly those related to the creative arts such as painting and dancing, she likes to play with her peers and sometimes acts as a leader in social groups. In the psychological report, they describe the girl as responsible, obedient, dedicated, organized and friendly. Trina has a tendency to withdrawal and mild depression, due to the presence of feelings of insecurity, low self-worth and low self-esteem.

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.

She has multiple special needs including mild intellectual disability, speech delay, ADHD, heart and kidneys defects.

She is a sensitive and cuddly girl who is friendly with other children and likes playing together. She is working on new skills every day and making a great progress! She willingly participates in all activities and has no problems with behavior.  She likes to help with making sandwiches for lunch and always eager to help. Her self-serving skills are good.

 

 

Ronnie

The girl does not cause any educational problems either at school or in the orphanage. She is very diligent and obligatory.  She is happy, independent and caring girl who likes to help with younger children. She is willing to cooperate, she likes meetings with a psychologist and needs time to adapt to a new environment.

She rides a bike, roller-skates, swims, participates in sports and dance activities. Physical activity gives her joy. She has a great artistic talent, but does not believe in herself.  She likes to travel and is very curious about life and surroundings, constantly asking questions.

Mary

SN – Moderate intellectual disability, speech disorder

Mary is a very cheerful child. Despite speech disorders, she easily communicates with caregivers or peers. She likes to play with younger children. She carries them in a cart or leads them by the hand. She started learning to roller-skates, likes swimming in the pool, sports and dance activities. She goes to a special school. She doesn’t make any behavior problems. She doesn’t read books on her own, but she likes to see the pictures.

The sisters wish to be adopted together and hope to find a forever family!

 

Picture of Ronnie coming soon!

Jemma is outgoing, enjoys meeting new people and exploring new environments. Some of her favorite activities include, putting together jigsaw puzzles, listening to music while singing and dancing, riding her kick scooter, and riding her bicycle. When she is not engaged in physical activities, she enjoys watching cartoons, with Pippa Pig and Doraemon being her favorites! 

Jemma has a diagnosis of epilepsy, hypotension, cataracts, and has moderate developmental delays. Jemma attends special education classes and has a good relationship with her teacher. She can recognize several Chinese characters and can write her own name. She enjoys helping her teacher and receiving praise for her work. During the summer of 2021, Jemma participated in a 3 day camp.  Her favorite activities were baking, sewing and physical games. By the end of her experience, she was able to share her feelings with a few words.

She resides in a family-type home for children with disabilities. Ivory is enrolled in the Center for Special Educational Needs. During the academic year 2022/2023 she was a student in the sixth grade. The educational activities are based on an individual program and are conducted on site at the family-type home for children with disabilities by a resource teacher. She is also enrolled in a half-day service at a Day Center for the support of children with severe multiple disabilities. She works with a speech therapist, psychologist, rehabilitator, etc. She knows how to write letters and numbers, having previously repeated them by outline.

Ivory walks steadily alone. She goes up and down the stairs by herself, tapping the banister. She is mobile – she runs, climbs, and jumps. She has developed fine motor skills. Manipulates objects as intended. She knows how to braid, string beads, etc. Her movements are careful. Can arrange puzzles, constructor sets, and mosaic. Flips through books, turning the pages slowly and carefully. She holds a pencil with a proper grip, colors slowly, trying not to go beyond the outline of the picture. The intellectual level is lower than normal for her age. She understands the information she is given, but it needs to be presented in short and simple sentences. The imagination is developed. Her speech consists of simple sentences that are difficult to understand.

She is mostly calm. She has imitative behavior. She can be persuaded by words. Accepts contact from adults – acquaintances, behaves reserved towards strangers. At times, she is insecure in unfamiliar situations, but she adapts relatively quickly. Unease is mainly expressed in hand-biting, plucking, and shouting. She is a calm and radiant child. She is adaptive, sociable, and willing to play with children. She likes to help with housework, very often showing childish stubbornness when refused by an adult. Ivory likes to play with stuffed toys and do hair. She has favorite animations and shows that she follows with interest. When the weather is right, she likes to swing on the swing in the yard. She likes to dance. She prefers to do mostly puzzles. She often plays with mosaics or colors.

She eats slowly, neatly, and independently. She can drink by herself from a cup and a bottle. She can wash her body and hair, but still needs adult supervision and assistance. Ivory can dress and undress herself and folds and arranges her clothes. She can tie her shoes. Ivory still does not know how to choose her clothes according to the season and coordinate them by color. She can wash her face and teeth by herself, but still needs the support of an adult. She can wash her hands on her own with minimal help. In the evening, she falls asleep alone and her sleep is peaceful. She controls her physiological needs.

Ivory wants to be adopted.

Bailey accepts physical and verbal contact from others. Bailey likes toys that make noise, and she sometimes smiles at the stimulation of an adult. Bailey will need a family who is able to care for her special needs and provide for her daily care. Agency staff met Bailey in July of 2022. We hope her family sees her soon! Contact the agency to learn more about Bailey and her listed medical needs.

VIDEOS:
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-bailey001
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-bailey002
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-bailey003
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-bailey004
Password: Adoptmaa

Nikki is very social, bright and intelligent girl. She is able to express verbally her emotions, interests, concerns and ideas and she is very well-spoken and has a rich vocabulary. She shared that her favorite subjects at school are physical education and English. She shared that she enjoys being around friends and she has many of them both at school and in her group home. She is not a conflict person and she starts every conversation and interaction with very positive intentions.

She shared that her passion is currently drama performances and classes and she has already some experience playing on stage at the local theaters. Nikki says that if she has to choose she would prefer the stage rather than playing in a movie because she likes to have interaction with the audience. However she has a favorite movie and it's a movie which she admits she watched like hundreds of time – Titanic. She shared that she likes Leonardo Di Caprio and Angelina Jolie as actors.

Nikki seems to be one very sensitive and romantic soul, she enjoys more peaceful activities, she likes the rain and she admits that some movies make her cry. However she does not spare any smiles and she loves to smile and have fun with her friends. Nikki likes the colors black, red and purple, she said that pink is definitely not a favorite color. She said that she is not a picky eater and she likes all kinds of food. She shared that she does not like lamb meat. Nikki enjoys the music of the singer Arianna Grande and she dreams to visit Paris one day.

Nikki's hope is that she will have a family. She was adopted years ago through the national adoption process but her parents seemed to be much older and at the end they saw that they feel much more comfortable without having a child at home, they had a hard time creating emotional bond with her and they disrupted the adoption after four years. Nikki seems to have processed the trauma from that separation and she now realizes that what happened maybe was in her interest as she felt undesired in their home.

Since 2021 she is in the current group home and she is now looking in the future and the possibility to have a new family. She said that it does not bother her if the family is from another country even though she admits she will feel sad for leaving her friends and the people who take care for her now.

When asked about how she is imagining her family, she said that she wants they to be good people and to treat her well. She is ok with both having other siblings or not. Nikki shared that she loves animals ( her favorite is a cat) and she would like her family to like animals too. Nikki believes that you can tell a lot about the people just watching them how they act and interact around animals and that it is always a good person the one who admits that likes animals.

Meet Lacey, a beautiful young girl with a bright smile! MAA staff met Lacey in October of 2022. Lacey, born in December of 2007, cannot talk but she interacts through her facial expressions. She has a beautiful smile, and she raises her arm when she is having a really good time. She was diagnosed with neurodevelopmental delays and congenital cardiopathy. She eats by feeding tube. Due to having an accelerated heartrate, she doesn’t gain weight. We hope her forever family sees her soon! Contact the agency to learn more about Lacey!

VIDEO: https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-lacey01
Password: Adoptmaa

We have a video of Demi which shows her happy, responsive, and hopeful disposition and her great desire to have a family. Ask to see it!

Demi has resided in a group home for 4 years. Her case was stuck in the system, and she was just recently registered for adoption. She gets along well with peers and adults. She can be a leader. She has good self-awareness and positive self-esteem. She is honest and able to admit her mistakes. She has no anxiety or depression.

She loves to dance, participate in role plays, symbolic games and art activities and she has the required skills and desire. Due to not having early academic exposure, Demi is a student in sixth grade. Her knowledge, skills, and competencies do not correspond to the expected at this grade and she is enrolled in resource teaching. Bulgarian is her second language. She has a good attitude in school though.

She is independent, she has good hygiene habits and skills for self-serving. Demi is prepared for the adoption procedure, she is positive about it, she is seeking future with good living conditions, where her needs will be met, she will feel secure, she will feel love and to be part of something, she will experience respect, and she will be able to assert herself as a person.

Tia is the younger of the two; she is very affectionate and attached to her big sister. She loves animals, ice cream, Legos, and art. She has a lot of friends. She follows instructions and understands right from wrong.

Tia’s older sister, Teresa, has aged out and is no longer available to be adopted.

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.

There is a $1500 agency grant for Teresa and Tia’s adoption with a specific adoption agency.

Update October 2022:  Sasha is the cutest, most mischievous 11 yr old! She is deaf, has a hole in her heart, and a global development delay. She understands a lot of things and pays very close attention to so many things but has not learned to sign yet in school. She is very curious and is always wanting to explore (or put in her mouth!) everything around her. She makes our whole house laugh all day long with all the random things she does while playing! She is curious about other kids occasionally but mostly likes to play by herself or wander around by herself. Her favorite thing to do is jump on the trampoline. She is very cuddly and will come up to you and lay her head on your shoulder, climb in your lap, ask for kisses by pressing her forehead repeatedly on your mouth or even give you a kiss! She loves to make silly faces at you and we are trying to get her to copy our silly faces we make back. In school she is working on following simple gesture commands and using the sign “more”, sorting things, and attention to task activities. She loves the sensory activities we do the most! At home she eats (very messily) by herself and is learning to sit on a special toilet seat with a buckle after she eats. She likes to put hats and shoes on by herself but still is learning to do the rest without help. She brings so much joy and laughter into our lives and would thrive in a family! Videos on request!

2021:  Sasha is a spunky, free spirited girl. She has developmental delays, but is very curious about her surroundings. She is constantly walking around and picking things up to examine them, play with them, or chew on them. She loves to interact when you mimic the things she does as well as being tickled. She laughs and has a fun sparkle in her eye. She also loves watching and interacting with herself in the mirror.

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.

Update October 2022: Lollie is a sweet, easy going 11 year old that has been waiting for a family since she was a baby. She has CP, CVI, and epilepsy well controlled with medication. She doesn’t have purposeful movement in her body and it is very difficult to know exactly how much she can see so it is very difficult to tell exactly how much she understands. She has preferences of what she likes to do, but doesn’t really ever get upset or cry unless she is in pain. Her favorite things to do are sensory input activities like going for walks and in a bike trailer on bumpy roads, and using the sensory materials at school. In therapy she is working on range of motion and other stretches to help her muscles be less tight. Recently her contractures have gotten a lot worse and she has had some other skeletal issues like a dislocated hip, and getting pressure sores a lot easier. She is a joy to be around and is loved by all her caregivers! She would thrive in a family! Lollie has videos on request.

Updated August 2019: Lollie is a sweet girl who is almost always happy. She is adored by everyone she meets, and has been the favorite in our house since she arrived! Her favorite thing to do is go for walks and car rides on bumpy roads. When she is happy her laugh can be heard from quite a long way off! The only thing that makes her mad is standing in her stander at therapy. Her nannies love to dress her up and fix her hair. She has a vision impairment, and does not have a lot of purposeful movement.

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.

At the first sight, we were impressed by her black eyes. Her eyes were big and black, which seemed to talk. As she grew up, we found her hair was beautiful, black and soft. Till now we do not cut her hair. The caretaker likes dressing her and do various hair style for her. She received the surgery of meningocele and hydrocephalus. Now she is diagnosed as cerebral palsy and optic nerve atrophy. Her motion ability is poor and limbs are not powerful. She can turn over, can lie on the stomach, but can not sit. Additionally her mental development is delayed. She can not speak, just makes some unconscious sounds, she seems to dislike toys and not sensitive to the sounds. Now she can eat the fixed food, mainly vegetable, meat, egg, noodles, oatmeal, porridge, rice, etc. She also likes fruits. She rarely has illness.

She is slight, and shorter than other children of her age. Though she has lots of disadvantages, she is still a lovely and happy baby. She likes smiling, especially when someone is talking with her and teasing her. When someone is hugging her, she is quiet and listening to adults’ talk, sometimes she touches the person’s face. She likes noisy, always turns her head to the sounds. When no one plays with her, she will be upset and call unhappily. Though she is a disabled child, she is lovely as other healthy child. She has the same feeling, desires to be loved and cared. We hope she would grow up healthily and happily and she would have a family with warm and love. We believe she can adapt new place and bring happiness to the family. Bless Sarea! Wish she can find her parents soon and have a family. Wish she is peaceful all her life.

Lolita is looking for a special family that will be hers forever. She is diagnosed with brain dysplasia and post-operative congenital heart disease. Lolita was abandoned at 4 years of age…can you even imagine? She had a surgery for her CHD before arriving at the orphanage. She can walk alone without help, but her step is a bit abnormal. She is curious and observant of her surroundings.Lolita is reserved, but gets along with her caretakers. When asked something, she will shake her head. Currently she is receiving preschool education in the center. Lolita can feed herself and use the bathroom independently, but her language is delayed. She has trouble with pronunciation and is only saying simple words. She will receive speech training to help her with this. Lolita has fine muscular tension of the limbs, but her motion is fairly flexible. Her fine motor of the upper limbs is poor. She enjoys going for walks outside and building towers with blocks. Lolita is gentle, cute, and quiet. She has a sweet smile. She likes to watch TV, listen to music and she is an easygoing child.

Update 4/2015- Look who is smiling again! From an adoptive family who met her on a visit to her orphanage. Lolita is definetly delayed, but she is walking and her smile has returned!

Kendall is a quiet girl, and she is close to her caretakers. Her left eye has corneal degeneration and she is missing her right eye. She also still has trouble with her hearing and it has made it hard for her to keep up with the other kids her age. She can stand up on her own but needs a little help walking around.

She is really good at recognizing the voice of familiar people and when she hear musics, she likes to dance around. She is ready and waiting to dance into her families heart.

VERY URGENT! * blind * beautiful * her health is declining for unknown reasons *

“Meet Kassidy! She is such a beautiful little love. Her health has declined since her last official medical report and she really needs a family. Our team’s PT feels there is a possibility she could improve so much with the love of a family and access to good medical care.”

Report from April 2011:  A pretty great report for a 19 month old, Kassidy is extroverted, active and restless, sometimes she is stubborn. She loves being cuddled by caregivers the most. Since she is smart and lovely, everyone loves her and hopes she could find a family of her own to enjoy a happy and lovely family life facilitating her healthy development. She is smart and is able to crawl, take steps while holding onto handrails, take steps with one hand held, imitate words, and speak 3-5 words. She uses thumbs and index fingers deftly and is able to pick up a pill with her thumbs and index fingers. She is a very cute baby with fair complexion. She is not a picky eater and eats every good we give her, therefore, she has a chubby face. She has a lovely mouth and she often sucks her fingers as if sucking a soother, which is very cute.

Report from November 2016: From an advocate who met Kassidy: “Kassidy did not interact with environment or caregiver to determine personality. Maintained fetal position sleeping. Did move her face and arms in response to cold washcloth on face. We observed no noises. She has low muscle tone, hyporeflexia. No contractures noted. Can’t stand or walk. Appears to be failure to thrive. She overall demonstrates severe delays in all domains. She appears to have declined in general health per report of previous function.”

Cassie is a beautiful little girl! She was found by a family when she was about 7 months old. They took her home and kept her until she was about 17 months old, then took her to the police station. Cassie was found to have cerebral palsy. She had a difficult time at the orphanage when she first arrived. She kept calling for her “neinei” (grandmother) and was inconsolable. After a bit, she warmed to the nannies and the other children. Through therapy, Cassie’s muscles are less tight, and she is able to crawl, sit alone, and can stand with assistance. She can speak (though not as well as her peers), and uses some sign language. Cassie can count, and has a good memory. She likes to sing, and loves to play with dolls! Reading about her progress with therapy at the orphanage, imagine what could happen with formal therapy once she is home! Sweet Cassie is waiting for a family. Please bring her home soon!

Update Sept 2022: Luna is a beautiful girl who is blind. She has made a lot of gains since coming into care! She now knows how to read and write in Braille and has a very good academic performance. She walks with a cane to school, which is very close to home. She studies in the morning and she attends swimming classes in the afternoon. She really wants to be the first woman president in her home country. We hope that Luna will be adopted by a wonderful forever family with the right resources to help her continue to make gains and to help make her dreams of being a politician come true!

VIDEOS:
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-lynette
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-lynette2
Password: Adoptmaa

A specific agency has a $1000 grant for her adoption fees.

The girl has a congenital defect of the nervous system in the form of a meningeal hernia at the lumbosacral level, a bifurcation of the thoracic spine with hydrocephalus and paralysis of the lower limbs. The girl has a valve in her head that regulates the blood flow in the head and prevents the increase in intracranial pressure. She also has a neurogenic bladder – she needs to drink fluids regularly and change the catheter every 3 hours. She has a visual impairment, wears glasses: ER: +3.5, EL: +4. and uses a wheelchair.

Despite her disabilities, the girl is very active. She is very happy to work during rehabilitation, thanks to which she is willing to participate in social life and has accepted her disabilities. She is attending wheelchair dance classes. The girl functions very well on a daily basis and is independent.  She likes to play with younger children and often organizes games for them.

Update Jan 2017: Delaney is a beautiful, sweet, calm girl. She likes to be hugged and held. She likes it when someone takes care of her and to be outside, with her stroller and recognizes the people that take care of her. She feels most comfortable in her bed and during her walks with the stroller in the garden. She eats and sleeps well.

Delaney expresses her preferences to people and objects to which she is more attached. She has three favorite toys that are colorful and soft. She also enjoys listening to music especially children’s songs. She doesn’t like lying on her back and sudden and quick movements. She is able to sit independently and grab and hold objects she has very strong hands she uses well. She feels comfortable when around her there are people with who she is familiar with.

Delaney is able to express her opinion and preference with gestures. Delaney is very calm child with big potential for improvement with the needed care, attention and the feeling of the real family environment.

Lucia has a diagnosis of Cornelia de lange syndrome, which causes developmental delays. She continues to make great progress with therapy. She enjoys playing with her favorite doll, and all food.

The adoption agency has more detailed information on this child that they can share with potential families.

Abby is described as very sweet, petite, happy, active and alert. Her file states that she fully engages, is a leader, and is often seen helping other children. Her videos from 2020 shows her making arts and crafts, engaging with full eye contact with the camera, running, laughing, and balancing on an outdoor jungle gym. Abby’s file indicates that she has appropriate self-care skills, she can use the restroom herself, dress herself, and will help younger children get ready. According to her file, Abby enjoys singing, reading, reciting poems, and dancing. She has even performed dance routines for recitals. Her file shows that her favorite color is pink and she likes Barbie’s.

According to Abby’s most recent update, her situation is becoming more urgent, for her liver is worsening. Despite her medical needs, her positive spirit shines through.

Lucetta is an adorable little girl who is 3 years old! She came into care as a newborn, and lives in the orphanage. Lucetta has esotropia which is the “turning in” of her eyes. It can be corrected with glasses, temporary patching, or outpatient surgery. Lucetta’s gross motor skills were delayed as of her report (done when she was about 16 months old). She was not crawling or pulling to stand at that time, and an exam suggested she may have CP. Lucetta is a lovable little one, and enjoys playing with toys. Lucetta is ready for her Mommy and Daddy to come and get her!

Gigi is sweet little girl who has excellent hearing abilities! She can kneel on both knees and sit on her own. Gigi responds to her own name, and whenever she hears music, she get really excited and laughs! She loves to play with others. We hope Gigi finds her forever family!

Update 2017: Gigi is able to walk on her own but cannot climb stairs. She can sing children’s songs and count. She needs assistance in taking care of her own needs (such as eating, dressing, toileting). She can only repeat other people’s words. She hasn’t had any hospitalizations or medical events. She has never had seizures. She is completely blind.

Adeline is communicative with children and adults. She answers questions. Her expressive and impressive speech is developing. She follows verbal directions. She demonstrates a desire for emotional closeness. She willingly interacts with children and adults. She has established friendly relationships with her classmates. She loves listening music and dancing, as well as, drawing and coloring. She has delays in academics and receives support from a resource teacher at school.

Summer is quiet, friendly and always smiles when she is seen by an adult. She almost eats without help – but she eats slowly. She almost goes up and down the stairway by herself. She does not want to always participate in all activities and needs extra motivation. She expresses her feelings with mimics and movements. She has started to speak and pronounces some words. Summer loves music, reading, books and swinging on the horse.

She wants adult’s attention and likes to lean on an adult, sit in their lap, and give hugs. Her fine and gross motors skills development are adequate. She is friendly with adults and children.

Mary Beth is a sweet and cuddly little girl. She was a premature baby, and was diagnosed with laryngeal cartilage dysplasia. Mary Beth has been healthy, but her muscular tension is high. She is unable to sit, crawl, or hold anything in her hands. Mary Beth is not speaking, and does not often respond to those talking to her. When she is upset, a long hug and cuddle will calm her. She has many delays. We do not know what the future holds for this sweet little one, but with a loving family and therapies, she will be able to reach her full potential. Mary Beth needs a family soon.

Marvelous Mavis will steal your heart! She is quick to smile and loves being picked up and held for comfort. Shortly after entering into the orphanage Mavis was diagnosed with epilepsy which is now managed by medication and careful attention to her diet. Mavis’ skills are steadily improving and with the support of her foster family she can now sit, and stand with assistance. When playing on her own, Mavis sits quietly; seemingly enjoying her surroundings! Mavis’ foster family “hopes she will soon find a family who will love her so she can enjoy the love of her forever parents and have a happy childhood”.

Cora currently lives with a foster family. She has mental delays, some stereotypical movements, and difficulty with eye contact and social interactions. She was diagnosis with Atypical Autism in 2017. She is physically healthy. She is toilet trained and feeds herself. She is described as a happy child who has a contagious smile and laughter. Her caregivers attribute her learning delays to early neglect.

Most of the time, Caryn is calm, especially when she is in the playroom. When somebody pays attention to her, she laughs loudly. Caryn totally depends on the care of others. She sleeps peacefully and stays calm when getting dressed and bathing. She has cerebral palsy and needs specific care, though she has no severe deficit in terms of physical activity.

From a teacher who works with her: This little blind girl is progressing so well, but she is so scared. Can you imagine to be in a world where at any given moment you could get pinched, pushed over, knocked down, hair pulled, eyes poked. I don’t blame her, especially when there are so many other special needs children around her and so few staff and no family love and care. But inspite of all of this she is a fighter and a giggler.

Gabi is physically healthy with normal physical development. She is radiant and very active.

Gabi responds adequately to praise and punishment. Gabi establishes and maintains eye contact. She seeks the attention of the people around and she seeks familiar people and their closeness purposefully.

Gabi understands the meaning of words that are often used in her surroundings. She expresses her needs and wishes through vocalization.

In her spare time Gabi likes watching TV, playing on a phone, listening to music and going out for walks.

Hallie Anne is a precious little girl. She has club feet, which are being treated with corrective shoes. Hallie Anne also had a diagnosis of dislocated hip, and a heart murmur was detected with no intervention mentioned in her report. There is the often-used diagnosis of “brain paralysis” in her file. Hallie Anne lives with a foster family, and, considering her hip and feet issues, was developing well as of the file date (late 2013) She was walking with one hand held, loved to play hide and seek, and if she was thirsty, would locate her water bottle. Hallie Anne loves to play with other children, and warms up to strangers after a short while. Hallie Anne will certainly benefit from some physical therapy, and the love of her own family!

Addisyn is an adorable little girl who came into care when she was 2 years old, and was found to be thin, with little strength in her hands and feet. With the care of her nannies, she gained some weight, and soon was in good health. They noticed she was able to stand and walk a bit with assistance, but not on her own. A CT of her brain showed no abnormalities. As of her report (in October 2013), she was still walking only with assistance. They assumed at that time that her intelligence was not equal to her peers. In an update from 2/2015 Addisyn is not talking and still unable to walk unassisted. They estimate her physical and cognitive development at about the level of a 15 month old child. Addie is a sweet and loving little girl, who always wants to join in with the other kids in play. The agency has several photos and video of this precious girl. She needs a family to help her reach her full potential.

Rose loves to smile! She has a cleft lip and palate and Cerebral Palsy (CP). Her CP makes it hard for her body to move so right now she cannot sit or stand on her own. It can also be hard for her to talk with her cleft lip and palate. Rose loves when her caretakers go outside with her, and she loves when they call her name. Rose laughs and smiles at people when they talk to her, and especially when they play bells. She can roll over, hold her own toys, and hold her head up like a champ!

Sweet Cyndi doesn’t let her diagnosis keep her down. She likes getting cuddles from her caregivers and is a very happy little girl. Cyndi’s caregivers say that she is a cutie that likes to babble a lot. Her current agency is trying to get an update since her file is a bit outdated. Are you the lucky family that will get to see this smiling little face every morning?

Emerlyse is a sweet little girl who is 3 years old. She has no vision, and really needs a family. Emerlyse’s update from last fall said she was not walking unassisted, but would easily walk holding someone’s hand. She had not been trained to feed herself, but they were working on toilet training at that time. Emerlyse’s earlier photos show a bubbly, happy, and engaging little one. Her more recent photos show a different little girl…quiet, reserved, and a bit sad. Hopefully, they caught her on a bad day, but she most definitely needs attention and love. Emerlyse needs a family who will work with her, love her, and treasure her. And she needs them soon. We would love to see her smile again!

Hope is a precious little girl. She has been waiting, and hoping, for the right family. Hope has CP, which affects her left hand, and lower legs, according to her medical report (March 2014). She is a very happy little girl, who enjoys listening to music, and being around her friends. The agency received updated video done after her medical report and it appears her overall condition has worsened. We do not know the reason for this, but we know for certain she needs the love and support of a family to help her reach her full potential. Hope needs you…please consider this sweet little girl.

Janessa is a beautiful girl who has had a lot of loss in her life. Janessa’s caregivers say that she is very quiet and introverted, but that she has good language comprehension. She scores very well on her Chinese tests and average in mathematics. With some tutoring and repeated practice, Janessa can master concepts. She can do two-digit addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, decimal points, area, length, time, and more. She can read elementary school comics and story books on her own, and can complete a 100-word composition. Janessa can draw animals and flowers. She makes time to finish her homework each day and, if she doesn’t understand the question, she will ask the teacher. Janessa will sometimes play with other girls, but her friends say she is a little eccentric sometimes and her friends don’t want to play with her. Most of time, Janessa reads alone or watches other children play. When she’s not reading, Janessa likes watching TV and playing on the computer. She also enjoys outdoor activities, and going to the supermarket to buy her favorite snacks. When Janessa is unhappy, she will cry. She is sometimes bullied by her peers, but she is forgiving and will play with those peers not long after the fact. In general, Janessa gets along well with her peers in the orphanage and she is polite to everyone. She is happy to have a lot of caretakers who care about her.

Janessa is HIV+ and she takes antiviral drugs every day. She is a good sleeper and is not a picky eater, but she loves snacks and watermelon best! Janessa’s motor skills are normal and she is coordinated. She enjoys running, jump roping, and playing outdoors. Janessa has strong self-care skills. She can help sweep and clean the floors, and wash and hang the clothes. Janessa always helps and she makes sure to take good care of her own health. Janessa needs a loving family she can trust and one who will love her forever, as she has gone through enough loss in her biological family. Could your family be Janessa’s forever?

Video 1, Video 2, Video 3, Video 4, Video 5