What we are doing
Following
our Shepard! We are called by our Lord
and Savior to adopt and we know this through signs and wonders going back for
years in our lives. We only recently
recognized that God was calling us to step out in faith at this time and pursue
the adoption of a child with special needs in Eastern Europe. The call was that specific, and for that we
are grateful.
About our child
“Maeve” (a
code name given to her on the Reece’s Rainbow website) is approximately six months old and has Down Syndrome. We are not aware of any other medical
concerns for her at this time, although that does not mean there are not or
will not be any more, just as with any child.
There will be issues to work through that will stem from living in an
orphanage and have nothing to do with DS.
Since this
is an adoption of a child with special needs, the process will be quicker than
adoptions of non-special needs children from other countries and should be
completed by November at the latest. We
are praying for sooner, but will continue to seek the Lord about this and
earnestly desire to be on His timetable not ours.
About Down Syndrome
Listed below
are a few facts about DS in the United States from http://www.ndss.org/Down-Syndrome/Down-Syndrome-Facts/. You may be surprised by a few of these…I was!
·
Down syndrome occurs when an individual has a full or partial
extra copy of chromosome 21. This additional genetic material alters the course
of development and causes the characteristics associated with Down syndrome.
·
There are three types of Down syndrome: trisomy 21
(nondisjunction) accounts for 95% of cases, translocation accounts for about 4%
and mosaicism accounts for about 1%.
·
Down syndrome is the most commonly occurring chromosomal
condition. One in every 691 babies in the United States is born with Down
syndrome.
·
There are more than 400,000 people living with Down syndrome in
the United States.
·
Down syndrome occurs in people of all races and economic levels.
·
The incidence of births of children with Down syndrome increases
with the age of the mother. But due to higher fertility rates in younger women,
80% of children with Down syndrome are born to women under 35 years of age.
·
People with Down syndrome have an increased risk for certain
medical conditions such as congenital heart defects, respiratory and hearing
problems, Alzheimer's disease, childhood leukemia, and thyroid conditions. Many
of these conditions are now treatable, so most people with Down syndrome lead
healthy lives.
·
A few of the common physical traits of Down syndrome are low
muscle tone, small stature, an upward slant to the eyes, and a single deep
crease across the center of the palm. Every person with Down syndrome is a
unique individual and may possess these characteristics to different degrees or
not at all.
·
Life expectancy for people with Down syndrome has increased
dramatically in recent decades - from 25 in 1983 to 60 today.
·
People with Down syndrome attend school, work, participate in
decisions that affect them, and contribute to society in many wonderful ways.
·
All people with Down syndrome experience cognitive delays, but
the effect is usually mild to moderate and is not indicative of the many
strengths and talents that each individual possesses.
·
Quality educational programs, a stimulating home environment,
good health care, and positive support from family, friends and the community
enable people with Down syndrome to develop their full potential and lead
fulfilling lives.
Here are some Myths & Truths About Down Syndrome from the NADS
website: http://www.nads.org/nursing/myths-truths-DS.html
Myth: Down syndrome is a rare genetic disorder.
Truth: Down syndrome is the most commonly
occurring genetic condition. One in every 691 live births is a child with Down
syndrome, representing approximately 6,000 births per year in the United States
alone. Today, more than 400,000 people in the United States have Down syndrome.
Myth: People with Down syndrome have a short life span.
Truth: Life expectancy for individuals with Down
syndrome has increased dramatically in recent years, with the average life
expectancy approaching that of peers without Down syndrome.
Myth: Most children with Down syndrome are born to older parents.
Truth: Most children with Down syndrome are born
to women younger than 35 years old simply because younger women have more
children. However, the incidence of births of children with Down syndrome
increases with the age of the mother.
Myth: People with Down syndrome are severely “retarded.”
Truth: Most people with Down syndrome have IQs
that fall in the mild to moderate range of intellectual disability (formerly
known as “retardation”). Children with Down syndrome fully participate in
public and private educational programs. Educators and researchers are still
discovering the full educational potential of people with Down syndrome. The
word, “retarded” is also no longer an acceptable word to use when referring to
individuals with Down syndrome or any level of “disability.” It remains an
inappropriate and hurtful word.
Myth: Most people with Down syndrome are institutionalized.
Truth: Today people with Down syndrome live at
home with their families and are active participants in the educational,
vocational, social, and recreational activities of the community. They are
integrated into the regular education system and take part in sports, camping,
music, art programs and all the other activities of their communities. People
with Down syndrome are valued members of their families and their communities,
contributing to society in a variety of ways.
Myth: Parents will not find community support in bringing up their child
with Down syndrome.
Truth: In almost every community of the United
States there are parent support groups and other community organizations
directly involved in providing services to families of individuals with Down
syndrome.
Myth: Children with Down syndrome must be placed in segregated special
education programs.
Truth: Children with Down syndrome have been
included in regular academic classrooms in schools across the country. In some
instances they are integrated into specific courses, while in other situations
students are fully included in the regular classroom for all subjects. The
current trend in education is for full inclusion in the social and educational
life of the community. Increasingly, individuals with Down syndrome graduate
from high school with a “typical” diploma, participate in post-secondary
academic and college experiences and also receive college degrees.
Myth: Adults with Down syndrome are unemployable.
Truth: Businesses are seeking young adults with
Down syndrome for a variety of positions. They are being employed in small- and
medium-sized offices: by banks, corporations, nursing homes, hotels and
restaurants. They work in the music and entertainment industry, in clerical
positions, childcare, the sports field and in the computer industry. People
with Down syndrome bring to their jobs enthusiasm, reliability and dedication.
Myth: People with Down syndrome are always happy.
Truth: People with Down syndrome have feelings
just like everyone else in the population. They experience the full range of
emotions. They respond to positive expressions of friendship and they are hurt
and upset by inconsiderate behavior.
Myth: Adults with Down syndrome are unable to form close interpersonal
relationships leading to marriage.
Truth: People with Down syndrome date,
socialize, form ongoing relationships and marry.
Myth: Down syndrome can never be cured.
Truth: Research
on Down syndrome is making great strides in identifying the genes on chromosome
21 that cause the characteristics of Down syndrome. Scientists now feel
strongly that it will be possible to improve, correct or prevent many of the
problems associated with Down syndrome in the future.
***This information is about DS in America.
The call
I have read
blog posts by other families addressing the concerns of some critical
commenters in which they responded to the age old question about why they
didn’t adopt one of the many orphans in the US.
First of all, to give a little perspective, asking this question would
be like asking foreign missionaries why they didn’t stay in their home country
and witness to the lost people there.
People called by the Lord to be His hands and feet in parts of the world
other than where they were born are just that – called. Secondly, if we are the body, then we are not
all the same part nor do we all perform the same function. This is divine design and when we are
obedient, the body of Christ works in harmony to accomplish the will of the
Father by doing separate tasks but also coming together in unity to lift one
another up in prayer and boost one another’s spirits by offering an encouraging
word.
We are humbled,
honored and grateful that the Lord has opened our eyes to the plight of special
needs orphans around the world. We are
thrilled that He has called us to adopt one of these precious children because
we could not do this of our own volition even if we wanted to.
He could
have just called us to pray fervently, as He is calling some of you to do. He could have pressed on our hearts to give
to other adopting families sacrificially as so many have done to help redeem
the lives of children living in conditions we cannot even fathom. He is calling some of you to pray, some to
give, some to advocate, and some to adopt.
What a blessing!
The need
If you
search a little, there is much to read (and see) about the appalling conditions
of orphanages for special needs children in other countries. I must offer a disclaimer in that I have not
personally substantiated and verified each of the following statements. I have spent hours reading the firsthand
accounts of others who have adopted (as well as watched videos) and the
following is a condensed version of much of what I have read and seen.
These
children are not afforded the same rights given to American disabled citizens. We have read that some countries are basically not
handicap accessible. There is no need
for this since many disabled people are squandered away in mental
institutions. Our sweet girl and
countless others were given up by their parents because they were born
less than perfect in the eyes of a truly deceived society. I have read countless places that many babies with illnesses or deformities are abandoned because their families cannot afford to care
for a child with medical needs in their struggling economy. There is also a societal stigma attached to
DS and other disabilities. Some who have
traveled to Maeve's country say it is like stepping back in time. Even if parents truly desire to care for
their child, social stigma and pressure from their own families make it
impossible.
It gets
worse, when at the average age of five, these children are transferred to adult
mental institutions and most do not survive the first year. I’ve read 80% but what if that is an inaccurate
figure and it’s only 65%? Does it really
matter? Any child sentenced to die
because they were born disabled, deformed, or with an extra chromosome, is one
child too many. Oh my heart.
There are a
lot of reasons for this, starvation among them. The baby houses are not as
severe, but there is still neglect. Lack
of love, attention, stimulation, proper diet, and basic human needs cause these
children to be underweight and lethargic. The tears are coming as I’m writing
this but it must be said. Their story
must be told.
It is so sad
to think that we could even say that the baby houses are “better” than the
institutions in which they will be neglected even more severely after being
transferred at as young as four years old.
At the institutions, some never leave their bed or crib and some are
tied to it. Rows and rows of beds and
cribs with silent children because they learned long ago that no one was coming
to respond to their cries. Some leave
their bed to sit on a bench and do nothing, look at nothing, know nothing
except that they will be led back to bed to do nothing and look at nothing.
Does this
sound extreme and insane? It is. It is also real. Please pray for these children. Please advocate if you are called to do so.
Another mother
There was
one story told of a woman who visited her child every day at the baby house
while an American couple was there making their daily visits with their new
soon to be officially adopted child. She
loved her child and wished to be able to raise it herself. She visited every day. She was in distress over the situation and
asked her mother what to do. Her mother
told her to stop visiting her child.
What if she was our mother? What
if our mother, that we loved and trusted to tell us what was best, told us to
abandon our child?
How we are going to do this
We’re
not! God is. (Big sigh of relief…) You can read on the RR
website that adopting Maeve will cost approximately $25,000.
We do not have $25,000. (Surprise!) :) We did not even
have the initial costs to begin the adoption process until God provided. We live in a one bedroom house and thought
that would surely be a road block to begin this process, but nope…He said do
this and He is making the way for us in all things big and small. We are excited to see God continue to melt
the mountains like wax to bring His plan to fruition.
In the book
of Joshua, before Israel crossed the Jordan River, it was commanded that the
Ark of the Covenant was to go first because they had not passed that way
before. As soon as the feet of the
priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river’s edge, the
flow of the water was cut off and the priests stood there – on the dry riverbed
– while the nation of Israel crossed over.
WE have not
passed this way before!! Our God will go
before us and make the impossible possible or we will not go. WE cannot bring Maeve home on our own. We don’t have the power. But our God is greater, stronger and higher
than any other. When He brings this to
pass, it will be to His glory. He will
be due all the honor and praise. So
we’re starting now – Praise the Lord! He
is mighty to save!
Anophthalmos of the left eye, optic atrophy of the right eye, spastic tetraparesis.PNG)
