Forever Family Friday!
Congratulations to this adorable little lady who was recently matched with one of the families in our China LID adoption program! Since her file was considered LID – meaning she’s a younger kiddo with a more minor or correctable need – her family had to have their dossier logged in before they could be matched with her. Now that they’re officially matched, they’re one step closer to bringing her home forever! They’ve still got part of the process to complete before they can travel to China, so they’ve sent her a care package with a photo album of their family that she can look at in the meantime. I think it’s safe to say she LOVED the gift!
This particular kiddo was among the children that one of our China matching specialists had the opportunity to meet during her trip to China earlier this year, and we are so happy that she has found a family who is ready to welcome her with open arms.
If your family is interested in adopting a younger child with more minor or correctable needs and you’re interested in learning more about our China LID adoption program, contact our matching specialists today!
- Learn more about LID vs Special Focus
- Visit our China Waiting Child Photo Listing
- Contact a Matching Specialist
- Learn more about adopting from China
Bryndal’s Story
October is the National Down Syndrome Awareness Month. Before it gets away from us, we wanted to make sure that we featured one of our amazing GWCA families and their little Bryndal. The power of unconditional LOVE shines through this family! Check out their story below and take a minute to visit their adoption website, as it is truly a touching story.
Adopting a child with special needs can be a difficult and intimidating process, but with blind faith and love it can absolutely be done. The road will never be easy. For a family like this one, they already knew the difficulty of bringing home a healthy child through adoption, but never a special needs child. Adopting a child with special needs was never in “their plan.” However, they have changed this little girl’s life forever all thanks to their family’s willingness to love. It doesn’t take an expert to see that she fits right in, and is right where she belongs!
Bryndal’s Story
During our wait, we traveled to Africa twice to bring home two beautiful daughters and we completed one domestic adoption for our youngest jewel, a precious son. Throughout the years, we discussed our “future child” in China and wondered when God would finally introduce us and bring that child home.
In May of 2012, we opened our weekly email from Great Wall that introduced two special focus children of the week. The moment the photos loaded in the email, our hearts skipped a beat and we KNEW this was the precious Princess we had been waiting on for years. She was not a baby, she was not on the non-special needs track, she was not who we expected…BUT she was beautiful with a smile full of pure JOY and she was OURS! We called Great Wall and quickly received approval to adopt a special needs child and were matched with our precious, amazing Bryndal!
As we flew through the steps to bring home our new daughter, we faced many days when we were scared to death about what the future would hold for us once Bryndal came home. This was our first special needs adoption, and this was not really in “our plans.” How would she react to us, how would our kids react to her, what would our family think, how would we communicate with her, what would the attachment process be like adopting an older child, how would we parent a child with Down syndrome… We had to place these fears in God’s hands knowing that He had led us to this child at this time with this special need, and He would take care of all of these details.
On July 1, 2013, God calmed all of our fears when we finally met our sweet girl. She walked through the door full of smiles, hugs and kisses, and her amazing love has continued to blossom each day. Words cannot describe what a blessing this precious child is to our family and to everyone she meets. She is FULL of joy, laughter and LOVE!
Our other precious jewels have enjoyed Bryndal just as much as we have. They take turns sitting by her at meals and argue over who gets to sit by her in the car. She has blended into our family as if she was with us since birth. She has added so much love to our family…our hearts are truly overflowing! We expected to bless a child with a forever home, but we had no idea what love and blessings she would bring to us! We could never have dreamed of such a smooth transition and not a day goes by that we do not thank our Heavenly Father for bringing us to this child at this time with this special need…our forever Chinese Princess!
Each day Bria thanks God for giving her a family and she prays for all the orphans in the world to find a family too. She is so happy to have Bryndal for a sister and refers to her as her “China twin.” Bria is four months older than Bryndal.
To learn more about our journey to Bryndal please visit our site here!
If your family is interested in learning more about the children with Down syndrome that GWCA is currently advocating for, please visit our China Waiting Child photo listing or contact our matching specialists today!
- Visit GWCA’s Waiting Child photo listing
- Contact a China matching specialist
- Learn more about adopting from China
5 More Kids Added This Week!
This week we’ve added 5 NEW KIDS to our China Waiting Child photo listing! If you’re interested in learning how you can begin your adoption journey and take the first step towards being matched with one of these kiddos, contact our China matching specialists or visit our photo listing today!
Click here to request a file on our China Waiting Child photo listing!
This little cutie’s name is Wade! Wade is 5 years old and has been diagnosed with hemophilia. He participated in Summer Hosting in July and had an amazing time with his host family! Here’s what Wade’s host mom has to say about this little guy:
“Let me introduce you to “Wade”. He is the most handsome, brave, resourceful little boy you’ll ever met.
His smile will melt your heart and his curiosity will spark your imagination. Wade loves to play outside, ride his big wheel, and especially loves water activities. He is very helpful and very observant….so don’t do anything in front of him that you don’t want him to remember! He has a little trouble with the word “no” but then again what little guy doesn’t. He likes to play with other children and really enjoyed his time in the preschool room at church. He loved the zoo, riding the carousel and watching the orangutans. Wade is an awesome bouncer which was exhibited every time we went to a local inflatable inside bounce house. He really is a great kid with so much potential.
He isn’t even hard to cook for: loved watermelon, bananas, zucchini bread, eggs, chicken, fish, sour cream / onion potato chips and peanuts. He isn’t too fond of pizza, spaghetti or blueberries though.
Wade has hemophilia, which is a blood clotting disorder. His blood does not clot without the aid of infusions which can be given at home or a clinic. It is manageable and as you see this does not stop this little one from living life to its fullest…..he runs, bikes, swims and hugs with no problem ! Please consider bringing this amazing child into your family. He deserves so many wonderful things, most of all a forever family!”
Please reach out to Great Wall if you would like to learn more!
Timmy is a sweet little boy from China that just recently turned 7 years old. Timmy wasn’t brought into care until he was 4 years old, so we can assume he was raised by his family until that time. Timmy has been in a foster family since early 2014, so he is receiving more one-on-one attention than a child living in an orphanage. Timmy was shy at first but he became more sociable after he got used to life with his foster family. He can communicate with adults and children clearly and can speak 5-10 word sentences. He can walk steadily, dance with rhythm, build with blocks and do puzzles. He is in a regular school and is learning with other children of his own age. Timmy gets along with others well and has a ready smile. He is an active boy who is fond of playing games. While his physical examination shows that he has some maldevelopment of his right parietal lobe cortex, it doesn’t seem to be affecting him that much. He is not described as being delayed and instead he seems to be a pretty normal 7 year old boy.
Alice is an adorable little gal who just turned 4 years old! She was born with Down’s Syndrome and seems to be doing well compared to her friends with the same need. She has been in early education classes and she has made great progress! She can get along well with other kiddos her age and loves to share her toys. She is described as being active and cute by her caretakers. Alice can complete simple tasks like washing her hands, walking up and down the stairs by herself and putting away her toys. GWCA is currently trying to gather more information on Alice. Contact one of our matching specialists if you’d like to review her file! 
Brayden is a cutie who is 7 years old! He was born with CHD but has received surgery and recovered well! His file is slightly outdated but when it was prepared in 2013, he was progressing very well. He was living in a foster family and connected very well with them. Brayden could communicate his needs, follow instructions and help his caretakers! He loves playing with legos and small cars. GWCA is currently trying to get an update on how Brayden is doing! Contact one of our matching specialists today if you are interested in learning more about him! 
Waylon is a cute little boy who is 9 and a half years old. Waylon has a repaired cleft lip and cleft palate, and he also has some length differences of fingers and toes. Waylon has normal physical and intellectual development. Waylon is very close with his caregivers in the orphanage. The orphanage staff says that he generally has a happy, introverted and content personality.
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Ya Ya’s Story
I was innocently browsing through Facebook one day this fall when I saw the post. “Host families needed” it read. Intrigued, I clicked on the link and quickly requested a password to see the profiles of the waiting children. One smiling face stood out and I was immediately drawn in. I called and received more information over the phone and the anticipation set in; the anticipation of having a familiar conversation with my husband. “So, I was on the internet today and I saw this little girl…” it began. We agreed to host Ya Ya over Christmas and advocate for her.
We drove through the night that cold December morning and arrived at O’Hare airport before the sun rose. We met with some of the waiting families and soon, a group of children, led by chaperones started towards us. And there she was! She was much, much tinier than we had imagined, full of smiles and not afraid. I motioned to her and she came right over and gave us hugs. Our 9 year old daughter gave her a doll and she latched onto her right away. She was amazed by everything around her, automatic flushing toilets, doors that opened on their own, everything was new and exciting.
We arrived home and were greeted by the rest of the family. Ya Ya immediately was drawn to our son, Ashton, who shared something in common with her, Down syndrome. They became good buddies over the month she was here. Ya Ya was sweet, gentle and kind with him. She fit in very well with everyone, after a few initial struggles between her and our almost 3 year old son. I believe he thought she was much closer to his age as she was so small. Once they (he!) worked out their “differences,” all was well!
Ya Ya fit in incredibly well! Everyone around us wondered how she would adapt, how would she understand us, what if she is upset, how will you communicate with her??? We used Google Translate and she understood very well! She is very expressive and we could tell by her reactions if she understood or not. Her English was pretty limited, but that did not stop her from playing and interacting. She enjoyed showing us that she could count in English and liked to use the phrases that she picked up. We discovered her love of dancing around the second week here and dance parties were a regular happening around here!
Ya Ya is bright, inquisitive and catches on quickly. The fact that she had Down syndrome really wasn’t a concern of ours as our son has Down syndrome. She could do far more than we imagined! She was completely independent with her personal hygiene; showering, brushing teeth, getting dressed, combing her hair she did all by herself. Honestly, I think she trumps our 9 year old when it came to taking care of that independently! She enjoyed playing with dolls, our play kitchen, coloring and painting. Her artistic “skills” were a bit lacking, but she played well with toys.
As our visit drew to a close, I found myself panicked and a bit weepy thinking about sending her back “home.” After some discussion, we made the decision to move forward with adoption. It just felt right, especially after being able to see how she fits in with our family. I have to admit that while she was here, I found a message board discussing hosting programs. Several people posting on the site were aghast that children with Down syndrome were being brought over as part of the host program. They wondered how they would understand what this was all about and how would they react when it was time to go back? I can say first hand that she handled it great! We started talking about going back to China about 10 days before her departure. We talked about how excited her friends would be to see her and that she could share her new things with them. At the airport, she played and interacted with her friends while waiting for the plane. When it was time to go, she gave Baba a big hug and boarded the plane waving with a smile on her face. We are so grateful for this experience and for this ray of sunshine we will now have in our home forever!
- Find out how you can participate in our Orphan Hosting program!
- Visit our Orphan Hosting photo listing!
- Learn more about the China adoption process
4 New Kids on the Block
This week we have added 4 kiddos to our China Waiting Child photo listing! These kids are all considered Special Focus, meaning families can be matched with them at any point in the process. If you’re interested in learning how you can be matched with Kiera, Daisy, Chloe or Lucas, visit our photo listing or contact our China matching specialists to review their files today!
Click here to view our China Waiting Child photo listing!
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. She 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:
Daisy is a sweet little girl who is 2 and a half years old. Daisy has Down Syndrome and is said to be doing better cognitively than her peers who have Down Syndrome in her orphanage. Daisy can walk and go up and down stairs by herself. Daisy is babbling and can say some names of familiar people like her caretakers. Daisy can put on and take off her shoes by herself. Daisy tends be more of an introverted child, but she gets along well with other children and familiar people. Daisy does not have any heart issues.
You can contact the China Home Finding Team at Great Wall if you would like to learn more about adopting Daisy. We hope we are able to find Daisy her Forever Family soon!
Watch Daisy’s Videos:
Video #1! | Video #2! | Video #3!
Chloe is a cutie who just turned 2 years old! She was born with CHD and she has some differences of her hands and feet. GWCA is currently trying to get more information to see if she has additional needs. Presently she can walk with some support, she can hold food and blocks in her hands and pass items between her hands. Her file indicates that the function of her right hand is slightly better than her left. She is observant and can recognize familiar caretakers. She is described as being introverted but she loves to play with someone’s company. Chloe loves watching cartoons, playing with toys and observing her surroundings. Contact one of our matching specialists today if you’d like to learn more about her!
Lucas is a sweet boy who is 7 years old! He is developmentally delayed when compared to his peers. Lucas is described as a polite kiddo who listens carefully to his caretakers and teachers. He is inquisitive and always likes to learn about new things. Lucas is always helping his caretakers with simple tasks and with the younger children. He is considered to be chatty but his language development is delayed compared to children his age. Lucas’ file is pretty limited so GWCA is currently trying to gather some more information. Contact one of our matching specialists if you’d like to learn more about him!
Parker is GWCA’s Sponsored Star for October!
In honor of Down Syndrome Awareness Month, GWCA’s Sponsored Star for October is Parker, an adorable one year old boy who absolutely rocks his extra chromosome!
Parker can push himself up when he’s lying on his tummy, and can turn over all by himself. Like many children with Down syndrome, Parker is a little bit delayed compared to his peers, however, he is a happy boy who is progressing very well! He can grasp toys and move them from one hand to the other, he’s babbling, and he enjoys imitating the sounds that adults around him make. Parker enjoys listening to music, and often becomes calm, quiet and content when he hears it.
One of GWCA’s matching specialists met Parker when she visited China earlier this year, and would be more than happy to speak to any families that are interested in learning more about him. As our Sponsored Star for October, Parker has a $2,000 grant available towards his adoption fees! If you’re interested in learning more about Parker, visit our photo listing or contact our matching specialists 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 is 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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5 New Kids on the Block
This week our China matching specialists have added FIVE new kids to our Waiting Child photo listing, three of which are from orphanages that GWCA is partnered with! Turner, Zoe, Fiona, Blake and Tanner are all in need of loving families, and we are so hopeful that they will be matched soon. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about them or viewing their profiles, contact our China matching specialists or visit our Waiting Child photo listing today!
Turner is a precious kiddo who just turned 3 years old! He was born with left side schizencephaly but it doesn’t seem to have a big impact on his development thus far. He has great physical development and is described as being bold, extroverted and energetic! Turner’s self-care skills are similar to those of his peers. He can feed himself, take on and off his clothing and can wash his hands and face on his own! Turner can follow simple instructions and understand what is being asked of him. He has been receiving some rehabilitation services since he was about a year old. Turner’s caretakers say that he’s a very brave boy who loves to be adventurous!
Contact one of our matching specialists today if you are interested in learning more about Turner!
Zoe is a cutie who just turned 3 years old! She was born with Down’s Syndrome and Esotropia. Zoe is delayed on her language abilities but we believe that with the proper attention and therapies, she can catch up to her peers! She doesn’t have any mobility delays and is a very active child. She does a great job at completing self-care tasks such as getting dressed on her own and eating by herself. Zoe can understand and follow simple directions and she gets along with other kiddos. She has a ready smile and is described as being a little trickster! She loves to jump and play and she especially loves to dance with her caretaker.
Contact one of our matching specialists today if you’d like to learn more about Zoe!
Fiona is a precious little one who is about to turn 3 years old! She was born with Down’s Syndrome and a heart defect known as a PFO. When she was 1 years old, she would sit up on her own, crawl and babble. At the age of 18 months she could stand up with a little support and was babbling and saying simple words. Fiona has been receiving rehabilitation services and she seems to be doing great! She is walking for longer distances while holding onto some support. Fiona is described as being compliant, cute and affectionate. Although her speech is slightly delayed, communication does not seem to be an obstacle for her.
Contact one of our matching specialists today if you’d like to learn more about Fiona!
Meet Blake! He is a healthy 12-year old boy who is doing great in school and in the institute. He is currently in sixth grade in school and is doing very well. He gets along great with his classmates and also helps his caregivers with the younger kiddos in his orphanage. He loves to perform, and he participated in a performance at his school that his teachers and students loved. He also loves to draw and play basketball. His caregivers describe him as being very brave, but that he sometimes lacks the confidence to try new things. He would thrive with the love and consistent care of a family.
Please reach out to Great Wall if you would like to learn more!
Tanner is a smiley kiddo who is 4 years old! He was born with Hypospadias which he has received surgery for. Tanner seems to be on target developmentally for his age! He can follow instructions, communicate his needs and cooperate well in school! His caretakers describe Tanner as an active child who is quick in reaction. He always has a ready smile and is always eager to learn new things. GWCA is currently trying to get some more updated information on Tanner!
Contact one of our matching specialists if you’d like to learn more about Tanner!
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TWO New Partnerships in Ji Lin Province!
We are delighted to announce that we have recently gained TWO new orphanage partnerships in Ji Lin province! We are so grateful to the CCCWA, Ji Lin Civil Affairs, and our new orphanage partnerships for giving us the opportunity to help find loving homes for their children!
Our in-country China adoption specialists had a chance to visit both of our new orphanage partnerships, where they were able to meet with the children whose files are currently being prepared. Our matching team is so excited to receive these files so that they can start advocating for each of the kiddos in the orphanage to find their Forever Family!
If your family is interested in learning more about the kiddos from our Orphanage Partnerships, contact our matching specialists today!
What is an Orphanage Partnership?
GWCA’s Orphanage Partnerships work directly with our agency to prepare children’s files so that we can place them with loving Forever Families as quickly as possible! Once a child’s file has been prepared by one of our partner orphanages, it is given directly to our agency rather than being placed on China’s Shared List. This means that our families have the opportunity to be among the first to see these children’s files when considering if they would be a good fit for their family. If you’re interested in learning more about the kiddos from our orphanage partnerships, contact our China Matching Specialists, or visit our China Waiting Child Photo Listing today!
– Click here to visit our Waiting Child photo listing –
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Forever Family Friday!
Hooray, we are so incredibly excited to announce that a family has started submitting their paperwork to bring this beautiful girl home FOREVER!
She came to America with our Orphan Hosting program earlier this summer, and her host family had an amazing time with her. These experiences played a huge role in her advocacy, as both her host family and our China matching specialists were able to provide families with first hand information about her personality and development!
While there are still several steps in the journey ahead, we are so glad that this time when she lands in America, she will be doing it with her loving family by her side. Congratulations from all of us at Great Wall China Adoption, we can’t wait to see you come home!
Learn how you can host this winter!
We are currently matching families for our winter Orphan Hosting program. If you’re interested in learning how you can welcome an orphan into your home for the holidays, visit our Orphan Hosting photo listing today, or contact our hosting coordinators at shannon@gwca.org! Will you give the gift of family?
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New Waiting Child Updates!
Our China matching specialists have recently received several updates for Waiting Children that we’re currently advocating for. These updates help provide families with information on the children’s development, needs and personalities, which can play a crucial role in helping families decide whether or not they’re ready to move forward with adoption.
If you’re interested in learning how you can be matched with one of these kiddos, contact our China matching specialists or visit our China Waiting Child photo listing to see all of our other Waiting Children!
Click here to visit the China Waiting Child photo listing!
Matthew is an adorable 4-year old boy looking for a forever family! He was born with anal atresia, but since having surgery he seems to be doing very well. He is currently living with a foster family and appears to be doing great developmentally. He loves to run, draw and count. Matthew is said to be sociable, considerate and well behaved. When his foster mother asks him to do something, he eagerly accepts. Matthew loves being active and assisting his caretakers. His foster mom says he gets along very well with his foster brother and is great at sharing his toys and snacks. He has quite the sense of humor and is always laughing! His caretakers describe him as being very optimistic and active. Please reach out to Great Wall if you’d like to learn more!
Bronx is a sweet little boy from China that is about to turn 4 years old. Bronx seems to be healthy physically and is just developmentally delayed. He had an IQ test when he was younger that ranked him lower on IQ, but we have found from experience that many of those tests are inaccurate because they do not take into account that a child is going to have institutional delays from growing up in an orphanage. So whenever there is an IQ test in a child’s file, we suggest taking it with a grain of salt. However the testers did say that he might have autism, but again that is something that may or may not be completely accurate based on the testing.
Based on what is in this child’s file, he seems to have the same basic delays as other children his age who have grown up in an orphanage. He is a bit more delayed in his social skills, including how to play with others, but again that is to be expected with a child growing up in an orphanage. Many children lack the skills to play well with other children because no one has taught them how to share or how to play constructively with other children. Often times children in orphanages have very few toys, so sharing can be hard for children in orphanages and so they can tend to play by themselves so no one takes their toys.
Bronx likes to play outdoors and is quite active. He likes to look at books and newspapers and pretends to be reading them. He speaks several words and short phrases. His caretakers say that he will say “Good Morning, teacher” when they come into a room. Bronx likes to listen to music and claps his hands when listening to children’s songs. Bronx goes to school in the orphanage and his teacher’s say that he is making progress in learning every day and that he is a happy boy.
You can contact the China Home Finding Team at Great Wall if you would like to learn more about adopting Bronx. We hope we are able to find Bronx his Forever Family soon!
Click Here to Watch My Video!
Click Here to Watch My Video!
Eddie is an adorable kiddo who just turned 4 years old! His medical file indicates that he has an extra digit on both of his feet. GWCA is currently trying to determine whether or not he has additional needs. Eddie can walk on his own and he doesn’t have any mobility delays. He can follow simple instructions and express himself clearly. He is cooperative with his caretakers and responds to other’s instructions well. Eddie is described as being an energetic kiddo who is always smiley! Contact GWCA if you’d like to review his file!
Jasper is a cute little guy that is 4 years old! He has limb differences of his hands and feet but his file suggests that this doesn’t affect his mobility. Jasper is described as being a curious kiddo who always wants to learn more about his environment. He is smiley and active and loves to be teased! He can walk independently but is sometimes a little unstable. Jasper’s file is outdated so we are working on getting some updated information on him. Contact Great Wall if you are interested in learning more about him!
Click Here to Watch My Videos!
Maeve is a cutie who just turned 3 years old! Her file was prepared about a year ago and it indicates she was born with a meningocele and hydrocephalus. GWCA has received an update on her file and her caregivers indicated that she has had surgery for both her meningocele and hydrocephalus! She needs assistance with her mobility but her cognitive skills are on target for children her age. Maeve can speak clearly and express her needs! She can imitate what adults are saying and can understand what is being said to her. She loves reading books and turning the pages to show her caretakers all of the pictures! Maeve can crawl and walk with her hands holding onto handrails. She is described as being a talkative and active kiddo! If you’d like more information on Maeve, please contact one of our matching specialists!
This adorable kiddo’s name is Max! He will be turning 2 years old this November. He has been diagnosed with Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy. He also has a hemangioma on his upper lip. He is a sweet kiddo who is extremely affectionate towards his caregivers! He seems to be doing well with his mobility development and is able to lift himself up, stand without assistance, and grasp small toys. He loves to listen to dance along to music and loves to play games with his caregivers. If you’d like to learn more about Max, please reach out to Great Wall!
Click Here to Watch My Video!
Milo is an great kiddo who is 5 and a half years old! He is considered to have some hearing loss, but he can hear enough to where if you call his name he will turn toward you. Milo is described as being very active and playful! He loves to play hide-and-seek with his caretaker and playing on the swings. His file indicates that he has normal physical development and his language delays are largely due to his hearing loss. Milo seems to be a pretty happy kiddo who is developing well!
You can contact the China Home Finding Team to learn more about Milo!
Click Here to Watch Milo’s NEW Video #1!
Click Here to Watch Milo’s NEW Video #2!
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