Chelsie has starred in several blogs lately (“Chelsie: Longing to Learn” and “The One and Only Chelsie”) because she is available for adoption on the shared list. Finding her forever family would be a dream come true for Chelsie because she desperately wants to attend school and is currently unable to do so in China due to her disability. She is smart as a whip and ready to learn.

We are so thankful that Chelsie’s orphanage in Hefei provided her with this wheelchair to give her some independence and mobility. It looks like she’s ready to do wheelies of joy!

Unfortunately not all orphanages have the funds to provide this kind of adaptive equipment. In order to help, we have established a Physical Therapy Fund to help other children in need be kids…just like Chelsie.

As busy as always, Landon eats well to maintain his energy, gobbling up his vegetables and rice and finishing it off with milk and sometimes a treat. Landon has a twinkle in his eye and is described as being a bit mischievous! He likes to play with his friends at school, where he can run about during the day and build with blocks.

Making beats with the drum or playing a game of hide and seek are two of Landon’s favorite things to do these days.

Please feel free to share his blog so that a family can bring home this busy 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.

Our reports indicate that Chelsie is an extremely bright girl who is eager to learn. Currently she lives with a foster family in a rural area outside of Hefei.  Chelsie is learning to read and write at home with their help and can now read some simple children’s books.  Chelsie draws beautifully and enjoys making pictures.  This determined girl has a strong desire and ability to learn.

After spinal surgery, Chelsie came into LWB’s medical program with an inability to walk. She has been evaluated by doctors and had surgery on her foot. We are hoping that there might be a way to help Chelsie go to school next semester.  When she heard this news Chelsie became very excited.

Even more exciting is the news that Chelsie is now available for adoption on the shared list!  Imagine the opportunities available to this determined, goal-oriented girl if she were to have a permanent, adoptive family who could help make her dream of going to school and other dreams come true.

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.

I seldom think about my limitations, and they never make me sad. Perhaps there is just a touch of yearning at times; but it is vague, like a breeze among flowers. — Helen Keller

What a dedicated foster father Kai has! We love the adoration on his face and hope that he will instill a sense of security in nearly two-year-old Kai, who will certainly need every advantage that he can get as he begins his life. Little Kai was diagnosed with retinoblastoma (a cancerous tumor in the retina) and had surgery to remove his right eyeball in January.

At the time he was tumor-free in his left eye, and the doctors were hopeful they could save his left eye. Kai developed a small tumor on the left retina, so the doctors asked that he be moved immediately for a treatment called cryotherapy. Unfortunately, when the doctors examined him, they decided it was best to remove his left eye as well.

Our poor little Kai is completely blind now. Because he needed to be moved for his surgery so quickly, we weren’t able to fully fund him. If you would like to read more about Kai or help fund his surgery, please visit his sponsor page. We will continue to check to make sure he is cancer free. Our hospital manager tells us he is doing well, and the doctors are optimistic!

We are looking for donors to help fund Liam’s heart surgery which will ultimately give him a chance for a family.  If you’d like to learn more about Liam and how you could help give him a chance, please visit his sponsor page. You could be Liam’s lucky charm!

Since Landon arrived at the orphanage in Hefei as a little tyke, Love Without Boundaries and other organizations have been able to help him to get the care that he needs. Landon has lived both in the orphanage as well as with a foster family. From what we know, foster care has truly helped him to blossom — something we love to see and hope continues.

Landon goes to school regularly and really likes to play with other children. He especially loves any outdoor activities, playing sports and doing physical exercise.

From what we have heard, Landon is a VERY busy young man. He reportedly bounces around from one activity to the next. His teachers are most likely exhausted at trying to get him to sit in his chair to finish his school work!

After hearing how active this little boy is, it might be surprising to learn that Landon was born with a congenital heart defect. Landon also had surgery for a hernia in 2008 through Love Without Boundaries. We do not have information on his heart condition or any surgery he may have had for it was likely completed prior to his coming into the orphanage.

We hope you agree that this is one outstanding little boy. Please feel free to share his blog so that an outstanding family can bring him home!

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.

At the orphanage in Hefei lives a rather serious boy named James.  James is eight years old and came onto LWB’s radar screen when he was evaluated by our medical program for a possible gastrointestinal issue. Although we were pleased that he did not require treatment at that time, we have remained interested in his progress. When we saw him on the shared list as a child eligible for adoption, we knew we had to spread the word about him. Perhaps a family of his own can bring a smile to his face!

Our LWB staff says that James gets along very well with other kids and is quite nice and polite to everyone. He attends primary school and, well, to be honest, he is not yet a strong student.  Perhaps in a different environment and with the support of a loving family, James would begin to do better academically and even enjoy school.

James is said to be very healthy and ready to be chosen by a family of his very own.  We would love to see him be given this reason to smile!

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.

As many of you may know, Anhui experienced a terrible snowstorm last week that affected 1.9 million people. Thousands of homes have collapsed, hundreds of thousands of crops have been damaged, and direct economic losses in the millions will be the result.

When we heard about the unusually early storm, we were naturally quite worried about the 14 children and their nannies in the Anhui Cleft Healing Home (ACHH) in Hefei. Were they warm enough? How would they make out without power?

When the storm first began and the power went out, the ACHH nannies were very concerned about keeping the babies warm enough. No one knew how long they would be without power. The nannies first moved all the babies to one room and covered them in a cozy stuffed quilts that were purchased last winter. With all the babies and nannies squeezed in the big room, the room was not really so cold. Although there was no light, the room was lit brightly by the thick snow on the roofs of the buildings and the roads. The nannies got pretty worried looking at the laundry piling up! Thirty hours later, the power came back on and things slowly returned to normal.

We’re glad that the residents of ACHH made it through the storm without too much trauma and know that they will be especially grateful for their heaters this winter!

It’s always good to hear that one of our medical children has improved from the surgery or care that LWB provides. But it’s even better to SEE it!

Almost 2-year old Layla suffered from a condition that caused her abdominal organs to push up against one of her lungs causing recurring severe pneumonia. She desperately needed surgery.

Before her surgery, our medical folks received photo after photo of Layla — always being serious and somber. Imagine how uncomfortable she must have been. But, after her successful surgery in China, our medical directors received an all new photo of Layla. . . smiling! What a sight to see!

Layla’s SWI in Hefei calls her, “very pretty and smart.” It’s so nice to also see her happy and comfortable in these latest pictures. We look forward to more!

On the morning of July 31st, an elderly man was exercising in the park. He heard a baby cry when he passed one of the park entrances and felt concerned. After looking around, he discovered a newborn in a cardboard box and immediately called the police.

While waiting for the police to arrive, this kind gentleman bought a bottle and formula and tried to feed this tiny baby, but something was wrong—the baby kept vomiting whenever he drank the milk. The police arrived to take the child to the local orphanage in Hefei, Anhui. The man could have let the police take care of the child and continue on with his day but instead, he wanted to help safely deliver this precious little child to the orphanage so he accompanied them as well. Upon arrival, the clinic doctor examined this little baby boy and found the child to have an abdominal malformation that was life threatening. LWB was immediately notified about this child, and we gave him the name of Cole. Cole had a horrible first night at the orphanage; he was violently ill and had to be moved to the hospital for emergency surgery in order to save his life. The surgeons fixed an intestinal blockage and inserted a colostomy.

Our little Cole has a long road of recovery ahead of him as this was the first of three surgeries he will need for a healthy life. Many times no one steps forward to help abandoned babies, and we are so grateful to the elderly man who made sure Cole was delivered safely to the orphanage. He was Cole’s guardian angel that day. Now we hope even more angels will come together to help Cole finish his healing.

We have received a couple of updates on Cole since his emergency surgery. He has better color and is gaining weight although he is still in an incubator and receiving IV nutrition. Cole will be able to start on formula in about a week. His intestine now functions well, the colostomy is serving him well, and the surgical wounds are healing well!

Cole still has a long road of recovery ahead. Please continue to keep baby Cole in your thoughts while he recovers. We are pleased to report that after setting a goal for our Facebook supporters, little Cole is now mostly funded. However, there is just a little bit of funding left that needs to be covered. Please consider helping to fully fund little’s Cole’s emergency surgery that saved his life. Every time a child’s life is saved….the world changes for the good.

Chan Spraley is the General Surgery Coordinator for LWB. She lives in Georgia with her husband and two year old daughter, Lana.