Welcoming Naomi – A Dream Come True!
Eleven years ago, we requested information from Great Wall China Adoption to learn more about their adoption program. At that time we had no children, but we were praying we would become parents soon. Our hearts sank when we realized that you had to be 30 years old in order to adopt from China. We tucked that dream away. Life began to move quickly as life often does. Before we knew it we had a busy household with six children! Four of our children are biological and two of our children were adopted domestically at birth. We assumed adopting from China would never be part of our story.
One morning our oldest son came out of his bedroom and announced, “Mom, I had a dream that you and Dad told us you are adopting from China.” We thought his dream was precious but we knew our hands were full. We had not considered adopting from China in over a decade. Sometimes the Lord whispers in our ear and sometimes He has to yell. Our second son, not aware of his oldest brother’s dream began to pray fervently for another little sister. He prayed all the time! I thought it was sweet and wondered if down the road we would visit adoption again. I had a long list of reasons why now was a bad time. Then it happened. Those whispers became yells right into our ears. We jumped right on it. Trusting the Lord to work out the details. The word He gave us in regards to our adoption was “restore.”
When we began to research adopting from China we learned that most of the children being adopted had Special Needs. The word restore started to make sense. These little ones needed to be restored to health. Also, in China all adoptions begin with abandonment. These little ones need to be restored to a family.
We wondered who our child would be. In our past experiences we have given birth or adopted at birth so we had no clue what future issues could be present in our children. We just had faith that it would work out. In this case, we were asked to give our matching specialist a general list of special needs we would be open to. We talked and prayed about this thoroughly. We researched, spoke to other families and consulted our doctor. We had six children at home who needed our time and attention as well. We felt it best if we chose special needs that would not require frequent lengthy hospital stays or overwhelming therapy appointments each week. We also knew that a medically fragile child would not be safe in our crazy, busy house full of active children.
Please know that we recognize that life has no guarantees and any of our children could experience an illness or accident that would change the way our family operates. We would do anything to meet the needs of our children. We selected needs that we felt we could manage as a family. We have a loving, supportive extended family that steps in when we need them. They have helped us through emergencies, surgeries, and therapies in the past. They have also provided support through family transitions as we have welcomed each one of our children home.
The website nohandsbutours.com offers adoptive families a look at the day to day experiences of families who have adopted from China’s Special Needs Program. This website was an invaluable resource for us. Also, we connected with other families through social media groups. There is no better place to start than with the people who have actually experienced these special needs. There is also a documentary called “Find Me” that we found encouraging and helpful. That film follows several families through the adoption process and offers a touching look at the women who care for China’s orphans.
The matching process was very exciting. We reviewed files of several different children. First, we reviewed the files of children who were waiting on the website. This gave us experience in reading a file. It felt a little overwhelming at first. How would we know which child was ours? We prayed about each child. We asked clarifying questions of our matching specialist. We tried to be realistic about what special needs we could manage as a family. Believe me, I wish I could bring home all the children and give them a family. We waited for our daughter, believing we would just know when the time came.
When we were presented with Naomi’s file something felt different. She was found at the approximate age of 2 in a public place. Once in the orphanage they discovered that she had a heart murmur. She was in need of heart surgery. She endured that heart surgery without her parents by her side. It is hard for me to consider how scary that must have been for her. There was something about the story of this precious little girl that screamed out “restore” to me. There it was, that word again. I poured over her file and shared it with my husband. By the time he arrived home from work I was a mess. He found me weeping on the laundry room floor. I wept for Naomi’s birth mom. I wept for Naomi. I couldn’t get over this little girl. She was now 3 1/2 years old. Only a few months younger than our only daughter.
I tried not to get my hopes up just yet. I asked our matching specialist a lot of questions about her file. Next, we needed to have her file reviewed by a doctor. We contacted an international adoption doctor and we also consulted our local family doctor. All the professionals agreed that Naomi’s heart report looked great. The surgery had been a success. She also presented with a couple of other minor needs that we felt equipped to handle. We have a plan to manage those needs once she is home. We will also follow up with our pediatric cardiologist.
Once the medical review was complete, we were relieved. We wanted Naomi to be our daughter. We prayed. We talked. We prayed some more. A peace came over us and we confidently moved forward with Naomi’s adoption. We are thrilled to say that we are just weeks away from meeting our daughter! The day we meet her face to face cannot come soon enough!
Read MoreSponsored Star for July – $2,000 Grant Available!
Introducing our Sponsored Star for July, Nolan!
Nolan is an incredibly sweet 6 year old boy who is in need of a loving Forever Family. He arrived at the orphanage when he was 5 years old with burn scars on his neck, however, his caretakers say that he’s now doing quite well! They describe him as an active, energetic, talkative, and happy kiddo with great self care abilities. He has excellent language development, he can speak in complete sentences, and he enjoys asking questions. Nolan loves to spend his time listening to music, singing, playing games, and looking at picture books.
As our Sponsored Star for July, Nolan has a $2,000 grant available towards his adoption fees! If you’re interested in learning more about Nolan, 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 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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Forever Family Friday
Hooray! We’re so delighted to announce that one of the families in our China adoption program has begun submitting their paperwork to bring this little guy home FOREVER! We are so excited for him and his new family, and we can’t wait to see them come home!
Despite the fact that he is only two years old, this little guy’s file was considered Special Focus, meaning his family was able to review his information prior to logging their dossier in. All of the kiddos that are on our photo listing are in need of loving Forever Families, and you can be matched with them right away! If your family is interested in learning more about any of the Waiting Children in our China adoption program, contact one of our China matching specialists or visit our photo listing today!
- Visit the Waiting Child Photo Listing to learn about kids in need of Forever Families!
- Contact our China Matching Specialists to learn how you can start your adoption journey!
First Father’s Day
One of our adoptive dads who was recently matched with a child through our China adoption program is preparing to celebrate his very first Father’s Day. While his daughter is still waiting in China, he’s experiencing all of the typical excitement that accompanies preparing to be a father. Below is a post that he shared with us about his feelings leading up to Father’s Day.
– Visit GWCA’s Waiting Child photo listing to learn how your family can be matched today! –
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New Kids on the Block
Skylar is a beautiful 7-year old girl in need of a forever family! Skylar was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, but overall she seems to be doing great! She is very talkative and is able to express her needs to her caregivers. She’s also able to walk long distances without assistance! She loves music and like to watch cartoons and play with the other kiddos. She also loves picture books and playing outside! She has been living with a foster family and has being doing great under their care. If you’d like to learn more about Skylar, please reach out to Great Wall!
Addie is an adorable little girl who just turned 2 years old! She has cerebral palsy and muscular tension of her lower limbs. Addie has been receiving rehabilitation training which has helped her a lot. While she has developmental delays, she can currently crawl on her hands and knees and her caretakers say she is talkative. Addie has a ready smile and gets along very well with other children! She is obedient with her caretakers and they hope that she can find a loving family soon. If you’d like to review her information, contact one of our matching specialists!
Arabella is a sweet little girl from China that is 4 and a half years old. Arabella was born without eyeballs, so she is completely blind. Arabella also was born with a valgus deformity of both of her legs, but it is not clear in her file if it has been corrected with surgery yet or not. She has good sleeping and eating habits and she likes to be cuddled.
Based on her recent video, you can see that Arabella can get around by feeling the objects around her.
Arabella’s file is fairly out of date, so we are working hard to learn more current information about her. You can contact the China Home Finding Team at Great Wall if you would like to learn more about adopting Arabella. We hope we are able to find Arabella her Forever Family soon! Click Here to Watch Arabella’s Video! 
Sydney is an adorable kiddo who will be turning 3 years old this July! Sydney has hydrocephalus and incomplete development of her corpus callosum, but overall she appears to be doing very well. Her left eye is also cloudy, and we are working now to determine her level of vision impairment. Sydney is able to walk with assistance, stand on her own, and clap her hands when she is happy. Her caregivers describe her intelligence as normal compared to her peers, saying that she is very clever. She loves to play games with her caregivers and babbles to communicate. She is a cuddly kiddo would really benefit from consistent medical care from a family! Please reach out to Great Wall China Adoption if you’d like to learn more!
Autumn is an adorable girl that just turned 5 years old! Autumn was born with cerebral dysplasia, which has impacted her mobility. She is also blind in both eyes. Despite these needs, Autumn has made huge improvements in her overall functioning and mobility through physical therapy and hydrotherapy. Autumn also went into the care of a foster family in February of 2015, and their patient care has helped her to make huge improvements. Autumn can now stand for 30 minutes at a time while holding onto an object, and can walk without assistance for about a 10 minute period. She is a happy kiddo who loves to be in the water and loves to laugh and be tickled by her caregivers. If you’d like to learn more about Autumn, please reach out to Great Wall! 
James is an adorable kiddo who is 6 years old! He was born with vision needs known as Microphthalmia and Cataracts. James is very clever and smart. He can adjust to new environments and understands instructions very well. He is a great help to his nannies and is able to independently complete daily tasks such as getting dressed and putting on his shoes. James is described as a more introverted kiddo but is also very talkative once he opens up! He gets along very well with others and is closest to his caretakers. His caretakers mention that he has very good hearing and is great at relying on his sense of hearing and touch to get around. Please contact our Matching Specialists if you’d like to review his file! 
Tessa is a cute kiddo who just turned 10 years old! She was born with Hydrocephalus which she received surgery for when she was 2 years old. Tessa has also had some struggles with the mobility of her limbs. Currently she can walk alone sometimes but usually needs some assistance. Tessa is in a special education class and gets along very well with her classmates. Her caretakers describe her as a smart and polite kiddo. She is always helping her nannies assist the other children and is described as being helpful and obedient. Contact one of our matching specialists if you’d like to review her information! 
Daniel is an amazing kiddo who just turned 12 this past May! Daniel has cerebral palsy, but appears to be doing extremely well overall. He is able to run and jump on his own and loves to skip rope and hula hoop! His left side is slightly paralyzed, but he does still utilize his left hand in order to put on his clothes and take care of himself and the younger kiddos. He loves to go to school and is decribed as being a model student! He won third place in a puzzle and aero-modeling competition and first place in a drawing competition! His teachers describe him as clever, respectful, and kind to others. He loves to draw, sing, and spend time with his caregivers and other children. Overall, Daniel is thriving! Please reach out to Great Wall China Adoption if you’d like to review his full file!
Olivia is an adorable little girl from China that just turned 3 years old. Olivia has cerebral palsy but her CT scan showed no abnormal findings on her brain. She was abandoned when she was a year old, but since they had to estimate her birthday based on her physical size at the time, but it is always possible that she was actually younger than what they estimated her age was.
As of when Olivia’s file was prepared (December 2015) Olivia is described as being a happy girl with who is always smiling. She is able to turn over by herself and raise her had up high when lying on her stomach. She is always stretching and quickly kicking her legs and feet and her caregivers say she has a lot of strength in her legs. She is also constantly stretching her arms, hands and fingers. Her caregivers say that whenever they give Olivia their fingers that she will hold on to their fingers with “her small, fat hand.” She is described as being a chubby baby and very lovely. Olivia is also described as being fond of listening to music and is very active.
You can contact the China Home Finding Team at Great Wall if you would like to learn more about adopting Olivia. We hope we are able to find Olivia her Forever Family soon!
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12 Kids Home on Time for Father’s Day!
Welcome Home!
We are SO happy to share that 12 more kiddos from our China Waiting Child adoption program have joined their new Forever Families just on time for Father’s Day – what a great way to start our week of honoring adoptive dads! Congratulations from all of us at Great Wall China Adoption!
While many of these kids have just met their new families for the very first time, others came to the US previously to participate in our Orphan Hosting program, and have been eagerly awaiting this reunion! We are so happy that everyone made it home safe and sound, and we can’t wait to see what these amazing kids’ futures hold!
Orphan Hosting – Helping Older Orphans Find Loving Forever Families
Our Orphan Hosting program provides older, special needs orphans with the opportunity to spend 4-5 weeks in America with a family. During this time, the family welcomes them into their hearts and home, either taking the first steps towards adopting them or advocating on their behalf with the hope of finding them a Forever Family. The children in our Orphan Hosting program are considered more difficult to place due to the fact that they are older and generally have a need of some sort. Without hosting, their files are typically sit on China’s Shared Listing untouched, and overlooked in favor of younger children. By bringing these kiddos here for our hosting program, families are able to meet them and see how they fit into their family dynamic, eliminating the uncertainty that some families feel is associated with older child adoption. This program has changed many children’s lives, and we are so incredibly happy to see more and more of these host kiddos joining loving families forever.
For more information about our Orphan Hosting program or our China Waiting Child adoption program, contact our matching specialists today!
- Visit our China Waiting Child Photo Listing!
- Learn about our Orphan Hosting program
- Learn more about China Adoption
Shorter Wait for Kids with Minor Needs
It has been a very exciting time for the families in our China LID track adoption program, as we’ve recently received several files for LID kids from our orphanage partnerships! As each file that we receive means one more child is matched with their Forever Family and one less family is waiting, this is a great time for families to sign up for our LID program and start their journey towards being matched!
- Learn more about adopting form China
- Contact our China Matching Specialists
- Visit the China Waiting Child photo listing to see examples of LID kids that have been matched
8 Kids Added This Week!
Ethan is a sweet little boy from China that is 4 and a half years old. Ethan has PKU which means that he digests some foods differently, and because of that he is on a special diet. He is a smiley boy who enjoys receiving cuddles from his caregivers. He likes singing and enjoys playing outdoors, and especially playing any game involving a ball. When Ethan’s caretakers sing to him he enjoys dancing to the rhythm.
You can contact the China Home Finding Team at Great Wall if you would like to learn more about adopting Ethan. We hope we are able to find Ethan his Forever Family soon!
Indio is a cute little boy from China that just turned 2 years old. Indio has something called congenital osteogenesis imperfecta which means that he suffers from bone breaks more often than others without this condition. Because of his condition this child spends a lot of time in bed, most likely because the orphanage staff fear that he will break a bone if he gets up and moves around too much.
Indio’s hands are flexible and he can take a toy block in one hand, then take another blog in his other hand and then bang the two blogs together. He can transfer a block from one hand to the other hand and he can put a block into a cup and the tale it out of the cup. He can pick up very small objects with his thumb and index finger.
Indio is a very curious little boy that likes to explore new toys and objects. He has an extroverted personality and is very active and outgoing. He cares very deeply for the people in his life. He likes to be cuddled by his caretakers. He enjoys colorful toys and toys that make sounds. Indio knows his own name and will turn his head to look when his name is called. He understands the word “no” and what that means. Indio really likes listening to music. He also likes imitating the words and actions of the people around him.
You can contact the China Home Finding Team at Great Wall if you would like to learn more about adopting Indio. We hope we are able to find Indio his Forever Family soon!
Bryce is an adorable little guy who just turned 3 years old! He was born with a meningocele which has been corrected with surgery. Bryce is described as being a generous and warm child! He is polite and caring to his peers and caretakers. He is very inquisitive and loves to be around people. Bryce is easy to smile and very active. He is fond of listening to music and playing with toy cars. Bryce can walk alone steadily and can go up and downstairs on his own. If you would like to learn more about Bryce, contact one of our matching specialists today!
Nolan is a sweet 6-year old kiddo in need of a forever family! Nolan came to the orphanage when he was about 5 years old with burn scars on his neck. Unfortunately we do not know more about Nolan’s history before he arrived at the institute. He also has a urogenital need, and we are working hard not to determine whether or not it effects his daily living. Nolan is described by his caregivers as being active, energetic, talkative, and happy! He loves to listen to music, sing, play games, and read picture books. His language development is excellent and he loves to ask questions and speak in full sentences. He can go up and down the stairs without assistance, jump with both feet, and play catch. Nolan is a sweet, affectionate kiddo in need of a family to call his own. If you’d like to learn more, please reach out to Great Wall!
Hannah is an adorable kiddo that will be turning 10 this November! She was born with Down’s Syndrome and a Congenital Heart Defect. Hannah is described as an introverted kiddo. She came to the institute at an older age so she most likely lived in a family for the beginning of her life. She is a great listener and can assist her caretakers with daily tasks. Hannah can independently eat and get dressed on her own. She has developed well physically and doesn’t have any mobility delays. Contact one of our matching specialists if you’d like to review her file!
Stella is a beautiful kiddo who is 7-years old! Stella has motor and cognitive development delays but seems to be doing great with the rehabilitation and occupational therapy she has received! She can now walk independently and go up and down the stairs by holding on to the rail. Her fine motor skills have also improved and she can know draw lines and circles. She can speak sentences with 5-8 words, can communicate with others, and knows the names of her friends and caregivers. She can put clothes on and use the bathroom independently as well! Stella would love to be adopted by an American family and hopes to find a home soon. Please reach out to Great Wall if you’d like to learn more!
Colt is a sweet kiddo who is 9 years old! He was born with a cleft lip and a special need related to his eyelids. Both needs have been corrected with surgery upon arriving to the institute. Colt is described as an incredibly happy kiddo who is always laughing and smiling! He is very polite to his caretakers and teachers and is great at following instructions. Colt has great communication abilities and studies well in school. He is described as being generous, outgoing and energetic. Colt loves outdoor activities and playing with other children! Contact one of our matching specialists if you’d like to learn more about him!
Dennis is an incredible kiddo who just turned 8 last February! Dennis has Down’s Syndrome and a congenital heart defect, but he’s doing great! He’s very cooperative with his teachers and does very well in school. He loves to raise his hand in class and answer questions, and he does great at writing and math. Dennis loves music and art class and loves to dance and color. He even likes to help the other children do their chores! Dennis makes a point to speak often throughout the day, but he is oftentimes hard to understand. Overall he is doing very well in school and with his peers! Please reach out to Great Wall if you’d like to learn more about Dennis!
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A Familiar Face – The China Matching Process
When we began the matching process it seemed so overwhelming at first. In my heart I wanted to bring home all of the sweet children I saw. How could I choose just one? As we were beginning the process of looking through photos and files of children, my daughter came home from school to tell me that her friend´s mother would love to speak with me about adoption as they had adopted three children.
When I called her the first question on my mind was, How do you know which child to choose? I was not prepared for the amazing and profound advice she gave me. She said, ¨If you were to walk into a room and start scanning that room for your daughter, your eyes would immediately stop when you found her because her face is familiar to you.¨ She said, surprisingly, you will have a similar experience when you see the child that you will adopt.
Of course, it isn’t exactly the same, because this is a child you have never seen before. However, there will be a familiarity and a knowing inside your mind and your heart that this is your child. I was grateful for this advice and prayed that I would have that feeling when I saw the child that we would adopt. I never could have imagined how true this was and how beautiful it would be to feel that sense of familiarity in a child´s face.
The next day, I began scanning through pictures of waiting children and as my eyes came across this little 5 year old girl, there was a familiarity in her face, for a moment she looked like my daughter when she was 5 years old. I clicked on the picture and read a little about her, there was a sense of knowing, of familiarity in her sweet little face. I became so excited at the thought of adding her to our family. There was a joy in my heart and something different that I felt when considering this little one than I had felt with any other child we had considered. Though I felt excitement I also felt a little hesitation, I had never thought we would adopt a child who was blind. Despite that little hesitation, I couldn’t deny that familiarity I felt and I knew in my heart she was our child.
When I approached my husband to tell him how I felt about this little girl he was a little hesitant at first as well. I knew that blindness was not a special need we had ever considered before and that he would have a lot of questions. We reached out to a couple families who had adopted blind children and in a matter of a couple of days learned so much and our minds began to be at ease. My husband continued looking through waiting child profiles and wanted to continue considering other children. I prayed that we would be able to make this decision in unity and I waited patiently for him to come to know what I already knew in my heart. He knew how I felt about her and prayed to know for himself and when he woke up the next morning, he turned to me and said, she is supposed to be in our family and I know it for sure now. Our hearts were both filled with excitement, anticipation and joy in knowing that she was our daughter.
Looking back I now understand that you must have an open heart and open mind when searching for your child. When we found the little girl that was to be our daughter, her special needs were not what we had expected, but even as we wait to bring her home, our lives have been enriched as we prepare for her. Learning Mandarin to help her adjustment, studying all we can about her condition and how to help her succeed in life has been a beautiful experience. My best advice is to let that beautiful experience into your life when that little familiar face finds you.
For more information on the China adoption or matching process, visit our website or contact us today!
Read MoreSponsored Star for June – $2,000 Grant Available!
Meet Quinn, GWCA’s Sponsored Star for June!
Quinn is an adorable 2 and a half year old girl who was born with Down syndrome. While she has some delays that are associated with her need she is doing very well! She can crawl and stand by herself, and she’s learning to walk using a small chair for stability. Quinn loves to listening to music, looking at picture books, dancing and coloring. She is able to use her hands to hold small objects and pass them back and forth.
Earlier this year one of our matching specialists had the opportunity to meet Quinn during a trip to China, and she would be happy to speak with any families that have questions about her.
As our Sponsored Star, Quinn has a $2,000 grant available towards her adoption fees! If you are interested in seeing Quinn’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!
Read MoreReady to get started?
