When we envisioned having children, we never dreamed of the challenges that we would face, the early losses that were unexplained, each month filled with hope and heartache as we waited for a positive pregnancy test, wondering why something that came so easily for so many was such a struggle for us to achieve.
We never stopped dreaming of growing our family and began to explore adoption. Having been raised by my grandmother, I know how important a family is and how every child deserves to be loved, cherished, and championed. If she hadn’t stepped into my life and taken over the role of my caregiver, I don’t know where I would be today, and suddenly, everything made sense.
“Family isn’t always blood, it’s the people in your life who want you in theirs: the ones who accept you for who you are, the ones who would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what.” Maya Angelou
Three little boys have captured our hearts from across the world and as we read their files, we knew, they were meant to be ours. They each are survivors, having been placed into an Eastern European orphanage at birth, without the comfort of a mother or father, each with medical issues that complicated their births and have made their likelihood of being adopted more challenging. Years have passed and they waited, waited for a home to call their own, for a family to love them, and for the medical interventions they so desperately need.
Two of our boys have cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus, one with impending blindness. Unfortunately, the orphanage is very poor and cannot provide the surgery he needs. He is the brightest 7-year-old who loves to sing and play piano, draw and paint, and can recite poems by heart, he cannot lose his vision. His cerebral palsy affects his lower legs and makes walking impossible without assistive equipment, which the orphanage does not have, so he gets around by dragging himself on his upper arms. Such a bright light cannot be extinguished, we need to get him home to us so he can be loved and cherished and receive the surgery and therapies he needs to be successful in life. The youngest of our boys has a rare genetic disorder that affects the structures of his face. He is also in need of surgery to correct these deformities, allowing him to live up to his fullest potential. He is so sweet and bright, his laugh lights up the room at the orphanage when he plays with the other children.
Due to being institutionalized their entire lives from birth, all three boys are behind in speech and development. They don’t have families that work with them, teach them, and care for them. Unfortunately, many of these orphanages are very poor and overcrowded and abuse is rampant. Children that are not adopted eventually age out and become homeless or worse. This is not the fate we envision for our boys. We see a brighter future for all three of them and this is why we are here, asking for your help.
International adoption is expensive and when you multiply that by three, it becomes very costly. The entire cost of the adoption of all three of our boys with travel, aside from their medical care once home, is $55,000. We had planned on my husband’s yearly bonus from work to help get us closer to our goal of bringing the boys home by this spring but his company was bought out before Christmas and there were no bonuses this year. Please, we ask from the bottom of our hearts, help us make our dream of being a family come true, help us get our boys home, and help us be a family. These little boys need all the love and help they can get and with your gift, you are saving three incredible lives, and for that, we will be forever grateful.
Our Paypal account for donations is: https://paypal.me/adoptourboys
