Connecting Hearts and Sending Love
One of the kiddos in our China adoption program recently received a welcome surprise from his soon-to-be family – our Connecting Hearts care package!
While adoptive families get to put a face to their child from the moment they’re matched, the children who are being adopted are often unaware that a family is coming to get them until shortly before they arrive. By sending care packages, our families have the opportunity to let their child know that someone in the world outside of their orphanage is thinking of them.
Not only did this little guy get to wear a birthday crown for the day, but he got to eat cake and celebrate his special day with all of his friends. We are so excited for him, as his family will be bringing him home very soon!
If you’re interested in learning how you can send a care package, contact GWCA today!
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One Month Home
One month ago, we followed one of our families’ journeys as they traveled to China to bring their host child home forever. It was a reunion that they had been anxiously awaiting, and it was every bit as incredible as they hoped it would be. Now that they’ve had some time to get settled in with their daughter back at home, they’ve provided us with an update on how their transition is going. Click here to look back at their trip to China!
It seems crazy to think that our sweet daughter has been in her forever home for just over a month. We are constantly amazed at how well she is doing under the circumstances and the trauma she experienced in being removed from the only home (the orphanage) she has ever known and placed in a strange place, with unusual food and weird smells. She has adjusted extremely well and is picking up new English words and phrases on a daily basis. She understands so much English, much more than she can speak at this point, and her communication by hand motions is getting less and less. Some of her words sound similar and it can be a challenge to understand her pronunciation.
She knows her ABCs, her colors, and numbers to 10. When she arrived home, it was obvious that she had never done a puzzle before. She now wants to do puzzles on a daily basis and is getting faster at matching the pieces together. Most of them are 25 pieces but there is one that is 63. She is gaining strength in her legs and is getting much better at maneuvering the stairs. When she arrived home, she had difficultly with pedaling a tricycle. She has improved so much and now drives my pedal tractor on a daily basis. She loves to pedal as fast as she can. If you ask her her name, she can recite first, middle, and last names. She loves our dog, Bessie. She prefers when she is laying beside her or giving her kisses. She talks to her constantly about going outside to potty.
She spent a few days at our church preschool to ease her into transition to all day school and has been attending Kindergarten for a few weeks. She loves going to school and and knows her teacher’s name is Mrs. V. She asks for “more school” all the time. Her writing continues to improve, and I’m sure with extra services, like ELL (English Language Learners) and Title I, we will continue to see great progress.
We have kept pretty busy over the last month spending time with close friends and family. We have done fun things like visiting Curtis Orchard and the Great Pumpkin Patch. We have gone “swimming” and enjoyed play dates. We celebrated “C’s” birthday and she had fun making the cake, singing Happy Birthday, and helping to blow out the candles. She regularly tells us “no airplane, ‘L’ home.” It is obvious she is looking for reassurance that we are not sending her back to China.
We met our friend, Joy, for dinner recently so that she could hear and communicate in Mandarin. You could see the little wheels turning in her head as she concentrated and focused. It was apparent that she could interpret and understand her native language and she answered many questions by shaking her head yes or no. For some questions that Joy asked her in Mandarin, she would turn to me and respond in English.
If you have had the privilege to spend any time with ‘L’, you know she is always happy and smiling. She has brought so much joy to our lives in such a short-time and it is hard to imagine life before her presence graced our lives. I would also describe her as brave, resilient, cheerful, polite, sassy, ornery, loving, and smart. We fall more in love with her everyday.
We may not update the blog as frequently but will try to post when we hit special milestones. Thanks for continuing to follow our journey. Enjoy some pics from the last month.
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8 More Kids Home Forever!
We are so delighted to announce that EIGHT kiddos from our China adoption program have recently joined their new Forever Families! While some of these kids have already had the opportunity to meet their families by participating in our Orphan Hosting program, others have just met their families for the very first time! This is a moment that many of these children have been waiting years for, and we are so incredibly happy that their special day has come.
Congratulations to each of these children and their new families from all of us at GWCA and CAN!
GWCA’s China matching specialists are currently advocating for over 50 other Waiting children to find their Forever Families. If your family is interested in learning more about the China adoption process, or how you can begin your adoption journey, contact GWCA today at (512)323-9595 or at info@gwca.org.
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5 Kids Added This Week!
Glenn is a precious little boy from China that is 3 and a half years old. Glenn was born with hydrocephalus, but it went away on its own without surgery. In Glenn’s file it says that his diagnosis is “basically healthy.” One of our GWCA staff members met Glenn when she visited China earlier this year and she would be happy to speak with any interested family about Glenn!
Glenn is generally a happy kiddo who gets along well with other children in the orphanage. He likes to play ball games with other children, along with running and jumping games. Glenn is in a normal kindergarten class with other healthy children. Glenn can distinguish the sizes of objects, he can understand the concept of big and small, and he also understands the concept of in and out. Glenn can count from 1 to 10, he knows the names of the different colors, and he likes to build towers with blocks.
When Glenn sees familiar people he will say “hello” on his own initiative. Glenn likes to turn pages of picture books, and when he sees familiar things, such as animals in the books, he will use his fingers to point to the pictures and say the names, such as: tiger, cat, monkey, dog, etc. When he sees things in books he is unfamiliar with he will say “what is this?” Glenn understands that fish swim in the water and birds fly in the sky, and other such concepts. Glenn knows when he feels hot he will take off his clothes, and before meals he will wash his hands on his own initiative. Glenn is an active child that enjoys being with others.
Click Here to Watch one of Glenn’s NEW Videos!
You can Watch More of Glenn’s NEW Videos when You Request to Review His File!
Elliott is a smiley boy who is 3 years old! He has delayed gross and fine motor development compared to his peers but he has made great progress since coming into the institute! Elliott has been receiving rehabilitation services for the last year. When he arrived at the institute he had trouble sitting up on his own, grasping toys independently and eating on his own. He is now able to do all of these things independently with ease. Elliott is described as being a kind kiddo with a ready smile! He loves listening to music and playing interactive games. Elliott has grown close to his caretakers and is always very cooperative with them. GWCA is currently trying to learn more about his progress! Contact one of our matching specialists today if you’d like to learn more about him!
Meet Shelby! Shelby is an adorable 6-year girl in need of a forever home! Shelby was born with anal atresia, finger and toe malformations, and an ear deformity. She is a bright kiddo who loves to help others! She is currently learning both English and Chinese. She loves to be outside and likes animals. If you’d like to learn more, please reach out to Great Wall China Adoption!
Jackson is a cute little guy who just turned 3 years old! He was born with CHD and Down’s Syndrome. Jackson is slightly delayed on his motor skills but is receiving rehabilitation services to improve this! He can walk quickly with some assistance and his fine motor skills seem to be getting better over time. He can take off his shoes and socks, feed himself and play with beads. Jackson loves being around his closest caretaker and will always reach his arms out to her to be held! He is described as being an adorable and happy kiddo! He loves to clap his hands and laugh with his peers. Jackson is active, quick in reaction and always imitates adult’s language. If you’d like to review Jackson’s full medical file, contact GWCA today!
Sasha is a lovely little girl from China that is 3 and a half years old. Sasha has hypothyroidism and receives medication for her condition. The orphanage says that Sasha is developmentally delayed. Sasha can sit up on her own and crawl, and she can stand up and walk when holding on to something. She does not like to open her eyes and doesn’t play with toys very much. While her file does not indicate she has eye sight issues, some of her behaviors do suggest she might. Sasha likes sensory activities that include touch, such as clapping her hands, rolling on the floor and receiving cuddles from her caretakers.
When Sasha’s name is called she will turn toward the person who is calling her. She will laugh happily when a caregiver teases her. Her language development is delayed compared to some of her peers but she does imitate the words of others. She tends to be shy and quiet. She has been receiving special rehabilitation training at an orphanage designed for rehab since May 2016.
Sasha’s Videos are Available to Family’s Who Request Her File!
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Kiera Is Our Newest Sponsored Star!
Meet Kiera, GWCA’s Sponsored Star for May!
This sweet girl is Kiera! She 13 years old and will be aging out THIS MAY. She is an amazing kiddo in need of a forever family. Her file states that she had intracranial hemorrhaging, but she has had surgery and is doing great. She lacks some mobility in her left hand, but other than that her mobility is fantastic. Kiera loves to run, jump, and play with her friends. She has excellent verbal communication and is even taking English classes. Her caretakers mention that she is not delayed on her cognitive skills and is on target compared to her peers. She is a sweet girl who would thrive with a forever home! Please reach out if you would like to learn more.
Watch Kiera’s video: Video 1
As our Sponsored Star, Kiera has a $2,000 grant available towards her adoption fees! If you are interested in seeing Kiera’s file or learning how you can be matched with her, visit our China Waiting Child Photo Listing or contact our China Matching Team today!
What is a Sponsored Star?
On the 1st of each month, Great Wall China Adoption will feature one of the kiddos from our Orphanage Partnerships as our monthly “Sponsored Star!” As our Sponsored Star, that child will be provided a $2,000 grant towards their adoption fees! Each of the kiddos selected will be a Special Focus child, meaning they have not found their Forever Family yet due to their age, or the degree of their needs. Together, we can find loving homes for these amazing kids!
We encourage any families interested in learning more about our Sponsored Star of the Month to visit our China Waiting Child Photo Listing, or contact our China Matching Specialists to learn how you can be matched today! Check back on the first of each month to meet the newest featured child!
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