Mario {Taiwan}

Oh boy, 3 year old Mario is a cutie! I wish we could share a photo that shows his full smile – it’s so sweet! He was a ball of fun energy when we met him in October. He was happy to try all of the toys in the room – running from the slide to the ball pit to the swing. He happily complied with all of our tasks as well. Mario’s foster parents told us that he is sometimes shy around new people, but not for us!

Mario’s favorite toys are cars. He also likes riding his tricycle outside and watching TV. His foster parents told us that he’s not a picky eater and that he loves bananas.

Mario has Persistent Hyperplastic Primary Vitreous (PHPV), strabismus, nystagmus, amblyopia, and some delays. He is currently attending early intervention for speech once a week. Even with his eye issues, he is reported to be able to see well and he does not wear glasses. He was able to open/close a bottle and put small objects inside the bottle. He colored for us and put on his own shoes.

 

Wouldn’t it be great if Mario could be home with his family in time to start elementary school? For more information on Mario, please contact Taiwan program caseworker, Mary Chapman, at mary.chapman@gladney.org.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Happy New Year!!

Dalton {Taiwan}

Meet Dalton – an adorable 5 year old boy who is active and fun! He loved playing with us when we met him in October. He really enjoyed playing with the blocks and was happy to participate in all of our tasks.

He told us that he loves to play on the slide at the playground and to play Hide and Seek. His favorite color is blue and his favorite food? Tarts!

He has great communication skills and would answer in full sentences and counted objects for us. He also showed that he knew colors. He is currently in kindergarten and is beginning to learn to read and write.

Dalton has amblyopia and nystagmus in both eyes, and esotropia in his right eye. He is currently receiving patching therapy to help with these issues but may need surgery in the near future. We have his full profile with medical information that can be shared. To review Dalton’s profile, please contact Mary Chapman at mary.chapman@gladney.org.

Meet Zoe!

It's Zoe's day to shine!

Zoe is 4 years old. She was born prematurely and was placed in the Butterfly Home to receive special care there. She has since graduated from the Butterfly Home and is in the orphanage now because she is doing so well!

Zoe has developmental delays. Unfortunately for her, this orphanage is quick to diagnose "mental retardation" so that is what her file says. Please, please don't let that scare you away!

She is walking, running, and jumping. She stacks blocks and tries to count to 10, she got a couple of numbers confused, but did great otherwise. She knows her colors and some shapes. She speaks in simple but complete sentences. She can string beads and knew that she needed to take her shoes off before she stepped on the scales to be weighed. She feeds herself, but still needs help going to the restroom.

As a matter of fact, one of our team was telling me how smart she is before she saw what her diagnosis was. This was after watching her remove then put on own shoes back on and observing her chatting away on a toy phone.

Could this lovely little girl be your daughter? Please contact us at superkids@gladney.org for more information.

Helena

I have just been waiting to get the go ahead to introduce you to Helena! Her file is completed and we can finally put her beautiful face on the blog!

Helena is is 7 years old and has post-operative CHD. She was very quiet and didn't really think we were very interesting or fun, that is until she saw Douglas playing with a ball. She warmed up to him quickly and had so much fun playing with him! When our medical team wanted to see her she didn't want to do what they wanted her to do unless Douglas did it too! It was adorable!

She walks, runs, jumps, and kicks a ball. She played with Legos and put together a small set with a little help. She made herself a bead necklace and drew us a beautiful picture. She speaks in complete sentences and answers questions, but her voice is very soft. Probably she found us all a little overwhelming!

Helena is going to be such a wonderful addition to a family! Could she be your daughter? Please contact us at superkids@gladney.org for more information. We can't wait to speak with you about her!

Linus

The following was written by Steve Willett, an adoptive parent who met Linus while in China to adopt his second daughter.

I met Linus when I visited the Changsha Social Welfare Institute after I met my second adopted daughter 2 days prior. We were visiting the infant wing of the SWI with another expectant adoptive parent, and there he was walking the hallway. He walked right up to me and my wife and gave us both big smiles, and I was lost to his charms.  

Steve and Linus

He wanted to be picked up which I did, and from there on out it was nothing but giggles, smiles and a lot of joy. I had a t-shirt that had a robot and a dinosaur in a battle and I made noises for both opponents as he laughed heartily and he couldn't get enough, and in all honesty neither could I. Even though I was with my wife and my two daughters, I felt very touched by this child, who I knew could not come home with us. 

As lunch time approached, I had to put him down and he disappeared around the corner waving to me as he went. I was an emotional wreck. It was only a matter of minutes, but this boy had touched me and I knew that I wanted to be a part of helping him find a forever family. I asked the nannies at the SWI if he had a file, and they said that he did not, but if anyone asked, then they would prepare one for him. After contacting my agency that night, we were able to start the process of getting a file ready for him. I saw him briefly before we left the SWI and picked him up one last time and gave him a hug; I didn’t want to let go.

The trip back to the hotel was very quiet and contemplative for me. I was thinking about Rosie's future, and I wanted Linus to have the same chance at a brighter future. If you are looking for a boy who is filled with joy and giggles and just radiates happiness, then I highly suggest you look into Linus’s file. While I was only with him for minutes, he has affected me for a lifetime, and I know that he can affect a loving family looking to adopt in so many expected and unexpected ways. Could you be his forever family?

Please contact us at superkids@gladney.org for more information.

Chinese New Year Party in NYC

Oh my! If you did not make if to our Chinese New Year party in New York City on Saturday, just go ahead and decide to really try to make it next year! We had such a great party with families from far and wide. One family flew in from Colorado, another drove down from Boston. And then there were those from New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. It was a great gathering of people!

Wendy Stanley with her two daughters

We had Lion dancers there who did a fabulous job of dancing and of interacting with the crowd. We had the Purple Swan dancers as well who did several gorgeous dance routines for us.  And then there was this lovely little gymnast who did an amazing routine.

Some of the children who were there with the Purple Swans

The food was good, the company was even better. What a fun event!

Larson

I remember meeting Larson in October. I remember that he was quiet and shy but very sweet. What I didn't remember was how very cute he is! Just look at this little guy!

Larson just turned 2. He is doing really well developmentally. He walks, runs, and jumps. He stacks blocks, searches for a hidden object, and scribbles on paper. He is speaking in 3-5 word sentences.

Here he is with Loyal.

Larson has had surgery for a hernia and has multiple facial neoplasms.

Little Larson is reported to be a little quiet and shy, though we were able to win some smiles after offering him Gerber baby puffs. And he thought putting blocks in a cup and shaking them was downright hilarious (don't you just love 2 year old humor?!).

He has this little ball that he carries everywhere with him. He gets sad if he can't find it and is very excited when he sees it again.

This sweet, playful baby boy needs a family. Could he be your son? Please contact us at superkids@gladney.org for more information. We can't wait to tell you all about him!

Lorne

If this little face doesn't make your heart beat just a little faster I don't know what would!

Lorne will be 3 this week and has Down Syndrome. Wouldn't a family be a wonderful birthday gift!?

He is a quiet, observant little boy who preferred to stay on his caregivers lap rather than play with us, but once we got the little music toy out he was much more willing to come to us.

Lorne wasn't quite walking when we saw him in October, but he took steps if you held his little hands. He follows simple commands  and loves toys that make sounds.

Lorne has a $4,000 grant through Gladney. We are also waiving the application fee through the end of January, so today is a great time to contact us about adopting Lorne!

His file describes him as a well behaved lovely boy. Could this little sweetheart be your son? Please contact us at superkids@gladney.org for more information!

Moses & Matilda {Taiwan}

Prepare for total sweetness overload. This brother and sister pair are so much fun. From the moment we met they had our attention. Matilda, age 9, so sweetly dressed in her floral dress and lacy socks. Moses, age 10, in his stylish star shorts and striped shirt. 

Our game of match was met with giggles as each tried to get the most matches. Matilda playing by the rules while Moses started to turn multiple over at once. Boys will be boys...

Moses was quick to show us his puzzle talent as he followed the directions. Such a concentrated look on his face. 

Matilda was sweet as she enjoyed creating her very own tote bag decorated by many shapes and colors. She also really enjoyed the I Spy book and finding the hidden treasures. 

Both brother and sister enjoyed sharing their smiles with us as we snapped pictures. We have so much to share about these precious two. Might you be their forever family? For more information on Moses and Matilda, please contact Mary Chapman at mary.chapman@gladney.org. 

Loyal

I know we are always introducing you to super cute children on this blog. It is what we do. But I'm going to propose that we have some exceptional cuteness to post this morning!

Loyal is 5 years old and is a very healthy little guy. He may have some language delays, although his foster parents told us that he speaks well at home. Our translator also got him to talk a little bit, so he can definitely speak in complete, short sentences.

He was a little shy and spoke in the local dialect, so most of our answers came from his foster mom. She said he is very smart, active, and happy. We were able to observe some things, such as he can walk, run, and jump. He can stand on one foot and put together a little Lego set.

Loyal is a generally healthy little 5 year old boy! Could he be your son? Please email us at superkids@gladney.org for more information.

Isla

Isla is a gorgeous little 7 year old girl. Her caregivers describe her as active, outgoing, and happy. When we met her in November our team fell in love with her. Our notes are full of "so sweet!" "smiley" and "love this girl!"

Isla has Apert Syndrome. She has fused fingers and toes, which is typical of this syndrome. She is doing really well developmentally!

She was super careful when she stacked blocks to be sure they were straight. She also made a lovely bead necklace for herself. She speaks clearly in complete sentences and answers questions such as "what did you have for breakfast?"

When she saw the Legos we had with us she asked, "What is this?" When we replied that they are toys she asked, "A gift?" 

This darling little girl is doing so well and would really thrive with a family! Could she be your daughter? Please contact us at superkids@gladney.org for more information.

Family Friday!

We have a match to announce! Our favorite posts of all!

Dani {Taiwan}

May the paperwork move quickly and the day come soon that this lovely girl is in her parent's arms!

Meet Elaina!

Elaina is a lovely 11 year old girl who is described as polite and curious by her caregivers.

She has cerebral palsy and walks using a walker. She loves singing and drawing! She reads and writes and in the 3rd grade at school. She does well in school.

She is an outgoing, happy little girl who is very independent. She speaks in complete sentences and answers questions in a conversation.

Her nanny reports that she really wants a family and cried when her friend was adopted. This precious girl has so much love to give and needs a family to help her reach her full potential! Please consider her today! Contact us at superkids@gladney.org for more information.

You Are Invited!!

We are looking forward to our annual Chinese New Year Party in New York City!  Chinese New Year is early this year - our celebration will be held on Saturday, January 21st. 

This event is hosted by the Gladney Center for Adoption and open to all families in the NY/NJ/CT area with children adopted from China (regardless of adoption agency you may have worked with!)  This is a fun, traditional and casual banquet luncheon at the infamous Jing Fong restaurant in Chinatown.  If this is your first time attending, or your 15th, we hope you will enjoy the day!  Dining is banquet style at tables that seat 10.  A great way to have a spontaneous reunion with friends you may have travelled to China with!

You must RSVP here by Sunday, January 15th so that we can give a final headcount to the restaurant.  Any questions, please contact wendy.stanley@gladney.org. 

Happy New Year!
Wendy Stanley and Gongzhan Wu

Saturday, January 21, 2017

11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Jing Fong Restaurant

20 Elizabeth Street

New York, NY 10013

$40.00 ages 12 and up

$20.00 ages 5 to 11

$10.00 children 4 and under