Baby Liv is from the beautiful province of Guizhou, a mountainous part of China which is home to many Miao and Dong ethnic minority groups. Born with the special need of albinism, an inherited condition which greatly reduces the amount of melanin produced in the skin, hair, and eyes, Liv was taken to live at […]
‘Pack light’. As I ascended the steep steps in my heeled boots to our first foster family home in Qiandongnan, I was beginning to regret my footwear decision. The concrete steps were of uneven height, and no sooner did we get to the top of one flight then there was a corner and another flight of similar steps ascending ever upwards. It was with a sigh of relief that we walked along the front of a small apartment building and I was told that this was where the two families fostering Lewis, Chandler, Hanna and Clyde lived — in fact, all on the same floor. Knowing that we were almost there, the last flights of internal stairs in the building were a breeze. I just wanted to meet the children.
This week we continue counting down the photos you chose as your favorites of 2014! Photos #4 and #3 feature the smiles of two girls, Michelle and Shelby.
Michelle’s Crinkly Smile
When orphanages reach out to us for assistance, they often send a photo and information on the child they are calling about. This past summer we were asked to help a new arrival who had been born with albinism. When we opened up baby Michelle’s photo, we couldn’t help but smile. Have you ever seen such a wonderful little grin? Read more.
In February 2011, I was provided with the amazing opportunity to go to Jinjiang and help train LWB Believe In Me teachers in speech and language skills. One of the highlights of the trip was meeting Jesse. Jesse is a little guy with an infectious belly laugh (which you can see in the video below) and amazing smile. He also has both albinism and a cleft lip/palate. Each condition on their own can be scary and together may seem daunting. But don’t be afraid. If this is your little boy, know that neither of these conditions are related to each other and both are very manageable. Read more.
Every day in our work with orphaned children, we have one hope for the great kids we help — ADOPTION. Whether it is domestic or international, we know that no humanitarian aid program in the world can completely change the life of a child the way a permanent and loving family can. Because of this, we are passionate about adoption advocacy. Did you know that last year special needs adoptions made up 50% of all of the adoptions from China? And yet for all of 2009, that means only 1500 children with special needs found homes.
Right now, on the main special needs list from the CCAA, there are over 1500 Chinese children waiting right at this moment for someone to choose them as their son or daughter. That list can be overwhelming to a lot of people, especially if you just read a line that says “Mei, age 5, Hepatitis B” or “Kai, age 2, limb deformity”. For a lot of people, it is easier to focus on the special need they read than the fact that every line on the shared list is a CHILD waiting for someone to believe in them.
Read more.
My name is Rex and I live in Anhui Province. Both my Chinese name and the English name that LWB gave me have great meaning. They both mean “King”, having power such as a marshal and having a brilliant future.
Matthew is a special kid. He has spent his entire life growing up in the confines of an orphanage, but he possesses a spark in his spirit that lights up a room. I had the opportunity to meet him this past March and was so impressed with him. Matthew has albinism and poor vision, and […]
