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!