TRANSFERRED!!!!!!!

This morning, my oldest daughter & I were chatting about plans for her upcoming birthday.  Rather than receiving presents, she will be asking all of her friends & family to donate to one of a couple of charities that she is choosing. Of course, Reece's Rainbow came up in our conversation, & my daughter had their website up on her computer, so I checked in on Abbott.  I was saddened to learn that he has been transferred to an institution. I know that this commonly occurs after children turn 4 years of age, but it was still a shock to me.  I have been so behind on blog posts lately & have been planning to write about him again, but I've let too much time slip by & am so sad that it took something like this to get me into action again.

Anyways, another interesting thing happened this morning.  When I checked my blog, I had a couple of comments awaiting moderation.  One was from another mom & blogger at Loving the Crew

Unbeknown to me, she has also been advocating for Abbott & will be holding a fundraiser for him in late April or May. Please check out her blog on the above link & support  her fundraiser.

As of tonight, there is only $2018.00 in Abbott's fund.  Abbott needs 2 things now.  He needs to find his forever family & he needs to have his adoption fund full to help his new family get him out of the institution & safely home as soon as possible. Please consider donating to Abbotts fund.  Most of us are able to spare at least a small amount, but if you aren't able to donate, then please share the link to Abbots page, blog about him or do whatever you can to help his forever family to find him & to help others learn about him so that they can donate too. 

We can all help bring Abbott home!

A Christmas wish for Abbott

I don't go to Reece's rainbow often.......I just can't.......it breaks my heart to see so many beautiful little girls. & boys living in orphanages just because they happen to have an extra chromosome - just like
my K.

Last Christmas, I planned to purchase an ornament to hang on our tree to help create awareness amongst my family and friends.  As I scrolled through the faces of the many waiting children, one in particular caught my eye.  I clicked on his information page & was surprised to see that he was born in the same month & year as K was.  It was a neat coincidence, but the differences in the lives they have lived the last 4 years are in stark contrast to each other and our beautiful story and a half Christmas tree with Abbot's small ornament hanging front & center seems a little  extravagant today.

I haven't been to Reece's Rainbow in a couple of months, but for some reason, I didn't expect Abbot to be there.  I had it in my head that he would have found his forever family by now.

When the page opened, I was shocked to see that not only was Abbott still waiting for a family, but he was the 2nd child listed on the page - meaning he has the 2nd least amount of money to go towards his adoption of any child on the Angel Tree page.

 I am asking you, all of my readers to help. Please share this link to Abbott's page.  If you can donate, that is wonderful, but if you can't, please just help me spread the word about Abbott to help his family find him.  The Internet can be a powerful tool & if everyone who reads this helps spread the word through their blogs, Facebook, forums, etc., I am confident that next year Abbot can celebrate with his own family.



Next year, I don't want to have to mourn the fact that Abbott's adorable face is on my Christmas tree - I want to be able to celebrate it as he & his new family celebrate their first Christmas together.  Please share Abbott's story & help make both of our Christmas wishes come true.



........& the next year, I will have my heart broken again as another little girl or boy again wait patiently on my Christmas tree unto they too find their forever family.

Here is a link to the Angel Tree page:

Reece's Rainbow Angel Tree Donation Page

Thank you everyone & have a very merry Christmas!

If You Blog (& Even if You Don't) Please Read This!

My next post will be about a little boy on Reece's Rainbow who needs his forever family.  I am asking all of my readers to please share the post so that Abbott an find his forever family & doesn't need to spend another Christmas alone.

thank you

31 for 21 - Are You Abbott's Family?

I couldn't let the month of October & the 31 for 21 Down syndrome awareness campaign pass without mentioning Reece's Rainbow.

Each year, one of our family traditions is to buy a new ornament for our Christmas tree that commemorates something special to us for that year.  Last year for Christmas, we made a donation towards Abbott's fund & in return received an ornament with his picture on it.  Abbot was born in the same year & month as K & when scanning the pictures last year, his eyes just seemed to reach out to me. An ornament with his picture hung on our tree, & although we packed the Christmas decorations away, I can't stop thinking about this little guy. Since then, I often think of Abbott & check on Reece's Rainbow, hoping his picture will move to the My Family Found Me page & he won't spend another year as an orphan. Although his ornament made a wonderful addition to our tree, I somehow believed we would have to find a new child to sponsor this year.   Sadly, I will be donating again this year when the Angel Tree Program starts in November, & await another ornament with Abbott's picture on it.

 If you think you may be Abbott's family, please click here to learn more about him:  Abbott

To learn more about Reece's Rainbow & all of the other precious children awaiting their forever families,  click here.

I realize that most of  you reading this will not be able to adopt, but there are lots of other ways to help out.  Here is a link to learn more:  Reece's Rainbow Ways to Help  Page




Reece's Rainbow is now facilitating adoptions for Canadian families too.

http://reecesrainbow.org/new-family/adopting-from-canada

In Need of a Father.........

I thought Father's Day might be a good day to talk about Reece's Rainbow.  This is an international adoption agency for kids with Down syndrome & other special needs.  This organization started in 2006 by Andrea Roberts & is named after her son Reece who has Down syndrome.  Over 350 children have found adoptive homes thanks to Reece's Rainbow. 

Adoption is not in the future for my husband & myself right now - at least  not the near future...........but  if you happen to be reading this, my loving husband, speak up if you think you would like to consider it.......... 

Looking at the pictures of the kids on Reece's Rainbow always breaks my heart & I often end up teary eyed.  As I said, we are not considering adoption at this moment, but perhaps someone will read this today & a little girl or boy will tug at their heartstrings and just maybe that child will have their own father by the time the next Father's day rolls around.

Here is the link:

http://reecesrainbow.org/


Here is a link to their Already Home page.  I am in awe of the many families on this page who have adopted not one, but 2 children! Many of these families blogs are listed on this page if you would like to read more.

http://reecesrainbow.org/category/alreadyhome

Kirril is Home!

What a wonderful ending to what must have been an enormous emotional roller coaster.

Here is a link to the video.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SnM_QyYnZU

Celebrate for Kirill!

I am so excited to post a happy ending to Kirill's story! The judge has awarded custody to his adoptive parents. What a blessing for a little boy (& his parents) who was destined to spend the rest of his life in an institution. I can only imagine the joy his family is feeling now after all they have been through!

Here is the update on his family's blog - check out his picture there. Isn't he a cutie?:

http://oureyesopened.blogspot.com/2011/05/god-of-miracles.html

Here is a link to my first post about Kirill's if you woukd like to read his story.

http://downsyndromeupupupandaway.blogspot.com/2011/03/will-you-pray-for-kirill.html

My heart is breaking.......................

With tears streaming down my face, I just left a birthday wish on the blog of a another mom for her sweet little 6 year old boy. Birthdays are supposed to be a happy occasion, but my heart is breaking for a mom I've never met and her son whom she has not yet had the opportunity to meet. He was born with an extra chromosome in a country where children like this are not treasured and adored in the way that Christie and I would. Somehow, for 6 years Alexander has managed to survive in an orphanage and has recently been transferred to an institution. It breaks my heart that any child should live in these conditions, and without a mother to protect him.

Please check out Christie's blog and if you can find it in your heart, please donate help bring AJ home to his Mom, Dad and brothers so that he doesn't spend another birthday alone.

http://taylorvillethree21.blogspot.com/2011/04/alexanders-birthday-blitz-april-10-17.html

Will you pray for Kirill?

This is a copy of Christie's post over at T-cubed: 3 boys, twins, & Trisomy 21. Please feel free to pass this on.

Will you pray for Kirill?

The Davis family (Greg and Tesney and their oldest son) love Kirill VERY, VERY MUCH. They are adopting him from an Eastern European country and are in the fight for his life right now. The judge in his region of his country denied them their adoption plea. They are appealing the decision.

The reason?

"socially unadaptable" with reasoning that an institution (just like where Alexander is now) made him unworthy of a family. The judge did not have the wherewithal to stand up for Kirill against the prosecutor in the court that day, March 17th. They left him, heartbroken but steadfast in their faith in God and with love in their hearts for the woman that denied their baby a home.

They have asked for prayers for the judge, who has said she will not fight an appeal, and prayers for all involved in court during the appeal. They want to bring Kirill home, they love him. THEY LOVE HIM DEARLY.

Please. I beg you. PRAY. PRAY. PRAY. His life depends on it, he is WORTHY. All of the children we are fighting for ARE WORTHY.

Please re-post this, share this. Please do not slander the judge or this situation. Is it horrible? Yes, in my opinion it is. Is it wrong? In my opinion, yes it is. But slandering her or this situation will not help Kirill. PRAYERS will. COMPASSION will.

Thank you.

A Perfect Lily's blog - Pure Love Giveaway - Reece's Rainbow

I'm a little slow at getting this post out as I've been having computer troubles.  The giveaway ends today, but in case anyone sees this in time please check out this blog & consider donating.  If you donate, you can also enter for a chance to win some wonderful prizes!  Even if you don't see this in time, please consider Reece's Rainbow next time you have a few spare dollars.

The blog & giveaway:

http://babynumber10.blogspot.com/2011/01/pure-love-giveaway.html?commentPage=3

or Reece's Rainbow:

http://reecesrainbow.org/

Thanks,
Laura