There was no school for children with special needs in this part of Vietnam. But now, they have somewhere to belong.
The Happy Place
October is National Down Syndrome Awareness Month!
There are many kids with Down syndrome who are waiting for families, but here are just a few from our photolisting!
Chase
January 2006 | China
Chase came into care when he was about 3 years old. He has Down syndrome and a heart murmur. He knows colors, can count from 1 to 19, can name his good friends and caregivers, and follows instructions well. He can even say a few words in English! Independent and polite, he can take care of his own personal needs and knows how to help out with chores. A $3,000 Special Blessings grant is available to help the right family bring him home.
Zak
August 2008 | China
Zak came into care when he was about 1 year old. He has Down syndrome, but is otherwise healthy. Zak can walk, run and jump. He can speak many words and makes good eye contact during conversation. His personality is described as warm, outgoing, active and optimistic. He gets along well with the other children and likes to be cuddled. He has good friends and a particular caregiver he is especially attached to. A $3,000 Special Blessings grant is available to help the right family bring Zak home.
Vera
10/27/15 | SE Asia
Vera is very affectionate and loves to be held and cuddled. Her caregivers describe her as a gentle and easy baby. She was born prematurely at 34 weeks and is diagnosed with Down syndrome. Developmentally, she can crawl, pull to a stand, sit unassisted, grasp objects, understand simple instructions, respond to her name, and use simple gestures to communicate. She gets along well with her peers and enjoys when the older children hold her.
Colt
9/07/15 | SE Asia
Colt is an active and affectionate little boy who came into care at approximately 2 months old. He is diagnosed with Down syndrome, an umbilical hernia and microcytic anemia. He has an easy smile and enjoys joking with his caregivers. He especially likes being cuddled, hugged and being held before bedtime. Despite some developmental delays, he is progressing; he sits unsupported, crawls, pulls to stand, throws a ball, knows his name, babbles and keeps good eye contact.
Teddy Needs a Family!
Could Teddy be any cuter?
Teddy is a sweet little guy who loves to smile, most of the time (see video). He has Down syndrome and poor eyesight. He just turned 2 and is learning how to crawl, stand steadily and walk with one hand held. Continue reading “Teddy Needs a Family!”
Dreaming of Better Things
Because of sponsorship, children in India — and around the world — can dream of a better future. A future where they’re empowered to become whatever they want to be!
You can empower a child to transform their life and their world! Sponsor a child today, or give a Gift of Hope of education!
Welcome Home Ava!
“I have a baby sister. Her name is Ava. She lives in an orphanage in China.”
Three of the greatest sentences of my life. This quote above, uttered countless times by our two very young biological children while we were in the process of adopting from China, was sweet music to my ears. Nothing prepared them better for the sudden addition of a 2-year-old to our family than just simply talking about it. Every day. All the time. Continue reading “Welcome Home Ava!”
Cormac needs a family!
Cormac is curious.
Just like any other 2-year-old, Cormac is active and very interested in exploring the world and all that’s in it. He likes experiencing new things and will run from one place to the next, stopping only to pick up a rock to check it out.
He is a bit skeptical of cameras, and not very interested in smiling for them, and he seems to be shy with strangers. However, he does love his caregivers and likes to be held and cuddled.
Born prematurely, Cormac had an MRI in October 2017 that showed enlargement of his bilateral ventricles as well as periventricular leukomalacia, which may be due to his premature birth. He is also reported to have microcytic anemia.
In this stage of life, Cormac is learning lots of new things, like how to follow directions, tell jokes and identify different body parts.
This on-the-go toddler needs a family that is ready to help him learn even more things, has a good understanding of his medical needs and is comfortable with his developmental unknowns.
Could you or someone you know be the right family for Cormac? For more information, please contact Kristen Henry or visit his photolisting profile!
DOB: 11/21/15 | SE Asia
What’s Special About Colombia Adoption?
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Colombia?
Is it Pablo Escobar or the drug cartels? If so, you aren’t alone. Colombia is a country with a brutal history. But there’s another side to Colombia — a side that is passionate, resilient and full of kids who embody these traits, and who are waiting for permanent, loving families to call their own.
Have you considered adoption from Colombia?
Something To Be Proud Of
For Martha and Bob Bonneau, their daughters’ special needs have been the least challenging part of their adoption experience. The hard part has required them to learn a few new parenting strategies — and their daughters to learn just how strong and proud they can be.
The Name They Grew To Love
Over four and a half years at Holt, our China child match coordinator, Jessica Zeeb, has chosen “advocacy names” for over 1,000 kids on our China waiting child photolisting. Most are temporary names. But among the hundreds of kids who are now home with their families, there are a few who still have the name their parents “grew to love them as.”
One day, in the spring of 2016, Adam and Jennifer Lenzen decided they wanted to adopt a little girl.
“We didn’t know what the process would look like, but we were looking through the beautiful faces on Holt China’s waiting child photolisting and one little girl caught our eye,” they say.
Her name was “Lucie.” Continue reading “The Name They Grew To Love”
The Story of My Life
Growing up without a stable family in the Philippines, Konny Dela Cruz struggled to stay on track — and eventually left school early to work in a garment factory. Then she learned about Holt’s independent living and educational assistance (ILEA) program — a donor-funded program that helps institutionalized and disadvantaged teens to attend college and learn independent living skills.
The story of my life is so beautiful with a lot of learnings.
I was born in 1997. I grew up with a family with whom I have no blood relationship. I was only 2 years old when my mother entrusted me to the care of the landlady of the boarding house where we used to stay because she went to Korea to work.
When I was growing up, I was wondering why there is no name of my father on my birth certificate. I asked the landlady, whom I have been calling grandmother “Lola,” to explain “why I have no father on my birth certificate,” but she would just tell me it is only your mother who can answer your question. And my mother kept ignoring my question, too.
I could not approach any relative because I don’t know anyone — and maybe nobody knows about me, too. Continue reading “The Story of My Life”