Other Special Needs Girls, 10+

February 2022 Update: Kristy is such a precious girl! She loves when she is with people that she knows care for her. Kristy eagerly seeks out physical touch from her teachers and caregivers. She crawls up to them and slowly stretches out her body until she is fully in their lap, then she hugs them tightly. It is very endearing. Kristy is very friendly and enjoys having visitors in her home. While Kristy loves to cuddle with her friends, she tends to prefer independent play. She loves to play with musical instruments, swing, jump on the trampoline, and play with balls. She enjoys standing on the balcony and watching the trees. Her favourite song is I Love You, You Love Me and she gets excited when she sees her teacher doing the actions.

Kristy has hearing loss but stopped wearing hearing aids due to her sensory aversion to wearing them. She explores the house and bangs the chairs on the floor to listen to the loud sound! She is a queen of exploration and crawls all over the house, looking for interesting things. Kristy is non-verbal and needs full support in her acts of daily living. She is able to pull herself to a stand holding onto furniture and can walk using a gait trainer under the supervision of her therapist. Right now in PT, she is working on independent standing. She is also working on some activities to strengthen her fine motor skills with the eventual goal of starting to work on more independent living skills. Kristy would make a valuable addition to a family as she has so much love and affection to share with others.

February 2022 Update: Bhanu is a teensy tiny girl with a bigger than life smile! She might be tiny, but she is mighty! She knows what she wants and she is going to get it! She is a thinker and mischievous in the most adorable way. She is learning to communicate verbally and is not able to walk independently, but she sure is a hard worker! She speaks in single 1-2 syllable words in her native language. She is working on her daily living skills and likes brushing her hair. She is working on undressing and toileting independently but these skills are still emerging.

Bhanu can identify her colours, numbers to 10 and letters A-Z. She is learning the names of the animals in English. Bhanu stands and walks with support and works very hard in PT towards her goal of learning to walk independently. Bhanu can go up and down stairs independently using the railing. She stands by herself for short periods of time and her PT stands beside her and gives small corrections to help her balance. She feeds herself and loves chicken and sweets.

At the park, Bhanu wants to try out all the equipment! She sneakily tries to cut the lines to get to the front and makes sure her caregivers are beside her to help her out so she can take part! She loves dancing to music! She watches music videos and copies the dance moves. She got a baby doll for Christmas and likes to hold it and rock it.

Feb 2022 Update: Jamila is a vibrant little girl who is full of life and very social. She is active and loves to go on walks around the neighbourhood, jump on the trampoline, brush her baby doll’s hair and play hide and seek. She is not the oldest in the home, but has taken on the role of big sister due to her love of helping the other children. She loves the song Five Little Monkeys and goes around helping the other kids use their hands to do the actions.

Jamila can walk independently and can climb up and down the stairs well. She is independent in many of her acts of daily living. Jamila’s balance has improved over the past year and we see fewer falls. Her left foot slightly drags as she walks but she manages well despite this. Her therapist is working with her on balance and general strength and motor skills. She uses both hands but prefers the right. Her therapist is working with her on fine motor activities using her left hand. Jamila was considered non-verbal up until recently, but her communication is really growing! She is even speaking in short sentences now! It is sometimes hard to understand what she is saying, but she is really motivated. She also uses sign language, such as “water” and “help”. In 2020 Jamila was experiencing recurring illnesses. It was discovered that she was aspirating so a feeding tube was placed. She has been healthy ever since!

Jamila loves wearing fancy shoes all the time. She picks out her outfits every day and knows what she likes! Jamila is our dancing queen! When she has spare time, she loves having music blasted so she can show off her moves. Jamila’s adorable dimples steal the hearts of everyone she meets! She would thrive in a family.

Dinah is giggly, likes to snuggle, sweet, content. Will play with toys, seek out preferred toys, and seek out preferred children to play beside. She has been working on using a simple voice-output communication system to greet the other children and choose between two toy options. She is social and gets very excited when surrounded by lots of people. She likes to do what the other children are doing. She can follow simple commands in English and can identify body parts by touching them when asked. She shows ability to build strong attachments and follows her preferred caregiver and opens her arms for a hug. She loves to dance and immediately stands up and starts dancing when music comes on.

Aug 2020 Update: Most weekdays, after breakfast, Dinah spends time working on self-care skills.. She also has class where she works on a variety of skills, especially her gross motor and O&M skills. Dinah radiates joy and excitement when she dances!

January 2022 Update: Tricia is a sweet teenager with seizure disorder and intellectual delay. Tricia loves jewellery and likes having her picture taken! She loves music, dancing, painting and jumping on the trampoline. She likes picking out her prettiest outfits. Tricia has a little speaker that she carries around the house, dancing to all the songs that it plays. We call her the Dancing Queen!

She is progressing with learning her alphabet and numbers in class. She can speak in short sentences in her native language and she uses some words in English. She needs support with her acts of daily living. Her speech is somewhat slurred and she struggles with attending to tasks and conversations. Since Tricia has trouble with concentration, she has dance and song breaks often while in class. She is very motivated by adult attention and is learning boundaries with adults she doesn’t know very well. She desperately asks for a family.

Vera is a delightful young lady with cerebral palsy. She is known for her wild hair and love of dancing!

Vera receives PT, being stretched and working on maintaining different positions. Her therapist helps bring her to a sitting position and they work on balance. Sometimes Vera is cooperative and engaged and sometimes she rolls her eyes and refuses to take part, which makes us laugh! Vera’s caregivers help her with all her acts of daily living.

Vera’s very favourite thing to do is dance. When a song comes on that she loves, she giggles in excitement, kicks her feet, rocks back and forth and taps her hands against her forehead to the beat. She also really enjoys water play. Now that she is more stable in a sitting position, she is getting more adventurous in the kiddie pool!

Mae is a funny and loveable young girl who is blind. She has bilateral microphthalmia with light perception.

For her most recent birthday party, Mae requested a pool party with chicken nuggets and french fries! She loves making up stories and playing Hungry, Hungry Hippos. She enjoys playing her keyboard and inventing songs and she has a great imagination. She pretends she is being chased by monkeys, laughing and running, or she will be teacher to the other children and pretend to lead a class.

Mae can read uncontracted braille and type on her Perkins braille writer. She dresses herself and feeds herself and is really growing in independence with her daily living skills. Mae speaks well in both her native language and in English. She walks independently with a white cane. Mae has some delayed skills due to institutionalization, particularly her gross motor skills are weak, however she gets around well. She is friendly, funny and loves to laugh. Mae is a comedian who loves life and would be a valuable addition to a family.

Izzy has cerebral palsy. She transferred to her current home in June 2018 and has already made remarkable progress. She is incredibly bright, social, and affectionate. She previously had no exposure to English but now responds to several English commands. She also says several words such as “hi”, “bye”, and “more” and has picked up on several ASL signs which are used in the home. She communicates extremely well with vocalizations and gestures and is perceptive to body language and other social cues in communication. She gets around the house quickly with crawling and scooting. She can pull to stand and remain standing with minimal support. She can walk with hand support or a reverse walker. She can self-feed. She loves playing games such as hot potato, duck duck goose, and catch. She has an infectious laugh and smile and brings a special energy and joy wherever she goes. She often seeks out trusted caregivers and requests hugs and kisses. She will turn her face from side to side to ensure she gets kisses on both cheeks. She would be an incredible gift to any family and has a huge capacity to learn and grow in a family environment.

December 2018 update: Izzy is learning and making progress steadily! She is now potty trained. She is making strength gains, and her ability to use her walker is improving. She is able to go up and down stairs by crawling/scooting. Her receptive language is growing and she now responds to many commands and knows the English words for many household objects. She has learned her body parts and picked up more sign language. She can match colors and do simple puzzles. She knows the names of all the other kids in the house. She is beginning to use a program on her iPad to expand her communication. She enjoys coloring and is beginning to engage in imaginative play with dolls. She loves to dance and has learned the motions to multiple action songs. She anticipates the next activity in her daily routine. Her social nature and love of life continue to be so endearing! Izzy is so bright and would THRIVE in a family! Videos available.

Aug 2020 Update: Izzy has grown so much in her communication skills. In class, Izzy uses alternative communication and sign language to participate in imaginary play with friends. She is great at answering questions about her day or week. She has also developed a lot of confidence to ask for very specific things. Izzy is just always laughing, always dancing, always singing, and always sharing her enthusiasm and love with those around her.

February 2022 Update: Evi is a sweet young lady with cerebral palsy who was transferred to her current home in September 2019. Although it isn’t officially diagnosed, it’s possible that Evi may have Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) based on its high correlation with cerebral palsy and the presence of several characteristics of CVI in Evi’s visual behaviors and processing. Improvements in her visual processing and engagement have been made since her arrival.

Evi is a fun-loving child who loves to listen to music and play with her friends within the home. She is the youngest in her home and takes on the role of “little sister”. The older girls dote on her and try to help her, bringing toys and giving hugs. She enjoys being held and rocked, and being in the sunshine. For Christmas she got a bear toy with different buttons that sing and make music and she really likes this. However, her very favourite activity is dancing. She loves DJ music with a loud, thumping beat. She likes when staff pick her up and dance with her or when the other girls in the home hold her hands and dance beside her. As soon as the music comes on, she lights up, flaps her hands excitedly and squeals.

Evi is able to independently lift her head up and makes purposeful eye contact, laughing and smiling at those she is familiar with. Evi is nonverbal and appears to understand some basic words as she often smiles or laughs in response. Evi flaps her hands when she is excited. She is able to grab and pick up various items, and is working on both hand strength and mobility in physical therapy weekly. Evi has really struggled with weight gain lately and her team is monitoring her food intake closely. Her caregiver is very attentive with making sure she is well positioned and this has helped avoid pressure sores.

Evi is a joy and would benefit and grow exponentially in a family of her own.

Feb 2022 Update: Melanie is a social, interactive, engaging teenager who has intellectual disability. She walks independently but her gait is weak. She has a great sense of humour, loves to laugh, and is very content and agreeable.

Melanie is really progressing with her acts of daily living. She feeds herself, applies powder to her face and she can wash her own dishes now. Melanie is practicing beading so that eventually her fine motor skills will be advanced enough to join her home’s vocational class as they work on jewellery making. She follows direction well and can identify her colours. She can go up and down the stairs by herself using the railing. Melanie can undress herself and is learning to dress. She is mostly non-verbal but says a few words that she has learned recently in her local language.

Melanie loves sensory play in the water. She likes trying to trace letters with chalk and she enjoys ball games. She concentrates on one toy for a sustained period of time. Melanie loves splashing at the beach and is very friendly with other kids and adults! Her favourite song is Jingle Bells and she likes to listen to it all year round! She gets very excited when she gets new outfits.

January 2022 Update: Penny is a sweet little lady who is called our “sunshine girl” because of her smiley personality. Her favourite time of day is goodnight prayer time. She also loves Circle Time! She shrieks with laughter when her teachers do the actions to Baby Shark.

Penny likes playing with a keyboard that she got for Christmas. She also likes watching TV and she loves sensory play! From sand to clay to water, Penny loves it all! She will sit and giggle and play happily while exploring a container or shaving cream or textured balls. She laughs when the shaving cream lands on her face!

Penny is making progress in PT. We are so excited that she has started to walk with her walker! She is able to pull herself up and stand and reach for objects that she wants. She is still a little cuddlebug and prefers to be carried, but crawls around the house very often.

Penny is a friendly child who loves people so much! When someone walks into the room and approaches her, she gets so excited. Penny will flap her arms and grin from ear to ear, giggling the whole time. Penny loves being held and squeezed tightly. She also enjoys having her face cupped between her or someone else’s hands. Penny finds a lot of amusement in holding people’s hands and guiding them over a light source to create shadows which she intently watches as they bend and flow. Sweet Penny loves deeply and it is very easy to love her right back.

Jasmine is a wonderful teenager who is blind and on the autism spectrum.

Jasmine is known for her big, tight squeezey hugs! She is also known for her strength. Jasmine loves water play more than anything else. She dunks her whole head in the water and comes up for a breath with a loud laugh. As soon as she hears water, she beelines for it and tries to dive into it, even if it’s a caregiver filling up a bucket to wash her clothes or another child’s bathtime! She also really likes the sit and spin and the trampoline. She jumps very high!

Jasmine has some commands in both English and her native language that she can follow. She vocalizes but is non-verbal. Jasmine needs support for her acts of daily living but feeds herself. She loves food from her culture and rarely tries even a bite of western food! Jasmine is a happy and loveable girl who brings a lot of laughter wherever she goes.

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.

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!

Peyton is in the 1st grade and enjoys computers, science and math. She is vocal with her opinion and her frustrations and wants attention from her caregivers. She likes to be different than the other girls in her orphanage and she participates in the orphanage group activities. She likes to save her allowance, loves cats, and enjoys playing ping pong. She is sad when the older girls in the orphanage pick on her. She has been to camp and loved to play in the swimming pool.

Peyton has been in the orphanage her entire life. This unique girl needs a prospective adoptive family with good educational, ESL resources, play therapy and have a good understanding of institutionalization and older child adoption.

 

Update 7/22:

 Peyton is described as a self-confident, assertive, and humorous young girl. She listens wells and is rational when problem solving with peers. Her favorite classes are Thai acting, art, and music. She knows some English language including her name and numbers. She is said to have close friendships with children of all ages in her current home. She speaks politely and shares well with others. One of her favorite memories is attending camp where she was able to swim in the pool. Peyton hopes to be adopted and is excited about her future family. She continuously speaks about a potential adoptive family one day.

An ideal adoptive family for Peyton includes a mom and a dad with no other children in the home. She hopes her adoptive family has a pet cat. The family should understand developmental trauma, institutionalization, and older child adoption. They should have good educational, ESL, and therapeutic resources for Peyton to grow to her potential.

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.

 

 

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.

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.

Wynonna has suffered from mental health issues associated with the grief and loss around the death of her mother. She has made improvements in the orphanage and needs a family who can support her through the process of grief. She lives in the institution since 2021. She is an average student.  She is a medically healthy and active young girl waiting for the loving family she deserves.

This silly and playful girl doesn’t like to be alone and prefers to be surrounded by friends. She likes to joke around and giggle. She has been to the beach and the waterpark and enjoys swimming. She loves chocolate milk. She is described as confident and independent by her caregivers.

Poppy has been in the orphanage her entire life. This silly girl needs a prospective adoptive family with excellent medical, educational, ESL resources, play therapy and have a good understanding of institutionalization and older child adoption.

Update 7/22:Poppy is a silly and playful girl who loves to draw and paint. She is very outgoing and is a leader among her friends. She gives affection to her best friends and doesn’t like it when her friends argue. She would like to be adopted and would love to have either a dog or a cat and someday visit the ocean. She is described as confident and independent by her caregivers. She receives regular treatment for her medical needs. She has been in the orphanage her entire life. Poppy is an outgoing child who needs an adoptive family with excellent medical, educational, ESL resources, and have a good understanding of institutionalization and older child adoption. Holt staff have met Poppy and are available to share their impressions.

January 2022 Update: Tatum is an incredibly bright, resourceful, and happy teenage girl!

Tatum has no active use of her arms or hands (they are flaccid). No official diagnosis has been given. Tatum is very skilled with using her feet for fine motor tasks and uses them to eat with a spoon and to write. She has beautiful penmanship! She can criss-cross her legs and sit comfortably on the floor. She is not an independent walker and has weak core muscles. She gets around the home by scooting on her bottom and she can also scoot down stairs. Tatum feeds herself, holding the spoon with her toes. She is independent in her toileting and helps with tasks in the home like folding clothes.

Tatum has a sweet and kind personality. She likes to play with and watch over the younger kids in the home. She is interested in painting and singing and she saves all her paintings. She received a Barbie for Christmas and really enjoys playing with it. Tatum has good language and communication skills and expresses her needs and feelings to her caregivers. Her caregivers report that she is a happy and content child with appropriate emotional behavior.

Tatum used to go to a local school but is learning at home now due to covid restrictions. Due to a late start in formal education, she is behind where she should be but appears to have no intellectual delay. She loves school and typically receives A and A+ grades. Tatum is very bright and is eager to learn, and very diligent in completing her work. She is fluent in her local language, progressing in English, and now learning a 3rd language.She says she likes math the best.

Tatum has a charming, endearing personality and is well liked by her teachers, her caregivers, and the other kids in the home. She is an absolute joy and would thrive with more resources and with the love and stability of a family.

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.

from a family that met her 4/19:
She is gentle and sweet. She knows how to roll, and she rolled over to a toy phone and was pushing the buttons because she knew it would make noise. She loved when I rocked her and sang to her, and she liked playing with my hair. She has a beautiful smile and is ticklish. She loves snuggles and her eyes looked better, not as crossed as before. She is really smart and with therapies and medical for her eyes she will do amazing, even the doctor there told us that.

What a little doll Tessa is! She really needs a family — she has a whole host of medical issues.

Mental delay, rickets, strabismus (crossed eyes), epilepsy, and a speech delay. She does not talk at all. She prefers to be alone. Some of her behaviors remind autism but she was not diagnosed with it. Her epilepsy is well controlled by medications. It has been suggested that Tessa may have Angelman Syndrome, but this is not confirmed. She is able to stand and walk independently. She does not have a diagnosis of CP but she walks unsteadily. She was previously diagnosed with microcephaly.

She deserves a loving family and a chance to reach her potential, not to be hidden away in a mental institution.

Scarlet was originally listed with her brother, Rhett. Rhett has been adopted.

New pics January 2017!!

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.

Robyn has a brother who has already been adopted.

Regina’s Apert’s syndrome does not prevent this curly-haired little girl from playing, learning, and living an active life! Regina is an intelligent and imaginative child who enjoys dolls, swings, slides – and watermelon! Could she be your daughter?

Regina needs corrective surgery for her hands, feet, and face, to help her be all she can be. A loving family would give Regina a future outside of a bleak institution.

Many additional pictures and videos of Regina are available upon inquiry.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

New pictures, April 2017

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.

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.

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.

Oh Darina, how she has regressed — We had such a darling photo of her from two years ago, and to see her like this now breaks my heart. She could have come so far and been spared this.

Darina is facing the institution soon and will remain bedridden for life if she is not adopted.

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!

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.

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.

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.