WINNERS!!!

Each person got put in, some more than once who had big donations.  The winners are:

FIRST PRIZE 64 Lillith Bear - $250 waiting child donation
SECOND PRIZE 4 Lisa Brown - she asked that her prize be used in a future fundraiser.
THIRD PRIZE 45 Lillith Bear - Cecille doll
44 Lillith Bear - passed on prize
19 Allison Tuinstra - passed on prize
20 Allison Tuinstra - passed on prize
FOURTH PRIZE 7 Gina Christianson - Jewelry Lot 1
FIFTH PRIZE 30 Kara
SIXTH PRIZE 43 Beth Barnes
57 Lillith Bear - passed on prize
SEVENTH PRIZE 1 Michael Revilak
52 Lillith Bear - passed on prize
EIGHTH PRIZE 24 Emily Beldon

HIV+ Orphans

In the last few years, it has become possible for citizens of the United States and Canada to adopt children from abroad who are HIV+. 
Raising a child with HIV has become easier due to the advances in medical care for HIV+ people.  Children with HIV have to take medication every day, often just a few pills.  They do have to have regular doctor check-ups and have blood drawn to make sure they are responding well to treatment.
For the most part, raising a HIV+ child isn't much different than raising a child without HIV.

Some organizations are especially trying to find families for HIV+ orphans.  Positively Orphaned, and Chances by Choice are a few.  Project Hopeful and Reece's Rainbow raises adoption grants for orphans.

Reece's Rainbow and Project Hopeful have photolistings of HIV positive orphans.  There are some children who are babies, and others who are teenagers who have been waiting a long time to get a family.

Any family who adopts a child with HIV does a great thing. They are giving the child a family and a chance at a better life.  They will no longer be orphans.
On Reece's Rainbow there are eleven children listed with HIV who are ten years old or older.  These children are in danger of aging out of the system.  Once they turn 16 years old, they are unadoptable. Then they are eventually let out of the orphanage.  Usually they end up on the streets.

Reece's Rainbow has a family sponsorship program to help families with adoption costs throughout their adoption. 
Here are the ELEVEN children who needs families SOON:
(Getting adopted WILL save their lives!)

Vlad

Vlad was born September 22, 1999.  He has no siblings and his mother died.  Nothing is said about his father. Even though he is HIV+, he is rarely ill. 
A facilitator who visited him says he is a "super boy". He is fond of learning English, and can read stories to the other children without a dictionary.  He is communicative, optimistic, and supportive to his friends. He is obedient to teachers.
It seems like he will make a wonderful son!  I hope his family sees this and finds him!

$51.00 for Vlad's adoption! Click to donate!

If the family is interested in adopting more than one child, there are five other children listed in his orphanage:  Kristie, Dmitri, Arthur, Andrey, and Victoria.


Estelle & Gerard

Estelle and Gerard are in the same region.  They are in serious danger of aging out of the system and having no place to go.  Estelle was born in April 1998 and Gerard in August 1998.  They can be adopted together or separately.

$405.00 today for Estelle's adoption! Click to donate!

$25.00 today for Gerard's adoption! Click to donate!

Larisa

Larisa was born on December 12, 1998 and was abandoned in the hospital.  No siblings.  She is fond of studying English. Larisa is very creative and likes to make things with her hands.  The girl gets along with other kids in the orphanage. 
I hope her family sees this and decides to adopt her!  She speaks good English, and that's something to make the transition to a new home easier!

There is another girl with HIV in her orphanage named Diana.  She can be adopted with Larisa.

Click to donate for Larisa's adoption! $298 today!

Devon & Yana

Devon and Yana are in the same orphanage. They can be adopted together if a family is interested, or they can be adopted separately.

Yana looks like a little model!  I can see her on the red carpet someday! She was born November 9, 2001.  She could have effects of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. FAS affects children differently.  It looks like hers could be a mild case.  She will blossom with a caring family.

Click here to donate to Yana's adoption! $1231.70 today!

Devon is saluting us! He's saluting with the wrong hand, but that's OK.  Couldn't you see him as a little patriot? ;)
He was born October 15, 2001.

Click here to donate to Devon's adoption fund.  $55.00 today!

There is another boy named "Eric" who is in the same orphanage who also has HIV. He is such a love!

Marjorie

Beautiful Marjorie was born April 2002. She has stage II of HIV and inactive Hepatitis C.  She is developing typically.  She is considered to be a smart girl.  Can't you see her on the honor roll someday?
Hepatitis C is very manageable. There are some people who have it and don't know it. She will make a wonderful daughter for the lucky family.

Marjorie has $27.50 in her grant today.  Click to donate.

Marjorie is listed with Octavia, Christian, and Ilyssa.

Brian

Handsome Brian is waiting for his forever family. He was born October 2001.

Brian has $30.60 in his grant today.  Click here to donate.

Tim, Kate, and Irina
These three lovely children are in the same region.  Any of them can be adopted together.  There are MANY other children listed in their region with various special needs.  There are also plenty of children in their area without special needs who still need families.

Tim is an orphanage favorite.  He and his friend Ana are both well-liked by the staff.  He goes to a regular school.  Tim hopes for a family of his own someday. He hopes that each new adult who comes in the doors could be his new mother or father. Tim was born in November 1999.

$4140 for Tim's adoption!  Click here to donate!

Kate likes to play dress-up.  She has some psycho-motor delays. Kate interacts well with other children and is sociable.

$20 for Kate's adoption. Click here to donate!

Irina was born October 2001.  She is said to have a calm character and likes children.  Looking at her photo, she would make a great Homecoming Queen someday! 
$145 for Irina's adoption!  Click here to donate!
For a list of other kids in the same region, CLICK HERE.

Shaun's giveaway extended. I decided to extend Shaun's fundraiser for a few more days.  Thank you to everyone who has helped! 
There is a new Chip-in widget to the right.

Two lots of mixed antique jewelry.  They are perfect for crafters who make jewelry.  I can give some away in Shaun's fundraiser. 

Fundraiser for Shaun

Meet Shaun!  He has been listed on Reece's Rainbow for more than a year. He is a lovely child who lives in an orphanage in Eastern Europe.  He deserves a family.  He is four years old right now and his birthday is in November. 


He is said to have Trisomy 18, also known as Edwards Syndrome. 

Most children with Edwards Syndrome do not live long past birth because they usually have severe heart defects. Some other birth defects that can come with ES are eye defects, deafness, cleft palate, and spina bifida. Those that are lucky enough to survive their first year do have a chance at living into adulthood. With supportive care they can live better lives.

As can be seen from the photos, he has a cleft palate. His profile says he has some kidney issues. 
Shaun is a fighter.  To live in an orphanage with Edwards Syndrome shows he is a fighter. He is one special boy. This boy can both see and hear. He responds to his name and has interest in what is happening around him.


This orphan will be five years old in November.  In Eastern Europe, it's the age when orphans are usually transferred out of their baby homes.  Most orphans will go to homes for older children.  However, those with special needs are sent to institutions.  Those children will stay there for life unless they are adopted.  They are crowded places and the staff have little time for each orphan.  That will be Shaun's fate if his family doesn't come to pick him up soon.


It's no doubt that Shaun is an orphan who is difficult to place.  Yet there must be a family for him somewhere.


I have been trying to find a family for Shaun.  I contacted some support groups for Trisomy 18 and related disorders.  I was surprised how large the community is.  There were some families who said they'd love to adopt Shaun.  The only thing holding them back is the costs.  Few families have the money to throw down on an international adoption.


Let's raise Shaun's adoption grant!  I am sure he will get a family if the grant can be raised higher.

You can donate directly to Reece's Rainbow for Shaun, and donations are tax-deductable.  His profile is here: Shaun's Profile.
There will also be an auction starting this weekend, and going until May 11. The proceeds will go towards Shaun's adoption grant.
There are various prizes:


American Girl Dolls (winner's choice):

Marie-Grace

Cecile

Julie

Molly

A generous donor also said that she will donate $250 to another waiting orphan if Shaun's grant can reach $3000!

Also there are some antique books (I love old books):

The New Practical Arithmetic published in 1888.

Lord Tennyson's Poems (no publication date)

Winners will be announced on May 11, 2012.
Any more donations?  E-mail me at butterfly_poette@hotmail.com
One entry for each $10 donated.

Links about Trisomy 18 and similar conditions:
www.trisomy.org
www.trisomy18.org
www.noahsneverendingrainbow.org
www.99balloons.org

www.livingwithtrisomy13.org

Support for Trisomy on Facebook

Hope for Trisomy 13 and 18

Harmony

Sadly, Harmony is no longer available for adoption. Her country decided to remove her from the list of available kids for international adoption. She does live in a country that does take good care of their people with special needs.  I do hope she will be in a situation where she will be happy. I do wish her the best.

Fund-Raiser for Shaun

Shaun

I am starting a giveaway for Shaun. "Shaun" is an orphan in Eastern Europe listed on Reece's Rainbow. He is said to have Trisomy 18.  Trisomy 18 is quite common. It is when a baby is born having an three copies of Chromosome 18, rather than the usual two copies that everyone is supposed to have.  Trisomy 18 is also known as Edward's Syndrome. Most babies born with this condition are either miscarried, stillborn, or die shortly after birth. It is because they are often born with heart defects, anencephaly (missing all or most of the brain), kidney problems, and underdeveloped lungs. Cleft palates are common.  Occassionally, a child with Trisomy 18 will beat the odds and survive long past birth.  Some can live into adulthood.
There are some people with Mosaic Trisomy 18, when only half of their chromosomes have the extra copy. So, that means some of their DNA will be normal, others affected by the trisomy. They will have a milder case. They will be more likely to survive longer and have a better quality of life.
There are some support groups for people and families affected by Edwards Syndrome and some other similar chromosome disorders.  SOFT (SuppOrt For Trisomy) is a popular support group mostly for Trisomy 18 also Trisomy 13, which is a similar condition. SOFT also supports people and families with similar chromosonal abnormalties as well.

My main purpose for this blog post is to tell you about "Shaun".  "Shaun" is a pseudonym. He is an orphan in Russia. He is said to have Trisomy 18.  I am not sure if he has a full trisomy, mosaicism, or a translocation or deletion. I do know that he does have a cleft palate and some kidney issues. He is four years old now, and will turn five in November.  He has been living in an orphanage for many years, most likely his entire life. It is common for orphans with special needs to be transferred to institutions at the age of five.

The orphan database has a profile for Shaun. They say that he responds well to adults and knows his name. He is quiet and doesn't play with toys.

I have tried to find a family for Shaun for over a year. I decided to visit some sites on the internet that are for Trisomy 18. I e-mailed some page owners and told them about Shaun's situation. I didn't hear back from anyone. I visited some Facebook groups and posted Shaun's profile and I got some responses. Some families were seriously interested in Shaun, yet they said they only needed funding for his adoption.

An adoption from Shaun's region would cost around $24,000.  It is just an estimate.  These families have all had a child with Trisomy 18, and have had to deal with all the medical costs of taking care of that other child.  It's understandable that they would need a lot of funds to help adopt Shaun.

I have talked to an interested family as early as a few weeks ago. 

I KNOW Shaun will get adopted with just the right funding.  Today he has $1,950.60 in his adoption grant.  He needs all the help he can get to raise his grant.

I am accepting some donations for Shaun's adoption grant.  Anyone with anything to donate anything for the giveaway please e-mail me at butterfly_poette@hotmail.com

thank you in advance!