It’s that glimmer of hope in his eye that we never want to see extinguished. The sense of expectation in his spirit that we don’t want to see quenched. Right now, Robert dreams about the promise of a family – a family he trusts is right around the corner and who we tell him is searching for him as hard as they can.

We know the longer Robert waits, the more he will wonder if his momma and baba will ever come…the more he will doubt, the more he will question his own worth and value. We don’t want to see that glimmer fade, so we pray that his family finds him quickly. At four years old, he celebrates with unbridled enthusiasm when one of his little friends is matched with an adoptive family. He eagerly soaks in every detail in the pictures of the adoptive family and chatters about the day when he, too, will get to hold pictures of his own family. He asks whether we think he is going to have siblings, and he talks about riding on an airplane to his new home.

We know that a family is the deepest desire of his heart, and we know that a family will be immeasurably blessed by this sweet boy. If all one knew about Robert were his medical diagnosis, it might seem too scary or unpredictable to imagine moving forward with his adoption. His heart defect is complicated and serious, but if his someday-family could spend even ten minutes with little Robert, what would stick out the most would not be the problems with his heart, but simply an overwhelming amazement at how BIG his heart is!

Robert is full of joy. He is full of love. His eyes are full of hope and his spirit is full of expectation. He will be an indescribable blessing to his family. Is that family maybe yours?  If  you think it’s even a possibility, please contact adoptionassistance@lwbmail.com to learn more about Robert. Even if that is not the direction your heart is pulled, will you pray with us that his family finds him soon?

Carrie McKean, our guest blogger, is the Project Coordinator of New Day Foster Home where Robert currently lives.

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.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, we give thanks for true second chances.    We always love when we hear from the families of children we have been privileged to help heal, and when we got this photo of beautiful Tao, it brought tears of joy to our eyes.  Tao was born in China with a heart defect that prevented her from being able to gain weight and feel healthy as a baby. In fact, she was one of the tiniest seven-month-old babies we had ever seen.  The orphanage staff told us that she had never smiled because she was so thin and weak.  Thanks to generous supporters, we were able to move Tao to one of the top pediatric heart hospitals in China, where she received her life saving surgery.     Soon after, Tao was healthy enough to be submitted for adoption, and she met her forever family as a happy, vibrant little girl.  It is for children just like Tao, living in orphanages through China, that we work each and every day.

May this last week of December remind us all about what is truly important in life. Join with us this holiday season to give the gift of a second chance to those who still live as orphans. Together, we can write a story of hope today and into the coming year.

On the fifth day of Christmas, we give thanks for international adoption and the joy of children finding permanent homes. There are times that adoption not only forms families, but also saves lives. Sometimes in our medical work in China, there are children we are unable to heal in country, and the gift of a family then becomes absolutely essential for them to get the chance they deserve. This holiday season, we are giving thanks that beautiful little Miao, who has been served by both our medical and education programs, has been chosen by a family who is working hard to bring her home. Miao was born with a very complex heart defect, and while we have helped with some of the smaller medical procedures she has needed, her only chance at a healthy life is through adoption and then being seen at a top cardiac hospital. Everyone who meets little Miao falls in love with her gentle spirit, and we are overjoyed that 2011 will see her be united with her forever family.

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.

This morning as I was slowly jogging around our neighborhood, I couldn’t get the words to the song “Run Baby Run” out of my mind.  Not that I know all of the words, nor am I really a runner.  But I am in a family of runners and we are all gearing up to “run baby run baby run” – for orphaned children in China.

Love Without Boundaries has a team running in the 35th annual Marine Corps Marathon held in Washington DC on October 31st.  My husband, Ben, will be trying to keep up with our oldest son and daughter in this year’s Marine Corps Marathon.  Our youngest five children are running in the kids’ Fun Run held the day before, and they’ve already started training – they ALL want to be first.  What they don’t realize is that the “real” winners will be the babies the funds will help through LWB.

The funds raised by TeamLWB will directly benefit Love Without Boundaries Healing Homes program.  Orphaned children in China need us more now than ever before as birth defects have risen 40% in the last eight years.  Orphanages are reporting that 98% of the children they care for have some sort of birth defect.  Our Healing Homes give babies born with cleft lip and palate, heart defects, intestinal obstructions and a myriad of other life threatening conditions, a second chance and hope for a future and a family.

The Marine Corps Marathon has long been considered “The People’s Marathon” because it draws people from all walks of life.  It’s a beautiful course winding through our nation’s capital.  This year you will be sure to see even more crazy characters than usual running as the race is held on Halloween!

It’s not too late to join TeamLWB in this sold out event.  If you can run 8 miles now – you are right on track to be running 26.2 miles in four months time.  We still have room for team members on both the marathon and 10K teams (space is unlimited in kids run) we would LOVE to have full rosters!

There is a way for everyone to be part of TeamLWB – from running in the marathon, to run/walking in the 10K to the Kids Fun Run held on Saturday.  We also need VOLUNTEERS to help man our post race celebration tent and cheer our teams on.  It is truly an inspirational weekend as our runners fulfill personal goals and offer hope and healing to children in need.  To find out more and register, visit www.TeamLWB.com and click on the event you are interested in.

Join our Love Without Boundaries family as we “run baby run” for babies who don’t have a family to call their own.  My family will be there – will yours?  If you are still undecided, check out our video of last year’s race weekend here – hope to see you there!

Sandi Glass is LWB’s Special Events Director and mother of 9 very active children – 4 of whom were born in China.

LWB is thrilled to announce that we are offering $1500 grants towards the adoption of two wonderful little boys who are awaiting families.

Adam is a four-year old from Loudi in Hunan province who has faced a number of medical challenges in his short life. He had a heart defect which has closed on its own and clubbed feet which are correcting nicely (with close attention to his bracing and skin care by his foster family). He has had surgery on his spinal cord, and CT scans are showing decreased swelling of his brain. Such a strong little boy!

Through it all, Adam is learning to count in both Chinese and English.  His gross motor skills are progressing all the time, he is walking since club foot treatment, and best of all, he has a delightful personality which shines through all the time!

Currently, Adam is the Featured Child with Families Thru International Adoption. You can read more about him through the link above. FTIA is waiving agency fees towards his adoption as well.

Now meet our second grant recipient — Song, from Nanping, Fujian province! He is a beautiful little boy who had retinoblastoma of his eyes. Some of you might remember him from the blog, Song’s Story, from last summer. When we introduced you to Song, we had an incredible outpouring of love and support for him. In just a few short days, he was sponsored for a total of $5000!

Now, 2 years old Song is smart and vocal. Since losing his sight to retinoblastoma, his other senses seem to have become increasingly sharp and through it all his personality has really come alive! Treatment has improved Song’s potential to live a long and healthy life; his most recent CT scan continues to show positive results.

Both Adam and Song have medical needs that make life for them a little extra difficult. Their needs may cast a shadow over their many capabilities and endless future possibilities. However, these strong little boys have come so far, making progress all the time. We believe these children would benefit from a full-time, permanent, loving family to help them fight their battles. To make this a reality for them, we want to help their family by offering $1500 towards their adoption expenses.

Please feel free to share the story’s of Adam and Song and the great news of their grant!

To learn more about either one of these darling boys, contact a China Waiting Child Program.  If you need help or have questions you think Love Without Boundaries can answer, email adoptionassistance@lwbmail.com.  We will be more than happy to help!

Meg Montgomery is an Adoption Assistance Advocate for Love Without Boundaries. She is a social worker, living and working in Boston, MA.

At this time of year, when the sun is most hidden, the holiday of Hanukkah celebrates the rays of hope and light. Indeed, the physical darkness of this time of year can be a metaphor for the darkness that often envelopes us at times of illness and loss of a loved one, when the world sometimes feels dark and cold. At such times, we yearn for the sun, and the light and warmth that it provides. Often, it is through simple and unrecognized miracles that we are able to feel the warmth of hope and light. — Rabbi Rafael Goldstein

Eighteen-month old Henry from Anhui was born with a serious heart defect and is in need of two surgeries to help him get well.   Every day, he experiences difficulty breathing.   However, despite these frightening things facing him, Henry is quick to smile and brings joy and light to those around him. This little boy is an inspiration to never lose hope, even in the dark times of life.

We hope that light and joy will fill everyone’s heart this holiday season!

Meet Melanie, a lively 18 month old girl who had surgery for a serious heart defect in June thanks to LWB’s “Born In My Heart” auction. We can see from her expression that Melanie keeps life interesting for the other residents at Heartbridge while she recovers and gets stronger.    A bit of a drama queen, she likes to keep everyone on their toes wondering what expression she is going to pull out of her hat next.   Perhaps she is a great actress in the making!

Melanie has only two sponsors and still needs another $200 per month for her care. Is there anybody out there who could help keep the smile on Melanie’s face? Any amount would help! You can learn more about Melanie by visiting her sponsorship page.

It is such a joy to see this impish grin on little Kathy’s face. Kathy came to Heartbridge in July after having been through two difficult surgeries, and for awhile Kathy was not interested in food at all. We we all very concerned about her. Now, however, she seems to have discovered her appetite….and her own flexibility as well! Kathy amuses the nannies with her acrobatics. Mona, our Heartbridge RN, tells us, “She likes to lie in her rocker, play with her hands and raise her legs up and down, over and over.” Surely these exercises will help Kathy to have some pretty good abs!

“And one and two and one and two….”

We’re so pleased with her progress this month and feel confident that she will grow stronger with time. Our thanks go out to everyone who helped with Kathy’s surgeries and her Heartbridge sponsorship. You have made such a difference in her life!

“Hooray for me!”

Jan Champoux is Heartbridge Coordinator for Love Without Boundaries Foundation. She lives in Nebraska, USA with husband Rob and four children. Jan and Rob have a son and daughter in college, and also a son adopted from Korea, and a daughter adopted from China, both of whom are in the fifth grade.