Other Special Needs Girls, 10+

NEW PHOTO December 2016

What a cutie! And what a world of different a head of hair would make for her, she needs to be in pigtails!

Update March 2014: Very sweet and energetic little girl, eager to play and interact. She definitely has cognitive delays, and does not speak but functions within the preschool type setting classroom of her groupa. She communicates by pointing and making sounds. She appears to have something like hemiplegia CP affecting the right side of her body, causing a big of a drag in her leg as she walks, and causing her arm to be stiff on that side as well. She’s a happy little girl and very cute.

NEW PHOTO!! Brandi is listed with bilateral hearing loss, but can definitely hear, as she will turn around and look for the person calling her name, and does respond to commands given if she chooses (if she doesn’t, she screams/attempts to run/swats at the caregiver). Cognitively, she is very delayed, more like a toddler, in ability to understand what’s going on around her, and in her responses, and appropriateness. She also has strabismus in both eyes, and has both a heart condition and anemia. She does NOT have CP, nor microcephaly. She does have brain malformations, significant developmental delays, and many stimming behaviors that are typical of lower functioning autism. She is completely nonverbal.

Families interested in Brandi should be aware that she appears to have autism, and that it impacts her significantly. She is a “runner” and will bolt and run unless contained or restrained and potential families need to be aware that this is common in autism, and that they will need to take appropriate measures to keep her safe in a home and family. She has a history of aggression when changes occur, such as a move, or unexpected event, which include biting peers and adults, and she struggled for at least a year after her last orphanage change four years ago, but is doing better now. However, as many with autism thrive on routine and predictability, families need to be aware that she may handle a transition poorly, especially at first. She has excellent mobility, and is very typically sized for a normal 7 year old in weight and height, and when she resists, it is challenging for a grown woman to hold her back. She has been in a school for the deaf, however, she knows no sign language nor does she read lips. She is very much in her own world in many ways. She enjoys music and will sometimes clap, but remains disconnected from the group and does not interact with adults (was not seen with peers).

Brandi attempts to smell/lick everything that is handed to her and when she realizes it isn’t food, she is not typically interested. The nannies report that she has an excellent appetite, and that she enjoys eating. She stims by rocking, throwing herself back and forth, sucking all four fingers on her hand, grunting, and moaning/shrieking. She walks with a lurching gallop. She flaps her hands often. A potential family should be aware that she has no awareness of danger, no fear of strangers and is very much like a very young child emotionally and cognitively, but physically is strong and very mobile. She currently takes psychiatric medications to assist in sleep and behavior.

She is a lovely little girl, with beautiful blond hair and clear complexion. She is in a good orphanage where she is well cared for. Families need to research autism, and be comfortable and familiar with caring safely for a child with the issues mentioned above, in order to provide Brandi with a safe, loving home.

Gabrielle really needs a family of her own! She will remain bedridden for the rest of her short life if she is not adopted.

Gretchen is a sweet little girl with giant blue eyes! She is officially diagnosed with FAS (fetal alcohol syndrome), and was *previously* a carrier of her mother’s Hep C antibodies. She is testing negative now. She does have strabismus as well. She is able to stand on her own, but is not quite walking yet. She is cognitively delayed, but is affectionate.

Gretchen is a beautiful little girl who deserves a family of her own.

These girls will age out soon!  An I600a MUST be filed by 11/27/2021!

Samantha (the oldest), on the right:     Microcephaly, mental delays, crossed eyes, physically capable, friendly and affectionate girl, will do well in family environment.  High likelihood of fetal alcohol syndrome.

Kristina, on the left:  Microcephaly, Moderate intellectual disabilities, ADHD (hyperactive), Esotropia, Hypermetropia, Cardiomyopathy (unspecified), Scoliosis

Kristina is cognitively delayed, physically capable, helpful, friendly, likes to play, good girl.

The girls are NOT in the same orphanage, but are in the same region and need to be adopted together.

an I600a must be filed by March 2021!

Kanani has been transferred!

Lovely Kanani needs a family to help her reach her full potential.

From a family who met her in May 2012: Kanani is very sweet girl. She is well cared for in a good orphanage by caring nannies. She gets lots of outside time when it’s warm out but this time is spent lying down in the stroller as she can’t sit on her own. She can hold on to your fingers and seems to just love to have attention although with her eye troubles it is difficult for her to respond. She likes to have her cheek stroked and her hand held. She is quite stiff and in need of physiotherapy and most of all love and attention.

Katerina has been living at an institution for quite some time.

Improved nutrition, and a loving, encouraging family will make a big difference for this little girl!

New pic May 2019!

From a volunteer in August 2016: “I was happy to see that Leena is still the same strong willed young girl as last year. She is available for adoption now! She was a little calmer than last year, but she would still take every chance she got to run around. Just like last year it was obvious that some nurses have a very hard time with her and others love her. She’s much calmer when the nurses like her and she’s easier to handle. It was unclear if she was totally potty trained this year or that she’s still working on it. It was also unclear if she got the diet she needed, but her delays didn’t look worse. Leena is such a wonderful girl! She should be in a family where she has the chance to be who she is, all days of the year.

From a missionary who met her in 2015: “Leena is a strong-willed young girl. She is stubborn and funny. She loves to explore the world (within the concrete walls she lives between). She has been transferred to this facility in May and she is obviously still getting used to the circumstances of living. She had a lot more freedom in the baby orphanage she came from. Leena can walk (so don’t be fooled by the picture), she can run, she is very energetic. She can drink from a cup. This summer (2015) she was being potty trained. She doesn’t talk. She squeals when she is very excited. She is probably the size of a 3 year old at the moment (summer 2015). She probably understands what is being said to her, but she has a hard time following orders. Due to her PKU she needs a special diet and medicine. The baby orphanage she grew up in, didn’t provide the proper care. So (part of) het mental delays may be caused because of that. The facility she lived in right now, tries to provide the proper care. They do not receive funds for it, so they raise it themselves with a charity fund. They really try to take good care of her. Some nurses really like her. Other nurses have a hard time dealing with her, because of her energetic ways. She likes to move and run around all the time. As soon as you let go of her hand or take her out of her wheelchair, you have to chase her. As soon as you give her an opportunity she’ll take it. Some days she was tied up in a wheelchair and we thought she might have been drugged. She didn’t react, she didn’t smile, she didn’t interact. Until the moment my fiancé pulled her from the wheelchair and it was as if she came alive again. I have not seen any selfharming behaviours and I haven’t seen her hurt other children. I have also not seen her interact with other children at all. The nurses don’t like it when she gets all excited, but for me it was a sign that she was not so institutionalized yet. There was so much fight in her. I hope she finds a family before she loses the strength to fight and before her delays will get worse, due to a lack of a proper diet and medical care.”

This beautiful, brown haired, blue eyed angel was born with a lot of strikes stacked against her. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t deserve a voice or a chance to have a family who loves her and can help her be all she is able!

Lorena will remain bedridden for life if she is not adopted.  A family would need to begin the adoption process prior to NOVEMBER 2021 to adopt Lorena.

Sweet girl has a laundry list of diagnoses; she needs a family, or she’ll spend so much of the rest of her life in a crib. She’s got sparkle — a family could help her truly shine!

Nana is a precious little girl with sunshine blonde hair and blue eyes. Her medical records indicate prenatal alcohol abuse, resulting in severe CP and hydrocephaly.

More photos available, please inquire.

You can see a marked difference in Rhonda from her time at the baby house, and now at the institution. It is heart-wrenching for us here at Reece’s Rainbow to witness this neglect. Please share Rhonda so we can find a family for her quickly.

Scout is a pretty little girl! She came to the orphanage when she was about 3 years old, and they found she had CP affecting her lower legs. Scout also had club feet, and was unable to stand or walk. She received surgery in 2011, after which she was able to stand up straight, and walk with assistance! Scout’s fine motor skills are very good, and she is quite a talker. She is very helpful and able to care for herself. Scout is a very spunky little girl, who is ready for her own family.

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

NEW PIC JUNE 2016! FAS, cleft hard and soft palate. She has many facial features of fetal alcohol syndrome, please research this condition as a preparation for her needs.

From an adoptive family who visited with her in Jan 2012: We saw Harriet today. She has the thickest, dark curly hair and beautiful eyes! She snuck out of the groupa room to come see us. I got to hold her for just a moment. She’s really tiny. Working on pictures.

This little peach is just waiting for a family of her own!

Update June 2013: So disappointed her new picture is fuzzy. She is teeny-tiny and a very happy little girl!

Poor Haven……sweet little girl. Such a pretty girl burdened with such medical and cognitive difficulties….and no mama to love her through them.

From our team who visited there: Haven is afraid of strangers and would not interact with us.

A WONDERFUL very kind, careful, attentive, loving, thoughtful, super-friendly, helpful girl with a very good potential for education. She NEEDS a family and more than ready for it!

In fact, it seems like she has NO severe mental delay, just educational delay and perhaps mild mental delay. She walks normally as a usual child.

From a volunteer who visited with her in August 2016: Irina’s update from last year is still very accurate. Her introvert and shy behaviors got more though. She prefers not to interact at all. It took me half of our trip to get her to trust me enough to walk around the building with us and she would still not look at me. She avoids any eye contact. She did enjoy the attention though. She still loves to sit on someones lap. She has grown even more than last year. This year she had become too heavy for me to carry her.

I think Irina wants to get out of the facility. She was transferred to this facility a couple years ago. Before she lived here, she lived in a ‘normal orphanage’ with a special needs group. When they lost their funding she was transferred here. When we take her for a walk she walks to the gate and she just stares at the world outside of those gates. She realizes there is an entire world out there. One day the nurses saw us at the gate though and they yelled at us for minutes. We were not allowed to take Irina there, she could walk away. The gate is closed and locked and we were there with her, so there was no way she’d walk away, but from that day on Irina was even more closed and she lost most of the initiative while walking. She even lost her interest in the swing. She needs someone she can trust, someone who she’ll know will stay and will love her. She has already been listed for so long! She needs a family!

From a volunteer who visited with her in July 2015: ” Irina is a beautiful girl with dark hair and big dark eyes. She has a cleft palate. She is a precious and happy little girl. She loves personal attention. She is craving attention and physical touch. If it was up to her she’d be held and hugged all day. She can react really shy to people who talk to her and especially when yelled at, she will become really introvert. She is a really sweet girl. Irina is a physically quite healthy girl. She is well nourished, she can walk, run, swing, etc. Her physical development is good, compared with the other children in the same facility. She seems to have a strong body. She knows how to use a swing properly and can swing by herself. She enjoys it a lot. She can play accurate with toys, like dolls, or pretend play with kitchen tools. She knows how to walk stairs. She can dress and undress herself. She can drink from a cup and eat by herself. She is potty trained and will tell if she has to use the bathroom. She doesn’t talk, most likely because of her cleft palate. She doesn’t make noises, but her eyes express a lot about how she feels. And her smile will tell you when she enjoys something. She understands what is being said to her and she can follow orders. When Irina is in the group, she’ll try to stay away from the others. She prefers to play by herself, but she is also capable of interacting with other children or adults. She prefers to play with children who are smaller or younger than her, probably because they are no threat to her. Last year I saw how she was being bullied by other (bigger) children. She tries to flee from bullies (and from yelling), but there is nowhere to go. This year she is doing much better. She has grown physically, which made her less of a target for the bigger children. Maybe also because new smaller children are in the group now. Sometimes she’s still the target of bullying and harming behaviour, but at other moments she will show these behaviours herself. She can be a bully to the smaller children herself. I think this is her way of showing that she is stronger now, but this is no good development. The longer children are in this facility, the more harming behaviour they show. Irina is still able to receive love, but time is ticking away. She needs a family. She would thrive in a family where she could be ‘the baby’.”

If you are unfamiliar with FAS, please spend some time researching this condition. Just as with Down syndrome, FAS and FAE have a wide variation of effects on each child, both medically, physically, and cognitively. This is typically dependent on how long during the pregnancy the mother consumed alcohol, and of course, how much. There is no way to know this ahead of time.

Irina has been transferred to the older child internat now.

Her biggest problem she cannot see good and that is why she is significantly delayed.
By some reason she cannot have her glasses on when she needs them permanently. Instead she gets them only for classes.

New photo Jan 2017. Institutionalization is so horribly wrong. Look at what has happened to her! Please help us find her family!

Lovely Harlowe! She needs physical therapy and a loving home.

Violet is a very petite girl, born in September of 2010, who appears much younger than her age. She is very shy and afraid of strangers, but is extroverted and cheerful around her caretakers. In fact, this cuddly girl loves to be held by her nannies. She gets along with the other children and likes to play games with them. Though she is behind other children her age, Violet continues to make progress in her development. She now speaks in short sentences, such as “I want to eat that” and she can answer yes or no questions. When she became scared of a stranger visiting, she told her nanny “I want to leave.” Despite Violet’s tiny size, she can run very fast and is able to go up and down stairs by holding the railing. Her self-care is good. She feeds and dresses herself and can climb up into a bed that’s taller than she is. She can point to body parts when asked and can do simple counting. She is also able to follow basic directions.

Violet is diagnosed with developmental delays and a congenital heart defect-VSD, that she has received surgery for. Though she was previously on a medication for pulmonary hypertension, she is no longer taking any medication. She was not re-tested for PH. Violet also had a test that showed a ring abnormality of chromosome 15. You can read more about that here.

Agency staff who met Violet said that it appears to be understaffed based on observations and conversations with caregivers, with a higher than typical child to caregiver ratio. As a result, most of the children do not receive any rehabilitative services or therapies. Most of the children do not attend school and do not receive any lessons within the orphanage. Many of the children spend most of their time in their crib. Due to this, these children may have delays more significant than typical institutionalization. This could potentially be part of why Violet has developmental delays. Though she is behind other children her age, Violet continues to make progress in her development. She needs a patient, gentle, and loving family to help her adjust and provide the stimulation and nourishment she needs to learn and grow.

A family that traveled more recently said: “The children in this orphanage are in a group of 13 (ages 6-13) with 3-4 nannies. They were happy and loved, excited to see us and all smiles. My daughter has been home since 1/28/20 and learned English words and how to write her name in country. They watched Paw Patrol and other cartoons and have learned preschool skills from the shows. They do not go to school, but do have craft classes. My daughter can cut with sisters, paint, draw, and color in the lines, so I know someone worked with her. I met Violet and she is very sweet and social.”

There is a $1,500 agency grant for Violet’s adoption with her current adoption agency.

Sweet Jenny is waiting for you! She was born with cerebral palsy and a heart condition, for which she has already had surgery. She is not able to sit on her own, and will greatly benefit from a loving family, medical care and therapy! If she is not adopted, she will remain bedridden for life.

Love the grin on this little love! She has vision issues (listed as optic atrophy and also nystagmus). She is listed as anemic and malnourished.

Families should be aware that her medical history says FAS (fetal alcohol syndrome), as well.

SIGNIFICANT RISK, PLEASE ADOPT ME SOON!! Dark brown hair and blue-green eyes. She has severe CP, but had started walking.

Jewell is the victim of parental physical abuse, and suffers from post-traumatic brain injury, which has further complicated her delays and struggles.

Updated medical 8/2015: She has after-effects of severe brain injury (brain bones fracture), subarachnoidal influence in the form of irreversable damage, hemiplegia with microcephaly.

She does have a sister with mild delays whom she can be adopted with or by herself.

Jolina is a darling girl, waiting for her forever family! She has some features of FAS (fetal alcohol syndrome). This is a cautionary disclosure, not a diagnosis.

Update from April 2014: Jolina is a beautiful girl and she is very sweet! Her eyes are mesmerizing and full of hope and excitement. She is attentive to her nannies and seems to follow their instructions well. Jolina longs for attention and it is obvious that she has a desire for a family. She immediately wanted to call me “mama” and she patted the bench to let us know she wanted us to sit down near her. She seemed a little unsteady on her feet but she was walking around the room and she pulled a chair over to sit right in front of us. Jolina didn’t say much while we were in the room, so its hard to say how much she talks. Her orphanage was lovely and we would adopt from there again if given the choice. Jolina’s photo does not do her justice and sadly she seems very overlooked! We can’t wait to see Jolina with her forever family!

She loved, loved loved the camera. Could not get enough of it but she would prefer to hold it herself. She was able to follow directions and was playing independently with toys.

Elizabeth is very smart and has normal intelligence. If she was given a chance to go to school, she would have no problem learning. Her cognitive ability is good enough to learn a lot and to take good care of herself in daily life. She can put on and take off her clothing, go to the bathroom independently, climb stairs, play with toys, ride toy cars, etc. Elizabeth can walk when leaning on the wall or holding the rails. If there is nothing to lean on, she walks on her knees. She knows when to go to toilet in the day time and night time. She is attached to her caretakers. When she is unhappy, praise her or give her some snacks. Elizabeth has a very good appetite and likes to have snacks. She sleeps through the night and takes a nap in the day time.She has many good friends and gets along well with others. Elizabeth is quite extroverted and often says hello to others. She is a good girl with a loving heart. She likes smiling, playing, and focuses on being concerned for others. She also loves to show her best in front of those she is familiar with. Elizabeth is waiting for her family. Are you the one she is waiting for?

.2

From someone who met her in June 2013: “She was one of my absolute favorite kids I met! She is just the sweetest thing. She is diagnosed with MR not sure she really is. She was giggling and introduced herself by saying her name. She has a huge smile! She has a special nanny that does PT with her. She was bed bound when I met her but she came from a very good orphanage before she was transferred here. She needs out now!!”

Smart girl, she can talk, very affectionate Updated picture in stroller from March 2018.

Nadine was recently relisted (March 2021)

What a pretty smile Lucie has! She could do so well with a family. Lucie has recently been transferred to the adult institution. We must find a family for her!

Update from a family who met her Sept 2015: this girl is absolutely precious!

Update from a family who met her in late 2013: Lydia is the sweetest little girl! Our kids were in the same groupa, so we got to see Lydia everyday we were in country. She is a joy! Lydia spends her days sitting in a stroller with hardly any interaction. Now that our kids are home, she is the only non-walker left in her groupa, so she is the only one who sits in a stroller all day long. She looks to be about the size of a four year old, but looks like she is a healthy weight. She’s got a little chub on her legs. Her legs are not scissored, but when I lifted her legs up, they were definitely tight.

She needs a Mama to stretch her legs! Her legs are always bent at the knee draped over the bar of the stroller (she’s too big for her stroller). I couldn’t tell how much head control she had because her head was always supported by her stroller, but her head was always upright, not bobbing. I never saw her move her body (except to arch her back when tickled), but one day I held both of her hands, and she was able to grasp my hands tightly in hers. Neither hand seemed weak. Lydia’s vision looks pretty good. She could follow me with her eyes, but there’s a good possibility she’ll need glasses. Her poor teeth are rotten. We watched her eat lunch once and she seemed to eat well. She eats pureed food from a bottle. Did I mention she is SO sweet? Lydia seems to be very easy going. Once a child was hanging on her and pushing on her and she didn’t respond except to make a face showing that she didn’t like it. Lydia was my favorite child to interact with in the groupa. All I had to do was say hi to her and smile and she would light up EVERY single time and reward me with a big smile. We tickled her lots and she giggled away. One time she was left in a room all by herself and was crying. I peeked my head in the doorway and said hi to her and she immediately stopped crying and started smiling and giggling. She is very responsive when talked to. 🙂 Even though she is non-verbal, she communicates with lots of smiles and giggles. This little lady is FULL of joy! She will truly BLESS any family! Please, please consider this sweet little one. She is still in the babyhouse, but is one of the oldest in her groupa, so she will be one of the next children to be transferred. She does have an older brother who is eight years old and looks to be typically developing. I’m not sure if they will need to be adopted together or separately.

She is a very sweet and kind girl and extremely needs a family. She will be 5 this December, so any new family may commit to her and start preparing a dossier.

She has siblings, but none are available for adoption; 2 older sisters live with birth mother and 1 younger sister has been adopted.

From a family who met her in summer 2013:
She was in my kids’ groupa. She is the sweetest little thing and needs out of there ASAP!!! She has the most noble quiet nature about her. She is mentally delayed but has so much potential. She was one of the least favored children in the orphanage and she is desperate for love. On one occasion she wandered over to the play shelter where we were playing and was trying to eat our daughter’s cookie. We didn’t have any extra (we brought treats for the groupa every three days or so) so my husband just picked her up to distract her and as soon as he did, she threw her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder just soaking in the attention. I can’t bear the thought of her being transferred! She already has it bad enough.

New pic Jan 2017.

From a family who met her in January 2014: Maia is a sweet little girl. She was able to follow orders and do everything that her teacher asked her to do. She doesn’t speak but giggled a lot and made some noises. Her doctor said that while she was unsure if Maia would speak, she felt the prognosis was good. Her eyes are crossed. Vision and hearing are otherwise fine. Maia has mental delays and would benefit from focused attention and education. Maia is lively and active and ready for a family who is ready to play!

Sweet girl needs love!

Poor sweet Marla …she was born with severe CP. She has a loving personality, but is completely immobile on her own. She is facing transfer soon and will remain bedridden the rest of her life if she is not adopted.

Ohh, I love her little pouf of hair, what a lovely little girl. Not sure how much vision she has.

From a family who met her in early 2014: She needs out! She is skeletal and looks to be in very poor condition. Neveah just cries and cries if you get near her. Also, she appeared to be heavily sedated. She had a toy tied to her wrist/hand, and her hands were bound to not scratch herself. So, so sad.

Lovely Lanora needs a mama to let her beautiful hair grow out!

Piper dear, where is your mama? Sweet girl has a lot of needs; a family could drastically change her life — otherwise, she is one who could be destined to spend her life in a laying down room.

Robyn has a brother who has already been adopted.