Some of you will remember that right before Christmas 2019, newborn preemie Elgin was found in the cold. We rushed him to LWB’s partner hospital in Hefei. Baby Elgin was admitted to the Neonatal ICU (NICU) weighing just 1.3 kgs, or 2.9 pounds. After spending over a month in the hospital at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Elgin reached the “magic weight” of 4 lbs and could leave the hospital at last.
And now for some happy news! Although international adoptions from China have slowed, be assured that they are still happening. In 2019, at least 25 children from LWB programs were adopted both domestically and internationally and are now living lives as treasured sons and daughters.
Over Christmas, my kids had a laugh-filled night remembering some of the rare times I’d gone “full Mama Bear” when they were being bullied. I kept shaking my head and telling them they were highly exaggerating the actual facts, but inside I was happy that they definitely seemed to know I’d be there for them no matter what. That’s the beauty of a caring family, isn’t it? That we’d do everything possible to help each other in times of need.
Just recently, our China staff visited an orphanage in Anhui and was able to visit with some children who were previously in our programs. We discovered that four of them have completed adoption files and wanted to share their names and photos to let people know that they are waiting to be chosen.
In 2012, a shy and serious little boy named Brian Christopher entered our Believe In Me Huainan education program. He did not have the confidence to speak to the teachers and was quite tentative about getting involved in the activities at the preschool.
October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month. All month, we’ve been celebrating the many incredible children in our programs who were born with Down Syndrome. On the final day of October, we are putting them all together to showcase how down-right amazing they are!
Before adopting a blind child, I really believed life would be a lot different once she came home, and it has been, but it hasn’t been her blindness that has held her back. This is how it began: Her picture came through my Facebook newsfeed just like so many children before her, but this time something was different.
Jeri is a five-year-old boy in our Huainan On-site Family Care Program and Education Program who is waiting for adoption. When he was a baby, Jeri came into our care as a resident of our China Healing Homes program. Jeri quickly transformed from a serious little one to a jovial baby who could easily be teased to laugh and love to interact with the nannies and other children at the healing home.
Each year, we see an increase in the number of children from our programs who are adopted domestically in China. In 2018, these children from LWB programs were adopted domestically and will grow up in the country of their birth!
As orphaned children grow older, their opportunity to be chosen for adoption shrinks. Today we are highlighting 15 children from our programs in China who are currently waiting for a permanent home of their own. We believe that every child deserves a family. Even if you aren’t able to adopt, you can help by sharing this blog in the hope that hearts will be moved.
