My visit to the Henan Cleft Healing Home this past June was a day that I loved completely. All of the babies were so healthy and happy, and the home has such a family feel. How wonderful to hear the sound of babies laughing and to watch the aunties singing and playing with the kids. We all said that we wish every orphaned child could live in such a caring environment.

We have just learned that five of the boys served by this home are now on an agency specific adoption list, and all of them are still waiting to be chosen. If you know of anyone who is open to adopting a child with cleft, please let them know that these great little boys are waiting. Each of them is so special to us. They received the very best of care and know what it feels like to be truly loved. Isn’t that what we wish for all of our kids before they are adopted?

As the mom of five boys, I know firsthand how incredible it is to have a son. Some of my most precious memories are of sewing Batman capes, being brought handfuls of dandelions, and watching my sons step up to home plate. And let’s face it…..your day just can’t be bad when you are told again and again how beautiful you are by the little boys in your life. Oh, how they love their mommas!

For more information on Sawyer, Isaiah, Neil, Nick, or Eoin, please email us at adoptionassistance@lwbmail.com, and we will be thrilled to tell you more.

Thank you for spreading the word that these gorgeous little boys are waiting!

Amy Eldridge is the Executive Director of Love Without Boundaries.

Love Without Boundaries proudly advocates for adoption but is not an adoption agency. We invite you to contact adoptionassistance@lwbmail.com with questions about a child we have featured and encourage you to contact your local adoption agency for more information about China’s Waiting Child Program.

Look at that darling smile!   Sixteen-month-old Hollie has plenty of personality and is very social and outgoing. In fact, she loves to be out and about in crowded places in her stroller and talks and responds with giggles and glee when adults play with her.  Hollie is part of our Sanmenxia Foster Care Program in Henan, and we love reading about how she has bonded so well with her foster family, especially her foster grandmother. Every night when Hollie goes to bed, she wants to hear her grandmother’s voice to fall asleep. If the grandmother isn’t around, she will cry for her.

Hollie has a number of medical issues; however, these have so far not impeded her physical development in any way, and her caregivers are pleased by how she has continued to progress. She zips around in her walker and eats well; her favorite foods are watermelon and pears.

According to our reports and confirmed by photos we have received, Hollie is entranced with stuffed animals and always chooses the largest one she can find!

It’s our understanding that Hollie is on the shared list and is waiting to be adopted. She would certainly be a delight to any family. Please spread the word about this precious baby girl!

Love Without Boundaries proudly advocates for adoption but is not an adoption agency. We invite you to contact adoptionassistance@lwbmail.com with questions about a child we have featured and encourage you to contact your local adoption agency for more information about China’s Waiting Child Program.

From the very first day of her life, Julia began what was to be a very difficult journey. Due to congenital imperfections of her heart, this winsome six-year old has been on a long road ever since. Even the common cold seemed severe in her little body.  In 2006, Love Without Boundaries was able to provide Julia with surgery to help her heart function better. Following this surgery, her caretakers felt she really began to make progress and gain much needed strength. She was a little fighter and surprised everyone as she quickly learned to walk on her own, talked more and more, and became more plump and healthy.

Unfortunately, Julia grew ill once again due to a cyst in her bile duct and had to be re-hospitalized for an additional surgery. However, in characteristic fashion, she picked up right where she left off and continues to blossom. Julia is much loved by all who know her!

These first six years of Julia’s life have been a long road. Currently, she is enrolled in LWB’s Believe in Me education program in Huainan. We  hope the road on which she is traveling brings her to a family who can provide her with a second surgery she needs. Over the years, we have kept regular reports on Julia throughout her time in our care and look forward to sharing many photos and all we know about her with her lucky family! Could that family be you or someone you know? If so, please feel free to spread the word that Julia is on the shared list and is ready to begin the next journey in her life — the journey to her waiting family!

Love Without Boundaries proudly advocates for adoption but is not an adoption agency. We invite you to contact adoptionassistance@lwbmail.com with questions about a child we have featured and encourage you to contact your local adoption agency for more information about China’s Waiting Child Program.

Jonathan has a very unusual nickname! He is known as “Small Six-Six” (translated directly from the Chinese) because he has six digits on his right hand. He tends to respond to this name more than his given Chinese name with his very endearing smile. Jonathan is two years and seven months old and has been in our Xiangtan foster care program in Hunan since October 2009.

Since becoming part of his foster family, Jonathan has become very attached to his foster parents, particularly to his foster dad (pictured below with a bundled-up Jonathan).

Although Jonathan was slow to begin walking, he is a very determined little guy and kept “practicing” by pushing a stool around in front of him until he got it right. He is quite strong and is able to get to most places that he wanted to go. Now he can walk very well, and this has opened up a new world for him, as he can interact with other children when the occasion arises. Jonathan is very open to new experiences and trying out new things, whether it’s tasting a different type of food or playing with different toys. He likes to share these experiences with those close to him, such as his foster parents and LWB’s foster care manager when she comes to visit.

Jonathan is such an endearing little boy. When he was younger he seemed more serious, but now he smiles a lot. In fact, he has a good sense of humor and it’s easy to make him laugh. This wonderful boy would thrive in his own “forever” family, and it’s our opinion that the family who adopts Jonathan will be very fortunate indeed.

Love Without Boundaries proudly advocates for adoption but is not an adoption agency. We invite you to contact adoptionassistance@lwbmail.com with questions about a child we have featured and encourage you to contact your local adoption agency for more information about China’s Waiting Child Program.

Just look at that face! Doesn’t John seem to be saying, “I’m looking for a few good sponsors. Do you know where I could find one or two?” John is a healthy four month old baby boy. He has been placed with a foster family in our Loudi Foster Care program in Hunan but still requires two sponsorships to be fully funded.

John loves being held in his foster mom’s arms and bounced gently by her. He gazes at her with a smile on his face when she speaks to him. He is an active baby who is very watchful of all that happens around him. But all that activity helps him sleep well, only getting up once to be fed in the night. When John awakens, he doesn’t cry but waits patiently sucking his fingers in his crib until his foster mom comes to get him up.

These small details of this child’s life are such an encouragement. He is so “normal.” And that is what foster care is all about – providing a loving, nurturing and “normal” family environment to a child who would otherwise experience anything but “normal.” Would you like to help support John in his wonderfully normal infancy? If so, then please visit John’s sponsor page!

Sometimes there are babies in our work who have very complex medical conditions – and sometimes those babies are the ones who are absolutely the most full of LIFE. Little Peng from Guangdong is one such baby. In every photo we have of him, he has this enormous smile on his face. His nannies have told us what a sweet little boy he is, and how he laughs and smiles and just seems to enjoy every moment of his day. When I met him in June, I was quickly taken with the twinkle in his eye and how outgoing he was.

Peng was born with a very severe heart defect, however, and the doctors in China have said his surgery would be too risky to perform there. His orphanage is hoping that he can be adopted soon so that he can have a chance at surgery on this side of the ocean.

Peng will be two on Saturday – and we are all hoping that he gets the most special gift of all. We are hoping that a family will see his beautiful face on the shared list and just know he is meant to be their son.

Seven years ago, we helped advocate for the adoption of a beautiful little girl who also had severe heart disease. Many families would look at her file and say, “It just seems too complex.” But then one night I got a phone call from a mom who said, “We know she is our daughter.” When I told them that doctors weren’t sure how long she would live, she said something so profound that I still think of it almost daily. She said, “How many of us know how many days we have left on this earth? And every day that we get to have her as our daughter will be a day worth treasuring.”

Her beautiful daughter is now 11 – and has brought amazing joy and love to their family.

May Peng have the same chance at a mom and dad who know for certain that he is their son – a chance at a family who will hold him, cherish him, and give him the best chance possible of a healthy life.

Amy Eldridge is the Executive Director of Love Without Boundaries.

Love Without Boundaries proudly advocates for adoption but is not an adoption agency. We invite you to contact adoptionassistance@lwbmail.com with questions about a child we have featured and encourage you to contact your local adoption agency for more information about China’s Waiting Child Program.

Hello, my name is Sophia and my Chinese name is Hui Rong. I am from China. There are hundreds and thousands of children in China with no families and I was one of them.  And those children have special needs. It’s hard to understand what mine is, mine is epilepsy.  Epilepsy is kind of like a scar on my brain. When I got to the hospital they had to take a picture of my brain.

It was pretty scary at first, but when it was done it was pretty cool to see my brain.

Well, you know when I was talking about the scar, I saw it. It isn’t like a scar on your skin. It was like an empty space because the sickness that I had when I was a baby kind of ate away on the left part of my brain.  That doesn’t mean I can’t do the things I did before, but I do need to take medicine to keep me from getting another seizure.  And whenever I feel left out I just pray that I will feel better.

I like being Sophia Hannah Rong Kaden. I like the way God made me. And I will praise Him as long as I shall live.

“God keep me safe.
I go to you for safety.
You are my Lord.
Without you, I don’t have anything that is good. God, people who live in our land are glorious.
I take great delight in them.
Those who run after other gods will have nothing but trouble.
I will not pour out offerings of blood to those gods. My lips will not speak their names.
Lord, everything you have given me is good.
You have made my life secure.”
Psalm 16: 1-5

A few days ago, my seven-year-old daughter Sophia approached me clutching a notebook tightly against her chest. She looked me square in the eye and informed me that she had decided to write a report. She thrust her work toward me and yet again, I was humbled by one of my children. She wrote this completely on her own, and the Biblical reference she used was one that I was not even that familiar with.

Sophia is rather introspective, and this was a special window into her heart. She was adopted as an infant with no known special needs; her condition was unveiled shortly after her seventh birthday. While spending her first eleven  months in a Chinese orphanage, she contracted an illness that attacked her brain.   Since it affected an area of the brain that is not necessary for important brain function, she appeared to have recovered and was available for adoption as a non-special needs infant with no mention of ever being ill. I am positive China did not realize what lay in wait for our dear girl, and I am truly grateful that it was undetectable. As Chinese adoptions have moved almost exclusively into the special needs arena, I thought sharing Sophia’s story would bring a reminder that every child comes with his or her own story- a mystery novel of sorts. They are all thrilling, exhausting, captivating…and completely unpredictable.

Having a framework of a child’s medical history and personality is an important tool for determining our ability to handle the unknown course that may lie ahead. Realizing it is likely incomplete, potentially inaccurate, and not a guarantee of a complete bill of health is our responsibility when weighing in our own preparedness.  Truth be told, there is nothing available to us that will foretell the future or that will promise a straight path with no nightmarish surprises along the way.   This is no one’s fault and is true for us all.   When we decide to become parents, defenders and protectors of precious little souls, we take on the burden of the unknown.   We will face pain and sorrow…as well as joy and peace.   All of these emotions are gifts; they shape us and help us to grow in faith and love as we learn how to respond in kind.

Of our five adoptions, Sophia was our only non-special needs adoption. I find this a poignant reminder that every day that dawns holds a secret of its own. Sophia’s condition is by far the most serious and threatening of all of my children’s medical needs.   Anyone who has met Sophia, even briefly, will tell you that she is nothing short of amazing and inspiring.   She touches people deeply with her spirit and her trust.   She completely changed our lives forever and is largely responsible for shaping me into the person I am today.   I see life completely differently as a result of becoming her mommy.  I am indebted forever.

Life is fragile. Sometimes, knowing just how fragile is information we would sleep more peacefully without.   No matter how our children come to us and what their past histories hold, no matter what information we are gifted with or what lays in wait, when we commit ourselves to them we promise that it is of no consequence. We vow that we are blindly devoted to them so that they can squeeze every drop of experience out of this life while they are here, and also prepare them for the next life that lies beyond the horizon.

We do this as a community…supporting and educating each other as we are able.   Life is not designed to be lived in solitude; it is meant to be shared, lived out loud and learned from.   Life promises to be messy, complicated and extraordinarily beautiful…all written one page at a time.

Lisa Kaden is a mom to 7 beautiful children, 5 adopted from China. 3 of her children were adopted at older ages and all 5 have special needs. She has been a volunteer for LWB since 2004 and is currently a passionate adoption advocate focusing on older child adoption.

Patxi is a very handsome four and a half year-old boy who just entered our Tongren Foster Care program in Guizhou a couple of months ago. He is a sweet child, always smiling and cheerful. Every time our manager visits him, he greets her very politely. Well done, Patxi!

Patxi is a very active and extroverted boy who loves so many things about life: playing with his foster sister (shown in these photos), eating watermelon and apples, and his foster dad’s motorbike. Most of all, however, he loves to take pictures. We think we have a future photographer on our hands!

As you can see from these photos, Patxi loves having a foster sister and really looks out for her — and she adores him! He certainly has a lot of love to offer. We were happy and excited to see that Patxi is on the Waiting Child shared list. Please let us know if you might like more information about him!

Love Without Boundaries proudly advocates for adoption but is not an adoption agency. We invite you to contact adoptionassistance@lwbmail.com with questions about a child we have featured and encourage you to contact your local adoption agency for more information about China’s Waiting Child Program.

Joseph is a precious 3 month old baby boy from Xinxiang, Henan Province. Joseph was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate and he came to the Henan Cleft Healing Home (HCHH) when he was one month old. After only a short stay at HCHH, he had to be hospitalized for a week for pneumonia and anemia. Finally, he was discharged to HCHH for his further recovery. However, after a few weeks, he had to be readmitted to the hospital due to bleeding in his mouth and nose. He has spent two weeks in the hospital to receive tests, blood transfusions and IV fluids. We are relieved to tell you that the bleeding has stopped and Joseph was able to begin formula again. He was discharged to the loving care of the nannies at HCHH.

While baby Joseph has had a very rough start to his short life, he has proven himself to be a fighter. We are convinced that his life counts! Please visit his sponsor page to help to pay for the medical care that saved this little boy’s life.

Colin is a charming 7-year-old boy in need of a forever family. Love Without Boundaries provided a foster family for him in 2009 in our Sanmenxia Foster Care program in Henan. We are thrilled that Colin has bonded beautifully with his foster family and is especially close to his foster grandmother, with whom he loves to take walks. If she allows him to help her, he will give up anything — even the chance to play with his friends!

Born with hydrocephalus, Colin has had surgery from which he has recovered well. However, he does have some weakness on his left side. Understandably, he has some fear of hospitals from this experience! He needs assistance to take a bath and struggles a bit with physical education at school. Despite these issues, this wonderful little boy has learned responsibility by learning to clean his room and help with other chores.

Colin is very active and likes to complete his homework quickly so he has more time to play. He can read as well as add and subtract and is particularly interested in mathematics.

If Colin were filling out a questionnaire about his favorite things, here are a few that he would list:

Favorite holiday: Children’s Day
Favorite thing to do with friends: Play with boats
Food weakness: Sweets
Favorite films: Kung-fu movies
Other interests: Singing and listening to children’s songs

Colin has done very well in a family setting and would really benefit from a forever family, as well as schooling and medical care tailored to his needs. Please spread the word about this special little boy!

Love Without Boundaries proudly advocates for adoption but is not an adoption agency. We invite you to contact adoptionassistance@lwbmail.com with questions about a child we have featured and encourage you to contact your local adoption agency for more information about China’s Waiting Child Program.