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Because every family deserves the blessing of a child with Down Syndrome...
Hunter, Forest and Ridge
Brothers – they need to be adopted together! They are said to be "very good boys"!
Hunter, The oldest, was born in March 2004
Hyperkinetic disorders/Hyperkinetic conduct disorder; Nonorganic sleep disorder/Emotional sleep disorder; Benign intracranial hypertension; Other specified diseases of gallbladder; Flat foot
Forest, the middle boy, was born in Aug. 2006
Mild mental delays; speech disorder
Ridge, the youngest brother was born in Aug.2008
Stenosis of pulmonary artery; currently he does not require surgery. Tuberculin skin test – positive?
Girl, born Dec 2008
Hydrocephalus, Severe mental delays
She is a very sweet and kind girl and extremely needs a family. She will be 5 this December, so any new family may commit to her and start preparing a dossier.
She has siblings, but none are available for adoption; 2 older sisters live with birth mother and 1 younger sister has been adopted.
From a family who met her in summer 2013:
She was in my kids' groupa. She is the sweetest little thing and needs out of there ASAP!!! She has the most noble quiet nature about her. She is mentally delayed but has so much potential. She was one of the least favored children in the orphanage and she is desperate for love. On one occasion she wandered over to the play shelter where we were playing and was trying to eat our daughter's cookie. We didn't have any extra (we brought treats for the groupa every three days or so) so my husband just picked her up to distract her and as soon as he did, she threw her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder just soaking in the attention. I can't bear the thought of her being transferred! She already has it bad enough.
Boy, born August 2011
Malabsorption due to intolerance, not elsewhere classified; Adherent leukoma (corneal plaque); Blindness, monocular (Visual impairment)
Eye color: brown
Hair color: blonde
Demetri is a calm, quiet boy.
He is available to be adopted now, as his special need is on the approved list.
Boy, born September 2011
Cerebral palsy, retinopathy, premature, severe myopia.
He cannot sit or stand.
Boy, born February 2003
Congenital malformation of entodermal canal, anus atresia (colostomy in 2003)
Rhyder is a very nice boy! He has had several operations, and currently wears diapers. He has "Absolutely normal mental development."
Boy, born June 2004
Silas #4-12 OD
This 7-year-old boy has congenital deformity of the lower limbs (club left foot – after surgical correction; flat feet; wears orthopedic shoes); moderate mental delay; congenital internal hydrocephalus (slight, not progressive, no surgical treatment is necessary); some disturbances in behavior.
He doesn't often get ill. He vocalizes and follows simple commands. As a result of the extra attention he has been getting in the last several months, he has demonstrated a good rate of compensating his delays and there has been a slight increase in the intensity of his psychological activity – he wants to go out, he demonstrates how much he enjoys going for a walk, he waits and gets annoyed when he is not taken outside at the regular time. He plays with toys. He helps the orphanage staff. He loves physical contact and initiates physical closeness with familiar adults. He likes getting individual attention.
Because we only have this child's file for a short time, he will not be able to receive donations until a family is found for him.
Boy, born May 2006
Congenital cerebral hernia, hydrocephalus, flail legs, slight mental delay, equinovarus, adenoid vegetations of I stage, paralytic strabismus, slight astigmatism, anemia, TB-infection, congenital heart disease (open oval window), diffuse goiter of I stage
This lovely boy has a long list of diagnoses, but SO much potential for growth in a loving family!
Trever #4-08 OD
This almost 8-year-old boy has moderate mental delay, cystic hydrocele and convergent concomitant strabismus.
He has built self-service skills (eats, dresses and undresses independently, potty-trained). He has marked progress in his speech development and tries to use more words and connect them in sentences. He interacts with children, albeit he prefers the company of adults.
Because we only have this child's file for a short time, he will not be able to receive donations until a family is found for him.
Boy, born May 2009
hydrocephaly, epysyndrom, spastic tetraparesis, congenital defect of brain development
Wylie has a handsome boy who is facing transfer soon.
*** This child has significant facial features of FAS (fetal alcohol syndrome). This is a cautionary disclosure to better prepare our potential adoptive families. Families considering this child should research and be prepared for the challenges that can come with this condition. You can learn more about FAS here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetal_alcohol_syndrome and post to our Facebook group to ask other adoptive parents about the challenges and blessings of children with FAS. ***
Yvette #413 OD
Girl, born January 2009
infantile cerebral palsy, symptomatic epilepsy, nystagmus, delayed physical and neuropsychological development. She takes a medication so as to prevent the seizures. She has daily rehabilitation, remedial massages and gymnastics.
In the last 4-5 months Yvette has started performing active movements with the hands – she reaches for and grabs a toy that has been handed to her. She turns from her back to one side. She loves it when someone talks to her and caresses her and she then produces joyful sounds. She maintains stable eye contact. She pronounces several one-syllable words.
Because we only have this child's file for a short time, she will not be able to receive donations until a family is found for her.
Boy, born Sept 2008
microcephaly with internal hydrocephalus, hyperkinetic behavioral disorder (ADHD), mental delays
*** This child has significant facial features of FAS (fetal alcohol syndrome). This is a cautionary disclosure to better prepare our potential adoptive families. Families considering this child should research the challenges that can come with this condition. You can learn more about FAS here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetal_alcohol_syndrome and post to our Facebook group to ask other adoptive parents about the challenges and blessings of children with FAS. ***
Girl, born Nov 2007
microcephaly with internal hydrocephalus, symptomatic epilepsy, spastic tetraparesis, profound mental delays, Coloboma of optic disc
Carolina is such a beautiful girl; beautiful brown hair with olive skin. She has cerebral palsy, and does wear AFO's on both feet.
From her medical records: Cerebral palsy, convergent squint, mental delay. She can walk by supporter or holding one hand. She says separate words, understands simple speech, is affectionate and friendly. Physical therapy and a loving family will bring MIRACLES for this little girl!
Carolina was transferred in 2011 to a boarding school (not an institution).
UPDATE August 2013:
Girl, born Jan 2009
Cerebral palsy, Epilepsy, partical optic atrophy , cross-eye, mental delay
What a pretty smile Lucie has! She could do so well with a family.
Girl, born Nov 2009
Epilepsy, left cross-eye
*** This child has significant facial features of FAS (fetal alcohol syndrome). This is a cautionary disclosure to better prepare our potential adoptive families. Families considering this child should research the challenges that can come with this condition. You can learn more about FAS here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetal_alcohol_syndrome and post to our Facebook group to ask other adoptive parents about the challenges and blessings of children with FAS. ***
Girl, born August 2007
CP dystonic-dyskinetic type, rough delay of static and locomotor activity, mental delay, umbilical hernia, congenital cataract, crossed eyes
Sweet Chantelle has a list of diagnoses, but her main need is a loving family! A family could help her reach her potential and save her from a life in a crib.
From a family who met her in fall 2013:
Chantelle is mostly kept in a laying room although I did seen her out in the main groupa room laying down in a gated play area. I believe she can roll around. I saw her holding things in her hands as well. She has a calm, sweet spirit and I had her smiling in the first minute of seeing her. I touched her precious little face and told her I loved her and she smiled. The other kids seem to love her and they liked going into the laying room to take pictures of her with me. Chantelle so needs a family now! She won't be kept at the baby house much longer. She is soooo beautiful, the pictures really don't do her justice.
Boy, born Sept 2007
Cerebral palsy, double spastic hemiplegia, partial atrophy of disks of vision nerves, crossed eyes
From someone who met Nash in 2012: Nash is a wonderful little boy. He is always quick to excitedly greet visitors with happy squeals and a formal hello, and is quite insistent visitors take a seat in the chair he brings over to them He is very helpful and obedient, and will sometimes bring toys over to the smaller kids in his group who cannot get toys for themselves. He is very talkative, but a lot of what he says is sort of like "Nash"-ese. He has no problem getting his point across, however, if it is important to him that you understand him! He likes to play with just about any toy; balls, legos, cars, light up toys, you name it he will play with it. He enjoys being silly and laughing, and especially thrives with one on one attention. He is generally a happy little guy, but does not like messes or rule breaking, and is not afraid to tell the other children "No" or try to right their wrongs if they are misbehaving. He very much aims to please! I feel Nash would adjust easily to and thrive in a family!
From a family who met him in Dec 2013: He seemed to be rocking more persistently. I noticed when music was being played or when we would actively engage him play he would rock nervously. However, he is a wonderfully sweet spirited child and is eager to please. He would always great us with a formal, "hello" and then lead us to take a seat. He never missed an opprotunity to rush out of the groupa and jump in our laps or include himself in whatever game we were playing with our boys. He so desperately wants to be loved. He called me, "Mama" and it broke my heart…how I wish I could have taken this precious boy as well. There were many days that we noticed him strapped to a chair or straight jacketed; I am not sure why because I never saw any self injurious behavior from him. He is very impulsive and easily excited but his joy simply radiates a room. He desperately deserves to be loved, valued and wanted….he only aims to please. The first thought that came to mind upon meeting him was, "He does NOT belong here"….he is so smart…though his speech is often slurred; but only slightly. He seems to be minorly effected by his hydrocephaly and gets along very well. His poor little hands do shake though; probably as a result of the pressure on his brain. I am unsure if he has been shunted or not; I felt around his head one day and did not feel the bump that would indicate he has. If he has not been shunted then that makes his case even more urgent. He desperately needs out! This boy has ALL the potential in the world…he just needs the right parents to break him free! I also have a video with him in it, if a family is interested.
Girl, born July 2008
Todd #21-12
Girl, born July 2007
Freeman Sheldon syndrome, both legs clubfoot (condition after surgery in 2011), developmental delays
From a family who met her, April 2014:
She seems gentle and quiet. Probably the oldest in her groupa. She plays appropriately although it seems she is a little on the outside of the other kids play sometimes, probably because she walks a little awkwardly from her feet being turned inwards. I personally would be surprised if she is actually mentally delayed. She walks well, just probably slower and I've not seen her try to run. I think she would be a real sweetheart.
Trudie #416 OD
Girl, 8-years-old
cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus, hypotrophy, severe aphasia, severe mental delay
She responds positively to stimulation and contact. This girl has a good emotional tone. She is sociable and calm. She can reaches for, holds and manipulates with toys.
She cooperates with her caregivers.
Because we only have this child's file for a short time, she will not be able to receive donations until a family is found for her.
Erickson #415 OD
Boy, 8 years old
severe mental delays, agenesis of the left kidney
Erickson has a stable health condition and hasn't been ill in the last year. He has significantly delayed neuropsychological development. He walks independently. He has good prehensile skills and responds to being called by name. He takes notice of his surroundings and makes attempts to interact and communicate with other children. A positive trend in his development has been observed over time.
Because we only have this child's file for a short time, he will not be able to receive donations until a family is found for him.
Simeon is a beautiful Roma child with dark hair and big brown eyes. He is significantly delayed, and diagnosed with cerebral palsy. We are trying to get more information on his social history. Simeon is a fraternal twin, whose sister has already been adopted.
Simeon has an older sister who is available for adoption, and in the same orphanage. We hope to have more information on her soon.
Simeon is described as mostly non-verbal, and is not able to walk on his own. There just seems to be so much potential for him in a family environment. He is already an outcast because of his darker skin and will be left institutionalized – and likely bedridden — if not adopted.
From a family who visited with him in 2011: Simeon is barely responsive to stimuli, but I believe that could change if he received regular, loving attention. I didn't observe any of the orphanage workers spending much time interacting with him. There were times that I was able to get him to smile and grip my hand. After a few days, he was even able to clap! But most of the time he is staring off in any direction and seems completely unable to control most of his movements. He was always either lying down or propped up in a sitting position. I never heard him speak. I also never heard him cry or fuss. Overall, a very calm child.
Married couples only, larger families and older parents welcome.
Carris #418 OD
Girl, born Dec 2004
spina bifida and hydrocephalus — a shunt has been installed for the girl's hydrocephalus; a surgery is being planned for her spina bifida
She is in a good general condition, with limited motor activity. Photo from 2010.
In terms of psychological development the child has been developing well: has well-developed perceptions and notions; good associative abilities; initiates interactions with all the children in her group; has skills for participating in group activities; has a good emotional tone; eats independently.
Because we only have this child's file for a short time, she will not be able to receive donations until a family is found for her.
Keith #419
Boy, born June 2009
Hydrocephalus, epilepsy, atrophy of the left cerebral hemisphere, eye issues and blindness, and delayed psychomotor development
Keith stands up in his bed and makes steps sideways and he crawls. He takes a toy on his own initiative, transfers it from one hand into the other. He smiles when someone talks to him, laughs aloud when jested and produces syllables.
Because we only have this child's file for a short time, he will not be able to receive donations until a family is found for him.
Mona #28-1
Age: 8
Diagnosis: developmental delays
Mona is physically healthy. She has delays in her development. At the time of her last report, she was talking, walking, feeding herself and had recently started attending school. She has been assigned a 1:1 caregiver to work with her several days a week and she has been demonstrating continuous progress since that began.
Additional photos and videos are available.
Because we only have this child's file for a short time, she will not be able to receive donations until a family is found for her.
Boy, born January 2001
mental delays, spastic tetraparesis, convulsive disorder
Sweet Denzel! He is tube fed through his nose, and often swaddled to prevent him from removing the tube. He 'lights up' and smiles widely when presented with musical toys — a greatly welcome distraction from his days spent staring at the ceiling. There is so much a family could provide for him!
Boy, born August 1999
HIV, mental delays, nonverbal, possible autism
From a missionary who met him in 2013:
Garion is a very active boy. He is one of the few children in the institution who seeks out ways to occupy his time. He loves to be outside and is often found climbing trees or playing in the dirt pile. He likes to carry a bucket around and fill it with the odds and ends he finds. He needs more stimulation then he gets in the institution. Garion does not talk, but he smiles at anyone who smiles and waves at him. He responds to his name. He is wary of strangers, but I was able to gain his trust. He does not like to be touched but eventually allowed me to kiss his hand.
One evening I spent an hour with him, throwing back and forth a ball made out of a pair of rolled-up tights. I would recommend Garion for a family that does not have young children. I really loved this boy and felt like he needed someone to work with him to bring him out of his shell.
Physically Garion seems fine. He is the right size and build for a kid his age. He is not small or too thin or anything.
I really, really loved this boy. Emotions pass over his face so plainly, and he looks scared a lot of the time. I think that the world doesn't make much sense to Garion. I had to work really hard to gain his trust, but I see so much potential in him.
Girl, born February 2011
Cerebral palsy, microcephaly, pseudobulbar syndrome, focal symptomatic epilepsy
Mildred is so young — she could really thrive with the love and care of a family!
Amilee #34-7 G
Girl, born April 2007
Congenital hemolytic anemia, epilepsy, infantile cerebral paralysis, congenital cytomegalovirus infection (a serological testing was conducted), club feet, severe speech delays
Amilee demonstrates a positive attitude when interacting with an adult. She moves in space by turning from back to belly and vice versa. The child's gross motor skills are underdeveloped. She needs anticonvulsant therapy, monthly hemotransfusions and special care.
The child is thoroughly dependent on the adults for dressing, bathing and eating. She is fed with a spoon by an adult, drinks from a bottle.
Amilee's emotions are mostly positive. When she communicates with an adult she becomes more active and smiles. The child's emotional reactions are addressed towards the adult, she looks for his attention and vocalizes when she is teased and when becomes emotional.
Additional medical information available.
Because we only have this child's file for a short time, she will not be able to receive donations until a family is found for her.
Gina (Missy)
Girl, born September 2008
Cerebral palsy
Gina has a sunshiney smile!
More pictures available, but she is seated in this chair in all the pictures we have.
From a family who met her in August 2013:
Precious Gina is so willowy and gentle. She is being loved and cared for in her baby house. She is soon to be transferred, though. Her groupa goes outside twice daily on nice days and she sits in a stroller staring at the leaves and feeling the breeze. When touched and cuddled, she moves her head toward you. Her skin is soft, and her hands are so gentle. She blinks with delicate eyelashes and seems to be trying to clear the fog to see you. I got to see her several times and each time her face lit up with a smile and she moved her chest side to side rhythmically to acknowledge her joy at being noticed. She is so full of life, and needs more therapy to help her reach her full potential. Gina deserves so much more than what she has been given. If only her mom and dad could look into her eyes and see how much life is behind them. She is a treasure, and is in desperate need of a family as she approaches the age of transfer. The institution she is headed for will not offer her anywhere near what she has now. Please see Gina before she is lost forever.
Gina received massage therapy regularly, is in diapers, and could use some dental care. She is very thin, but is being offered excellent nutrition. She is in a region that we felt comfortable having just mom stay for much of the travel. More pictures and a video available.
From a family who met her in early 2014:
I did get to see her several times while the door was open to the groupa's play room. She is so very skinny now. When she was left in her crib she was usually crying and trying to roll over. One day there was a sweet nanny holding her and singing to her. She had the biggest beautiful smile and was loving being rocked and sung to! Her hair looked like it had grown out some. She had really beautiful, sweet curls.
Gina is now available for international adoption as she recently turned 5.
Gregory #G
Boy, born May 2007
mixed disorders of behavior and emotions, mild mental delays; suspected autism
Gregory prefers adults he is familiar with, rather than peers. When something new catches his attention he is smiling and alive. There is no developed expressive speech: he does not speak, produces only sounds. He understands what is said to him by an adult and what he is expected to do.
He has no developed abilities to play. He does not play with toys, does not use household goods according to their purpose. Does not participate in group games. Gregory prefers to be alone, does not initiate contact with other children. His self-help skills are not appropriate for his age.
Additional information and pictures available from the agency.
Because we only have this child's file for a short time, he will not be able to receive donations until a family is found for him.
Kelvin Philip
Boy, born January 2007
Down syndrome
Handsome Kelvin is 7 years old, and waiting for his family!
From a family who met him in June 2014:
This calm little guy came up to me with pleading eyes for attention and is just so polite. God has heard his prayers, and now he is listed for adoption! He is not overbearing or competitive at all. Rather, he is observant and inquisitive. He is about the size of a six year-old and just so gentle. I would take him home in a heartbeat if he was available before. He takes turns riding the red wagon around the orphanage grounds as the bigger boys pull him, and he gestures politely for fresh fruit when he sees it is available. He is kind to other children. He says a few words in his native language, and listened carefully when I was giving descriptions of my family photos. I have confidence that he would do wonderfully in any kind of family, and it is obvious– he can surely reciprocate love! He enjoyed throwing balls, going on walks, playing see-saw, and listening to English descriptions. Whoever adopts this little love will be so blessed to call him a beloved son.
Cerebral palsy, spastic low paraparesis, retinopathy
Such a handsome boy! He has such beautiful big eyes.
Large families welcome, travel required. Married couples only.
Girl, Born March 5, 2005
Irina is a beautiful girl with dark hair and big dark eyes. She has a cleft palate. She is cognitively delayed, likely as a result of FAS. She is a precious and happy little girl, and will do great in a family. She can be *assertive* at times, but responds very well to individual attention and will really thrive as the "baby".
Irina is a child who keeps to herself. Usually, if she plays with others, she prefers to stay in small groups, but she also can be okay with larger groups of children. She prefers playing with children younger than she is. Irina is a good listener and is a sweet and sensitive child.
If you are unfamiliar with FAS, please spend some time researching this condition. Just as with Down syndrome, FAS and FAE have a wide variation of effects on each child, both medically, physically, and cognitively. This is typically dependent on how long during the pregnancy the mother consumed alcohol, and of course, how much. There is no way to know this ahead of time.
Irina has been transferred to the older child internat now. She is with Juri and Jefferson.
Girl, born April 2008
Anophthalmos of the left eye, optic atrophy of the right eye, spastic tetraparesis
Kanani has been transferred!
Lovely Kanani needs a family to help her reach her full potential.
From a family who met her in May 2012:
Large families welcome; travel required.Kanani is very sweet girl. She is well cared for in a good orphanage by caring nannies. She gets lots of outside time when it's warm out but this time is spent lying down in the stroller as she can't sit on her own. She can hold on to your fingers and seems to just love to have attention although with her eye troubles it is difficult for her to respond. She likes to have her cheek stroked and her hand held. She is quite stiff and in need of physiotherapy and most of all love and attention. We were told that she will be transferred to an institution very soon unless a family is found as children at this orphanage are typically transferred at age 4.
Boy, born December 2010
Todd is such a handsome fellow!
All we know is that he is listed as "blind" — not sure if he has any vision at all.
Carmen #1-9
Diagnosis: delays in all aspects of development
Carmen has spent most of her life in a family environment. She was raised by her birth mother until she was 3 years old. At that time, she was placed in a mental institution where the children are generally well cared for. At the age of 5, she was placed with a foster family. The family is missionaries and she lived with them for over 2 years, at which point they had to return to their home country. She moved from their home to another foster home, where she lived for over a year. At the age of 8, she was placed in a group home style orphanage, where she lives today. She was placed in the group home because her foster mother moved to a different town and could not take Carmen with her. The foster mother still visits her when she is able and takes her for weekend trips. She is well loved by therapists and others who've been involved in her care over the years and they've advocated for her to help her find a forever family.
Carmen is considered delayed in all aspects of her development. She feeds herself and drinks from an open cup. She walks and can go up and down steps independently. She cooperates with all self-help skills such as dressing and undressing. She maintains eye contact and responds to her name. Her speech is delayed, but she understands what is said to her. When she sees something she likes or wants, she will smile and clap. She interacts with the other children and participates in games and group activities. She is making progress in all aspects of her development. Her report has not been updated in over a year, so we are working to get information on her current developmental progress.
Girl, Born September 27, 2006
Boy, born 2014
Down syndrome, heart murmur
Will be available in Fall 2014.
Oh my goodness! That sweet face! I bet he's full of personality…
girl, born 2011
ventricular and atrial septal defects, cleft hard and soft palate
Girl, born 2012
CP, dual hemiplegia
Judith cannot walk or sit independently. But she shows interest in toys and reacts to speech addressed to her.
Boy, born 2011
CP, mental delay
Griffin can walk with help, understands simple instructions, can say separate words.
Boy, born 2013
Hydrocephalus, disorder of brain, spastic hemiplegia, umbilical hernia, ectopic perinal testis, hereditary optic atrophy, alternating esotropia, cardiac murmur, vit d deficiency
Iverson #
Boy, 4 years old
Spina bifida (post-op), non-foregoing hydrocephalus (will NOT need a surgery), luxation of the hip joints (which can be fixed by a surgery), One leg motor function and sensitivity are kept, after the surgery it is very possible he could use this leg
Kidneys are functioning normally; incontinent.
Iverson is very sweet and nice – the staff is adamant that the child has a lot of potential and individual work with him can make a significant progress.
Iverson is emotionally positive – when we went to take the pictures and the videos, he started crying for a while because he was surrounded by 7 people, but stopped crying in a few minutes and gave us a smile that we tried to catch on the video.
He likes to examine books and watching movies – he has a quite smart look and he is interested in every noise and all he sees. Iverson uses very well his upper limbs – his own moves and rotates his chair.
Iverson is trying to speak, but we could not catch him – it was only once for a few seconds, but the staff said he speaks a lot but at his own language, doesn't pronounce very well (all the kids in orphanages have the same problem because of the luck of personal attention). He initiates contact with adults.
Because we only have this child's file for a short time, he will not be able to receive donations until a family is found for him.
Boy, born 2000
Down syndrome
From a family who visited with him in 2014:
In all my interaction and time with Dillon, I never saw the slightest sign that he was aggressive or had the ability to hit children. In fact, out of all the boys there, Dillon is the most gentle, softhearted, and kind. I did see some horse play and pinching between the other boys, but never Dillon. Dillon is calm, extremely happy, and joyful, and very soft and slow with his movements.
From another family who met him:
He is beautiful! absolutely a treasure. a teddy bear my hubby says. When he first met me, he kissed my hand to say hello, and then he kissed (my husband's) hand. He has a beautiful smile! We visited him again later that night. He gave me a huge hug. He just wraps his arms around you very tight! He is quiet, but sat next to me and loves to spend time with you. Today, when we arrived and gave the kids cookies, he was so happy. We have a video where he sets down what he has in one hand just to say hello to the camera. He is full of smiles. When we left, I went up to him and he put the world's hugest smile on his face and put his arms out in a straight "t", armed and ready for a tight hug! An absolute treasure is the best way to describe him He is more than that. He loves to play soccer. He runs and plays and laughs. He will be a huge blessing to a family! Also very gentle!
Girl, born 2000
Down syndrome, mental delays
Such a lovely young lady — she's been waiting so long for a family of her own.
Boone #473
Boy, nearly 2-years-old
a condition after surgery for internal hydrocephalus (valve installation) and meningomyelocele regio thoracolumbalis; lower flaccid paraplegia; equinovarus in the right slight convergent strabismus of the left eye.
The child performs a full range of movements with his upper limbs. His latest check-up examination with a neurosurgeon was in March, 2014: head circumference 46 cm; the child is in a good general condition, conscious, satisfactory tonus, with clinical evidence of normal functioning of the shunt.
The boy plays with different toys in a different manner. He prefers musical toys.The child is emotional. He smiles, laughs and rejoices when involved in joint games and activities. He distinguishes between familiar and unfamiliar people. He is insistent in seeking adults' attention and affection. The boy imitates sounds and is trying to pronounce his first words.
Because we only have this child's file for a short time, he will not be able to receive donations until a family is found for him.
Astor #472
Boy, 5 years old
hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, symptomatic epilepsy (no seizures and medication since Jan 2011), latent infantile cerebral palsy and mild mental delay.
He walks independently; his gait is stable, although characterized by some CP features. He gradually improves his coordination and movements.
He eats well independently. He drinks from a cup with a little help by an adult. He uses the potty purposefully but he does not control his physiological needs yet, although he has developed notions about them. The boy takes off his shoes, socks and trousers by himself. He enjoys helping with household chores: cleaning the table, putting the toys back on their places, arranging objects and throwing garbage at the respective places
He seeks getting attention and interactions with familiar adults and he easily establishes contact with strangers as well. He prefers interacting with adults but he also joins some of the joint activities with the children from his group- he watches them and tries to do what they do. He follows various instructions very well, even such that have been addressed to another child. He can easily be persuaded with words.
The child has slightly delayed development. He shows good results from the physical therapy and pedagogical rehabilitation. The staff at the orphanage reports that this boy has very good potential for further development if raised in a family environment.
Update July 2014
The boy is very sociable and extremely responsive to interactions. He maintains very stable eye contact, listens intently to what he is told, responds adequately, smiles back at people, initiates interactions and comes up with his own ideas about what to do.
He is very independent and often refused help during my visit and preferred to try harder and do things by himself.
He has such a good attention span for a child his age and he obviously greatly enjoys being involved in educational activities.
As reported by the orphanage psychologist, he is striving for perfection and would not stop performing a given task until everything is in order and in the right place. He would not proceed to a next task before putting the things from the previous one back where they belong and he would not leave a room before closing its door. He is quite sharp and does not need instructions to be repeated to him. He is eager to please and get adults' approval and praise. He is not embarrassed to seek an adult's help when needed.
It is very easy to communicate with him, despite his unclear pronunciation. He has a lot to share and does whatever it takes to make himself understood and make his wishes known. Seeing how he is doing in an orphanage environment, he would undoubtedly just flourish in a family.
Because we only have this child's file for a short time, he will not be able to receive donations until a family is found for him.
Nadia #25-63
Girl, 5 1/2 years old
She is extremely sweet and smart, and doing very well!!!
She has been diagnosed with: "Children's Cerebral Palsy. Spastic quadriparesis, average degree" and shows very good potential for development. She has exceptional spirit and constant striving to prove herself, which is also stimulated by the foster mother.
She recognizes and writes printed letters of the Bulgarian alphabet, counts to 20 and writes the numbers correctly. She is looking for and requests information about the surrounding reality, about the progress and organization of her routine, she is curious and studious. Her attention becomes more and more stable.
She continuously enriches her active and passive vocabulary, she has difficulties in pronunciation of longer and more complex words, but even with this, her words are understandable to the listener. With pleasure she makes brief retells of events from her everyday life, sings songs and recites poems. Easily and with desire she masters new knowledge and diligently performs given to her tasks.
Nadia has good emotional relation with the foster mother and the other members of the foster family. She distinguishes known and unknown adults. She is looking, initiates and makes good contact with the surrounding social environment.
After the conducted medical interventions, she makes tries to walk, supported by an adult, develops her skills for independence, shows her emotions and recognizes others emotions and feelings, enriches her passive and active vocabulary, she is studious and with pleasure demonstrates her knowledge and skills, develops confidence and builds her self-confidence, initiates and maintains good social contacts. The care and love of the foster parents unfolded the potential of the child and she masters and develops new knowledge, builds positive idea for herself and for the surrounding world.
Because we only have this child's file for a short time, she will not be able to receive donations until a family is found for her.
Dakota #1-10
Age: 3
Diagnosis: Spina bifida aperta at L1 – S2 – surgically corrected, bottom flaccid paraplegia; Internal hydrocephalus – VP shunt was placed on October 03, 2011; Brain atrophy and agenesis of corpus callosum; Partial atrophy of the optic nerve; Accidental cardiac murmur; Iron-insufficiency anemia
Due to the spina bifida, the child is moving in the space by crawling and with the help of his hands (the legs are lacking movements and sensitivity). He sits actively and makes attempts to pull up to a standing position by holding on to a support. He demonstrates motion activity and initiative. He gets to an object desired by him. If a toy is taken away from him by another child, he cries. He is with good visual-motor coordination (eye-hand, hand-hand), picks up objects and transfers them from one to another hand, all the while the eyes following the movements. He traces with a look a falling object. He follows with a look in all four directions (left/right/up/bottom). He has a palmar grip. He plays with the toys according to their purpose.
The speech background is at the level of accidental combinations of sounds and doubling the syllables. He "babbles". He uses at least three conscious words. He understands simple orders – "come here", and "give me this". He turns when called by his name. He differentiates between familiar persons and strangers. He differentiates the tone of the speech. He hums 2-3 melodies of children's songs. He makes a good eye contact. He is in the beginning stage of imitation. He is calm and with good emotional tonus. He is emotionally responsive. He purposefully seeks the contacts with adults and children. He demonstrates jealousy if not paid attention. He is easily calmed down when picked up. He eats with appetite from a spoon and fed by an adult. He drinks independently from a cup.
Because we only have this child's file for a short time, he will not be able to receive donations until a family is found for him.
Alexander #19-5
Age: 2
Diagnosis: Achondroplasia (dwarfism) and delays in his development
Alexander lags behind in his physical development. At the time of his medical report, he could roll from back to stomach, but was not yet sitting up. He was pronouncing combinations of sounds. He plays with toys and enjoys musical games and activities. He seeks out interactions with other children and adults.
More details about his development, along with new photos and videos will be obtained.
Because we only have this child's file for a short time, he will not be able to receive donations until a family is found for him.
Malachi #4-10
Age: 1
Diagnosis: Hypothyroidism
After birth, doctors suspected Malachi had Down syndrome. They later decided that he did not, but no genetic testing was ever done. His heart was checked at the national cardiology hospital and was determined to be normal. He's also had brain scans, hip Xrays and other testing, which is all normal. At this time, his only medical diagnosis is hypothyroidism and he is on medication for this condition.
Malachi has been living with a foster family since he was just a few months old. He stands up in his crib holding on to the side. He sits independently and crawls. He walks while holding on to an adult's hand. He currently has 8 teeth and eats from a spoon. He waves hello/goodbye and claps his hands to cheer. He listens when spoken to and laughs out loud when teased. He differentiates between familiar and non familiar people. He picks up and holds toys. He is saying individual words. He loves to be hugged and smiles when spoken to.
Because we only have this child's file for a short time, he will not be able to receive donations until a family is found for him.
Boy, born 2013
Multiple congenital arthrogryposis, internal hydrocephalus, open oval window
Sally #25-55
Girl, born 2011
Arthrogryposis multiplex congenita. Agenesis of right kidney.
Motor Development – she turns independently and many times from back to stomach and vice verse. She makes attempts to sit up on her own and when the upper part of the body is lying down on the slightly raised support, she is able to sit up without any help. She is happy from everything that she achieved alone and is looking for a suitable place to lie down and exercise alone the sitting. She moves in space by moving herself in seated position. She actively uses the opportunities for movement. The child shows desire for walking and held by an adult by the armpits, she walks with diligence, but she has no stable support in her legs, sank/drops herself, and holds her legs bent at the knees and wide apart, often raises her legs in the air and does not touch the floor. When climbing stairs when held by adult, she steps steadily on her feet and rotates them consecutively, stepping on the next step. When placed in a walker she moves by pushing herself with her chest. When placed reclining in front of adult, she exercise pressure with her foot on a cylinder module.
Habits – developmental age – 12 months. She drinks from a cup with adult's help, feeds with a spoon given by adult, bites off but does not chew the food, she just sucks it putting it on her palate. She alone takes a piece of bread put on the table, with her lips. She shows desire for independent feeding and enjoys when the spoon is put in her hand. She reluctantly accepts when placed on pot, but more often performs her physiological needs in it.
Pictorial activity – 15 months. She alone leaves traces on a paper, holding the pencil with lips. She is happy of joint drawing with adult, with a pencil placed between her fingers.
Emotional-social development – developmental age – 24 months – with positive attitude, feisty. She shows initiative and independence. The child reacts with joy of close to her adult's approval and with displeasure to ban, she is radiant, calm, and actively spends the awake time. She enters in interaction with the other children in the group.
Speech – developmental age – 21 months. She understands adult's the speech, pronounces 10-12 words – sentences. She tries to connect two words in a sentence. More often expresses her reluctance for something, in verbal way. She makes transfer of her vision, received from the perception of real object, in the perception of the relevant image on the picture and identifies them – she names 5 images in pictures – ball, phone, cup, shoes, baby.
Update July 2014.
Yesterday we visited the little girl 2555. We are amazed by this little girl – she is one of the sweetest girls I have ever seen and at the same time she is fighter who doesn't want to give up on the smallest of things! She is so full of energy and life! She is very smart and intellectually preserved, and mentally developing very well! Her potential is huge! I am honestly in love with this little girl! She made me laugh as she is really funny, smile with tenderness, and at the same time, I had tears in my eyes knowing that she still does not have a family to help her and love her through the difficulties she is going through. The orphanage staff helps her a lot and takes the best possible care for her but they can never be compared to what mommy and daddy can give. I truly hope that the family forever for little girl will find her very soon!
Antoinette #24-33
Girl, 2 years
Cerebral palsy, blind, deaf
March 2014 update:
No physical activity and initiative. Muscle tone – quadri-hypertonus and normoreflexia. Takes a passive seat with adherence, has elbow support but shows poor balance reactions. Gripping reflex – upon touch with, grips for a short while. Visual – motor coordination /hand-to-hand; Hand-foot-thigh; Hand-foot-mouth /. Visual analyzer – horizontal nystagmus, amaurosis, atrophy of optic nerve. Does not follow and fixate a bright object. Does not wince and does not orient in the direction of strong acoustic stimulus, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. Pronounced "seeking" reflex and pathological oral automatisms. Speech production – coo sounds and vocalizations. Affective reactions – heavily decreased mimical facial expression, responds to tactile stimulation, "facade" smile is observed briefly.
Autonomy – positioned entirely by an adult. She feeds with an appetite and permanently gains on weight. Sleep – short periods of wakefulness.
Because we only have this child's file for a short time, she will not be able to receive donations until a family is found for her.
Calvin #21-13
Age: 1
Diagnosis: Hydrocephalus with implanted VP shunt, Agenesis of the corpus callosum
Calvin's shunt was replaced in January 2014 and is operational at this time. He can control his head and hold it up when he is picked up. He turns from back to stomach. He happily rocks in the children's rocking chair. He can keep 2 toys in his hands and hit them one against the other. He studies a toy given to him and rocks it to produce a sound. He looks for a toy that he has dropped and he also picks up a toy close to him. He reacts adequately and emotionally to attention – smiles widely, keeps constant eye contact and vivifies. He is calm while awake. He gives his hands when asked for them. He vocalizes to attract the attention. He often puts his fingers in his mouth. He pronounces syllables independently and by imitation.
Because we only have this child's file for a short time, he will not be able to receive donations until a family is found for him.
Fitz #471
6-year-old boy (pic in yellow from 2009)
update from March 2014:
He has been diagnosed with chromosomopathy –chromosome 4 short-arm deletion (Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome); congenital eye anomaly – complete blindness of the right eye and partial blindness of the left eye; microcephalus; epilepsy treated with two anti-convulsion medications. Following the therapy, he has not had any seizures.
He is a bedridden child who turns his body sideways and crosses his legs. His legs do not support his body. He keeps his head upright when lifted from his bed. He cannot see, he does not follow objects with his eyes or look closely at them. He does not hold a toy that has been handed to him but he grabs hold of the bars of his crib.
This boy becomes still and smiles slightly when someone caresses his cheeks or speaks to him, in which case he listens intently, reacts to the sounds and trembles. He is calm and quiet in his time awake.
Update from June 2014. The boy is currently 6 years old. Despite his age, his development is greatly delayed in relation with his medical condition and diagnoses. He spends his time lying in a crib, in a room with two other bedridden children in very severe condition and one caregiver. He is currently placed in a hospital (part of the orphanage got transferred to a hospital and all their children who could benefit from constant medical attention are now placed there). He continues taking the two medications mentioned in his medical records for epilepsy. While there is some hope that some of the vision in his left eye might be preserved, according to the temporary substitute for the orphanage director, his hearing might be impaired as a result of neuritis.
He is still fed with a feeding tube and seems to accept food well as he has gained weight compared to the older photo of him and looks much heavier now. According to the orphanage, he gets some rehabilitation (a massage and respiratory gymnastics) every day from Monday to Friday.
He can now maintain a sitting position and the caregiver places him in a sitting position in his crib.
Lilly #46-6
Age: 2
Diagnosis: intrauterine hypotrophy and microcephalus
Lilly walks independently. She reaches for toys that are handed to her but still has a short attention span. She watches other children in the playroom but does not initiate interactions with them. She prefers to play alone. She does participate in organized activities with her group. She responds when being called by name. She produces some syllables, but is not yet talking. She recognizes familiar adults and smiles when they give her attention.
Because we only have this child's file for a short time, she will not be able to receive donations until a family is found for her.
Girl, born 2003
Girl, born 2001
Girl, born late 2002
Slight mental delay, simple astigmatism
From a family who met her in 2014:
This young lady is very sweet! She is in school and just finished the 3rd level. Betsy likes to color, read, run, swing on the playground, and dance. When we were able to talk to her she seemed slightly shy but very calm and gentle. Betsy is articulate and seems only slightly delayed. She and my daughter hugged and cried when they had to say good-bye. Betsy really wants to come to America. She would be a wonderful addition to any family!
I would love to share more with seriously interested families.
Boy, born early 2004
Slight mental delay, astigmatism, mitral valve prolapse of I stage
From a family who met him in 2014:
This boy is an absolute treasure! He is kind-hearted and thoughtful of others. Brock enjoys dancing in school productions, doing school work on the computer, shooting hoops, playing soccer, reading books, painting and cutting out art projects, and sliding down slides. He is one of my daughter's really good friends. They hugged and cried when my daughter left the orphanage. Brock desperately needs a family to rescue him and give him a joyful life full of love.
I would love to share more with seriously interested families.
Boy, born July 2009
spina bifida (myelocele), hydrocephalus (subcompensation), moderate mental delays, functional systolic murmur, astigmatism, crossed eyes, delay of physical development, spastic talipes paralyticus, spastic dislocation of the hips.
Alaric #25-15
Boy, born 2009
Down syndrome
Alaric has delays in psycho-motor development. Senses(sight, hearing) are preserved. Alaric can not walk alone, he bears a short distance, leaning on solid objects. He makes steps forward with the support from an adult. He can sit stable. He gets up holding something for support. Alaric reaches for toys and holds them. Tries to play with them for a while. Trying to separate the index finger from the other fingers when playing simple games. Sways to the rhythm of familiar children's songs. Listens to speech. Pronounces separate syllables, but not meaningful words. Alaric can distinguish familiar from unfamiliar people. He reacts with joy to contact and quickly involves in the proposed game. He prefers communicating with an adult than playing with other children or handling toys. In an emotional aspect the child is calm, with a serene, cheerful mood. With regard to his physiological needs – feeding, dressing and undressing, hygiene, the child is dependent on adults.
Sadler #1049
Boy, born 2004
Moderate delays in neuro-psychical development, Secondary hypothyroidism, nanism
Sadler understands and keeps the rules in the group and in school. He works with a speech therapist and psychologist in order improving his development of physical processes and speech.
Sadler is smiley, good-natured. He loves to be object of an adult's attention. He recognizes different emotional conditions – happiness, resentment, sadness.
He uses simple sentences. He knows the children from the group, he knows the names of the children and the adults from the staff in the Home and the school. He is able to have a conversation, he asks questions, and answers with simple sentences to asked questions. He shows interest and involves himself in organized activities with the children from the group.
Because we only have this child's file for a short time, he will not be able to receive donations until a family is found for him.
Melaney #
Girl, age 6
From March 2014 – The child is sightless, but there is a good physical activity and orientation. The ability to walk freely and overcome various obstacles is improving more and more. Very well coordinated movements, allowing progressive complexity. She goes up and down stairs with support, alternating both feet and follows the adults. The child runs held by a hand or on her own. She very much loves to walk around for long with and adult.
plays with it for a long period of time. She likes to move marbles in a maze. She holds small cubes in her hands and bangs with them.
She plays with toys for a long period of time. She likes to move marbles in a maze. She holds small cubes in her hands and bangs with them.
Because we only have this child's file for a short time, she will not be able to receive donations until a family is found for her.
Cullen #12-4
Update January 2012: Cullen is in 4th grade this year. He knows the names of all the children in his class and has a best friend. He pronounces short words and simple sentences. He can repeat numbers and counts to 5 with help. He is very musical and loves to dance.
Additional photos and videos of Cullen are available.
Cullen is 12 years old. He's been living in a mental institution since the age of 5. He is completely healthy with no physical delays or health problems. Cullen is in 3rd grade at a local special education school. He enjoys going on walks and field trips. He plays with blocks, mechanical toys and kitchen sets. He engages in pretend play. He likes to look at books and will look at the pictures in the book and point to objects in them upon request. He can identify animals and foods and choose them from photos. He has well developed self-help skills. He's toilet trained, feeds himself, dresses himself, folds his own clothes and washes his hands and face independently before bed each night.
John #26-20
Age: 11
Diagnosis: Defect of the development of the skull and facial bones
John has well developed gross and fine motor skills. He loves to play sports. He has age appropriate self help skills. He assists with tasks in the orphanage such as cleaning the dining room, serving food, and cleaning his room. He is doing well in school. He has started computer classes, which he enjoys. He has a good attention span and a very good imagination. He answers questions accurately. He can tell a story based on pictures. He enjoys interacting with other children his age. He likes to watch cooking shows on TV and dreams of becoming a chef. He has age appropriate behaviors and acts appropriately in the presence of other children and adults. He participates in group activities. He helps the children who have physical disabilities that impact their mobility by bringing them items and pushing their wheelchairs.
One of John's best friends is in the process of being adopted. John has verbally expressed his desire to be adopted and come to the US. He is in an orphanage that prepares children for being adopted and works with families during the adoption process to ensure the child is prepared to join a family.
From an adoptive family who met him in July 2014: "Met this boy who is every bit of amazing!! His picture isn't a good resemblance, it makes him look older. He is actually smaller looking in person. He is so thoughtful, kind, and has wonderful manners. Yesterday they asked if he would bring us a chair and he quickly gave us his chair and asked his friend to give his chair and then went for other chairs. He quickly says thank you for everything and today thanked us for spending time with him and said he had "it was a pleasure"! He wants a family, three boys from his group home will be going home this year. He loves to cook and the nannies say he can prepare entire meals. He is 11. Very bright, he knows all the workers schedules, he loves responsibility and smiled so much to be in charge of the keys for the gate. A young girl in a wheel chair asked him to push her and he was happy to do so. This is an amazing son just waiting for a family. Please help me find them!!! "
The agency has additional photos and videos of John.
Clark #2-59
Age: 2
Diagnosis: Generalized disorder in development
Clark has been living with a foster family for over a year. His foster mother is a "professional foster parent" and there are 3 other foster children. Clark is the oldest of the 4 children placed in the home. He is physically healthy with no documented medical needs. He is walking, pronouncing random syllables and attends day care.. He prefers to play alone and has difficulty in social situations. He recently underwent an extensive evaluation by a psychiatrist who diagnosed him with "Generalized disorder in development".
Additional photos and a detailed report are available through the agency.
Boy, born mid-2009
FAS, infantile autism
Marsha #4-62
Age: 4
Diagnosis: polymalformative syndrome, chromosomopathy and developmental delays
Marsha's birth mother was just 16 years old when Marsha was born and raised her for 3 years. After several hospital stays, Marsha was placed in the orphanage. She has delays in all aspects of her development, but has been making steady progress since entering the orphanage. She is walking independently, playing with toys and seeking out the attention of caregivers appropriately. She is not yet talking, but is learning to feed herself. Updated photos and videos will be available soon.
Girl, born July 1999
Down syndrome
Clarice's pictures are so fun to see – she seems to be all sunshine and motion! She has such an amazing grin!
Clarice is so tiny; and she has many facial features of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, in addition to her Down syndrome.
She has the personality of an impetuous toddler- very high energy and eager to try everything life has to offer. She too needs a family, and the sooner the better. The possibilities for a child to thrive when they reach a family are endless. She will definitely need medical attention, as you can tell from just seeing her teeth, and lots of patient instruction and guidance.
Update from May 2014:
CClarice has a sunshine smile, twinkling eyes, and a unique set of needs, as she is the victim of at least one confirmed type of maternal substance abuse in addition to having Down Syndrome and scoliosis. She has spent the entirety of her almost-15 years of her life without the essential and nurturing maternal and paternal bond. She is a sweet-natured, not loud, strong, and curious child who is the size of a slender six year-old. She is cognitively about two years old. She IS able to obey the stern orphanage nannies, and enjoys massage, stroller rides, sensory activities if she is offered, joint stimulation, and can walk. Clarice can engage in purposeful play and follow basic instructions. She bear-crawls (think Jungle Book) many times, and really has a gentle disposition. Her eyes are innocent and kind, and her personality is gentle and sweet. It is not fair to expect a child in this condition to "perform" for a room full of adults, and she is enamored and thankful with any offers of play or stimulation. She has a self-stimming habit of pushing on her private parts under her underpants, but as I have learned in the DS community, this is probably a result of a lack of sensory input. So, if given the right redirection through sensory play, her habit could be redirected. Clarice has the strength of a man when she wants you to hold her, and it is my opinion that it is unsuitable for her to have several physically smaller siblings. However, that is not legislated. There are several telling videos and photos of Clarice to share for the right family. She needs a family ASAP! I was told by a national regarding the kind of place she goes next — that "most children live for only one year at most once transferred." Please pray for precious Clarice. Could you love her as a daughter? God knows her name, and he will provide her needs.
Girl, born 2000
Mild Cerebral palsy, can walk very well.
Veronica is a lovely young lady. She is able to walk, stand on her own.
Girl, born 2013
Down syndrome, atrio-ventricular septum defect, condition after pulmonary artery coarctation (April, 2013)
Will be available in about 2 months (summer 2014)
What a sweet little love!
Irene #716
Girl, born 2005
Cerebral palsy, severe quadriparetic syndrome. Severe mental delay.
Irene moves in space alone. She has good motor skills. She manipulates poorly with objects and toys. General and fine motor skills suffer. Smoothly moves her head and eyes. Speech development: Irene is observed with general underdevelopment of speech – alalia. Underdeveloped phonematic hearing impaired general motor skills. Passive and active vocabulary – in the process of development. Work is being done for the production of sounds "a" and "o". She is studying in the first grade of a Special school on the orphanage grounds.
She likes special attention to be directed to her, to be caressed and held. She loves to walk, led by an adult and to be talked to. Shows preferences for communication to certain adults.
Additional information, pictures and video of her is on file with the agency.
Because we only have this child's file for a short time, she will not be able to receive donations until a family is found for her.
Girl, born 2007
Cerebral palsy, spastic hemiplegia, epilepsy, cardiomyopathy, deformity of lower limb, respiratory disease, malnutrition
Sweet girl! Several videos of her are available from Maya's Hope.
Boy, born August 2013
Spastic tetraparesis, local symptomatic epilepsy with seizures, congenital heart defect: hypoplasia of aortic arch, open oval window; optic nerve atrophy, inquinal hernia and umbilical hernia, lower extremities contracture
Oh sweet baby boy … he needs a family's love and care.
Girl, born 2001
From a family that met her early 2014: She is SO smart and funny and has the best sense of humor. When we were in there, she asked the staff if it was possible to get a family for herself, but they felt the answer would be no- because no one would want someone as badly disabled as she was. She can do nothing for herself physically, her limbs are twisted very badly, and unlike many of the others, she cannot feed herself. She lies on the couch and another older girl, also disabled, comes and feeds her. But she is amazing- despite her lack of formal schooling, she has memorized poems, and such. But she is also a fantastic conversationalist. She reads, can write some (limitations of her arms), has an incredible memory and method of delivery of things she has memorized (she also sang for us). She loves the color yellow and loves dressing up to feel pretty. She also loves to watch cartoons, but is ok with "serious dramas" on tv too lol! she's spending her days on a couch, wishing for a family she fears will never come because her limbs are twisted and she cannot be "useful." I am praying with all my heart that there is a family out there that recognizes that a person's worth is not measured by what they can physically do- and will cross the ocean to call her daughter, because I truly believe she would be an incredible addition to a family. She's spunky and overcame her hesitation about potential rejection, in order to ask me if I would please see if I could find her a family.
Boy, born Nov 2011
Cerebral palsy, double hemiplegia G 80.0.
What a little sweetheart! Don't you just want to scoop him up!
Clara #29-12
Age: 2
Diagnosis: Microcephalus; Infantile cerebral palsy; Severe delay in development
She pronounces sounds. She sits with help and in a positioning therapeutic chair. She can keep her head up when put on her stomach. She eats with good appetite but has unsatisfactory weight gain. She is calm when asleep and awake. Clara has recently started keeping her head up for longer periods of time. She can turn only from back to stomach. She sits only with support. She pronounces accidental sounds. She follows with a look moving objects for a short time and doesn't reach out to them. She holds a toy put in her hand but doesn't bring it up to her eyes or manipulate with it.She reacts positively to physical touch and when someone talks to her. She smiles and vocalizes in response.
Because we only have this child's file for a short time, he will not be able to receive donations until a family is found for him.
Boy, born late 2011
congenital absense of ear, canal, hand/finger, fused fingers, cleft palate, congenital malformation of cardiac septa
Oskar has had surgery for his cleft palate.
Additional pictures available.
Boy, born early 2005
Celiac disease
Boy, born late 2004
Boy, born mid 2004
From a family who met him, June 2014:
The day we saw him was the end of school party and he had the biggest part in their little skit. He had a really long poem to memorize and did great with it. He was having lots of fun! We could not see any physical or mental delays at all. He's totally just a typical ten year old boy.
I saw him on the bench later, enjoying a conversation with one of the nannies. He sounds very well spoken and seems mature for his age. I waved to him but he was a little shy and the nanny had to prompt him to wave back, but he did and appreciated the attention!
Later one of the other nannies called him to do some chores and he happily went to work with "Horosho! Horosho!" (good, good) and a smile on his face. He smiles a lot, or perhaps he was just in an exceptionally good mood because it was the last day of school! Either way he would make SUCH an amazing son. And he is so handsome! He's grown up some from the most recent picture and I think he is even more handsome than he was before!
Boy, born 2009
Oh goodness, Magnus has the most beautiful, dark eyes.
He will be available for adoption in late 2014.
Tiya #11-45
Age: 8
Diagnosis: Massive destruction of the brain matter, sub-cortical cysts, cortical atrophy; Infantile cerebral palsy – spastic quadric paresis; Symptomatic epilepsy; Hypotrophy; Premature puberty
This little girl has significant delays in all aspects of her development. She will turn her eyes and head in reaction to someone speaking to her. She stops crying if someone calls her name. She follows objects with her eyes.
Zander #
Boy, born 2009
Background retinopathy Microphthalmus of the left eye; coloboma affecting the iris, optic nerve papilla, both eyes. Asthma with predominant allergic component; Iron-deficiency anemia; general developmental delays
Because we only have this child's file for a short time, he will not be able to receive donations until a family is found for him.
Gracie and George #
Girl, born in 2007. She has a delay in neuro-psychical development and epileptic seizures.
She is very sweet and charming girl, with very big eyes and eyelashes. She is hyperactive child, who can not stay at one place long time. When you want to attract her attention and she is busy with doing something else, she does not pay any attention to you. When she feels uneasy and can not answer or does not want to answer some question, she starts asking her interlocutor questions. Her speech is not so clear and even some words are not understandable and is more like baby speech. She has speech problem and at the kindergarten she works with speech therapist. She knows her age. She recognizes some of the basic colors but does not want to count. She is very self-willed and makes the things that she wants to. She is more aggressive and hyperactive than her brother.
Boy, born in 2005. He has a delay in neuro-psychical development and mental delay.
The boy is older than his sister but he has more delays than her. He is in second grade in the local school in the village where he lives. Unfortunately he still can not read, can not solve math problems. Before his placement in the foster family nobody cared for his knowledge and habits. Now he can count to 9 (after 9 he says 11 ). He is a child who needs a lot of work in order to master more habits and knowledge because he has some potential.
These children used to live in their bio family but they were not well taken care of. They have delays but with more professional work and individual activities, these children can have better progress. They are adorable children who really need patience, love and care. They know the life in foster families but are separated because the opinion of the social workers is that none of their foster families could manage these two children if they are placed together – because they are not so obedient.
Because we only have their files for a short time, they will not be able to receive donations until a family is found for them.
Boy, born February 2003
This photo is old (2009)
Aura Lee
Girl, born July 2009
Microcephaly, spastic tetraparesis
Oh, isn't she lovely?
Aura Lee is doing very well. She knows her nannies, smiles at familiar adults. She can sit down and stand up with help. She does not have mental delays.
Aura Lee has features consistent with FAS (fetal alcohol syndrome). This is not a diagnosis, but a cautionary disclosure.
Aura has developing speech — she can make separate sounds, and will repeat after an adult.
Boy, born July 2006
Multiple congenital malformations, condition similar to CP.
Nevermind the pink — Easton is a boy!
Easton smiles, reacts to familiar adults, toys. Look at that gorgeous smile — are those dimples?
From a family who met him in March 2014:
Easton is an incredibly cheerful little boy. The nannies told us that he is smart and talks with them, though we were also told that he is delayed. In fairness, Easton spends almost all of his time in a crib. He would either be sitting or laying when we saw him.
Easton always seemed to be very aware of what was happening around him. One day when a nanny was getting our son ready for his visit, we did a little dance behind her and Easton laughed. He would often smile brighter when we would wave at him across the room while picking up our son on our visits. I believe Easton would flourish in his own family.
Boy, born December 2012
Congenital pathology of the central nervous system, internal hydrocephalus
This tiny little guy needs a mama's love!
Boy, born October 2013
After-effects of birth trauma – brain affection; open arterial duct (does not need surgery).
Such a sweet, squishy little guy! His head is completely flat on the back.
Tessa (Lora)
Girl, born August 2008
We were recently informed LORA is actually Tessa!
What a little doll Tessa is! She really needs a family — she has a whole host of medical issues.
Mental delay, rickets, strabismus (crossed eyes), epilepsy, and a speech delay. She does not talk at all. She prefers to be alone. Some of her behaviors remind autism but she was not diagnosed with it. Her epilepsy is well controlled by medications. It has been suggested that Tessa may have Angelman Syndrome, but this is not confirmed.
She is able to stand and walk independently. She does not have a diagnosis of CP but she walks unsteadily. She was previously diagnosed with microcephaly.
She deserves a loving family and a chance to reach her potential, not to be hidden away in a mental institution.
Ginny #458
Girl, 10 years old
Ginny has been diagnosed with mental delay with hyperkinetic manifestations; microcephalus; delayed physical development in terms of weight.
She walks and eats independently; throws and catches a ball; holds a pencil properly; listens to and reproduces parts of children's songs; follows simple verbal instructions; helps with performing simple everyday activities; sociable; uses words purposefully so as to express her wishes and assumptions.
George and Martha
Boy, born May 2010
Delay of psychological and speech development, used to have heart defect (oval window that closed), hemangioma, chest deformation.
George can fulfill simple instructions, does not walk very well, has been in the orphanage for 1.5 years.
Girl, born August 2004
Severe mental delays
Martha does not react to her name, does not know colors, does not play with toys. can feed herself, but is not adequate. She would eat banana with skin and candy with cover. She is not potty trained. Her speech is almost not developed.
There is a history of prior neglect; George has better development because he lived in the family less time than Martha, before they were removed.
Boy, born May 2013
Down syndrome, Cleft lip / cleft palate, rickets, additional chord of the left heart ventricle, carrier of Hep. C antibodies
What a sweetheart! He will be available for adoption in early summer.
Illiana #10-2
Age: 14
Diagnosis: Down syndrome
Illiana has been living in a mental institution for most of her life. She walks, eats and dressed independently; is very sociable; enjoys getting personal attention; recognizes her own as well as other people's emotions – demonstrates attachment, joy and anxiety; indicates when she needs to go to the toilet; freely initiates interactions with the staff, other children and unfamiliar people; behaves well; understands other people's speech; pronounces some words by imitation; selective attitude and preferences in her communication with other children and the staff; uses mimics to show her emotions and attitude.
Illianna has waited a long time for a family and she has very little time left to find one!
Girl, born July 2011
Disorder of the brain, congenital deformity of the hip, bilateral hearing loss, exotropia
Hester is darling! She can hear.
Owen #11-41
Diagnosis: Von Willebrand disease, epilepsy, strabismus and delayed neuropsychological development.
Owen has been diagnosed with Von Williebrand disease and as a result is also anemic from the bleeding episodes. He is also reported to be very hyperactive and he's currently being given medication to help calm him down so that he can focus better. The hope is that this will also reduce some of the bleeding episodes. His development is delayed, though he's recently started making more developmental progress just to a change in his current environment. He walks and tries to run. He eats from a spoon. He is beginning to babble and make sounds. He plays in the children's play room and enjoys going on walks with caregivers. He receives wilate treatments as needed for his condition.
Update 2014: He has stable and consistent weight gain; walks stably and tries to run; produces random sound combinations; follows simple instructions; loves it when someone sings to him; builds up a pyramid of elements; plays with toy cars.
Brandon #11-44
Age: 10
Diagnosis: spastic diplesia cerebral palsy
Brandon is significantly delayed as a result of living in a neglectful situation with no medical care for the first 8 years of his life. Other children adopted from the same environment have made significant progress once they were placed in a family.
He had a tenotomy of the adductors of both pelvic joints in 2012. He can roll over and scoot on his stomach. He cannot sit independently at this time. He moves his head in both directions to look at things. He shows an interest in toys and reacts with facial expressions showing happiness when he is interacted with by caregivers. He responds to his name by turning his head when his name is called. He likes water and will hold his hand under the running water. He laughs out loud when adults play with him. He will reach out and hold hands with familiar adults. He eats from a spoon and drinks from a cup. He enjoys listening to music. When he is placed near other children, he will reach out for them and smile when they touch him. He has formed a bond with a 1:1 caregiver that works with him.
Boy, born January 2007
CP spastic dyplegia with severe movement disorders, partial atrophy of right eye optic disc, amblyopia of the right eye, cognitive deficiency
Boy, born June 2006
Minimal brain dysfunction, pyramid insufficiency, secondary cardiomyopathy, anomalous chord of the left heart ventricle, hypermobility of hip joints, concomitant alternating convergent squint.
From a family who met him in late 2013:
Stephen was in Riley's groupa. We saw him a lot during our 7 weeks of visits. He stood out because he's 7 yo and taller than the other kids in his groupa of mostly 4-5 yo's. He is a SWEET, sweet boy. He has a great smile with dimples. He's not overly active (not hyper). Very obedient/cooperative and follows instructions and the flow of the groupa well. An easy going kiddo. He doesn't seem to have very significant needs. He functions very "typically", maybe just mild delays. One thing I'll never forget about Stephen… one time when we were invited to watch a performance the kids were putting on, we were one of the only people in the audience. He stood there, singing and doing the body motions to the production just as well as could be. He kept looking right at my husband and I like he was performing just for us. He just seemed to love having someone be there for him and encourage him, and nod and smile and let him know he was doing a good job. He was working so hard to do his best and he did so well! It was sweet and sad all at the same time….knowing we weren't his mama and papa and he didn't have anyone there to give him that recognition forever, that he so appreciated. He would make such a delightful son! We would have brought him home too but were only homestudy approved for one boy. He's in a good orphanage that provides good care and services. But who knows where he'll be transferred to when they no longer have space for him (he's already over age.) I have pictures and video of him. Such a kind, happy little boy….he needs a family!!!
Large families welcome; married couples only.
Girl, born August 2007
Diagnosis info coming soon.
She cannot walk and her mental development is normal.
From a family who met her in late 2013:
Kayla is about the sweetest child you could ever imagine. She is full of smiles and giggles. We saw her everyday for several weeks and I was able to play with her a few times. We played a game in which I would hand her a block and she would put it into a bag. She loved it. She prefers to use her left hand although if I'd put the block out of reach of her left hand she could use her right. She is constantly in a stroller. I never saw her anywhere else. I did notice she seemed to have good control over her legs. I bet she could walk with PT and some love! She is small for her age. She needs dental care now. She made good eye contact and watched what I was doing. I was able to give her simple instructions despite the language barrier and she followed them. I truly believe she would absolutely thrive in a family. And a family would be beyond blessed by her sweet little self.
Cliff #397
Boy, born 2008
This almost 5-year-old boy has infantile cerebral palsy, microcephaly, club feet, congenital megacolon and hypotrophy.
Cliff laughs aloud when jested and smiles when involved in interaction. He follows moving objects with his eyes. He listens to adults' speech. He has a good appetite. His sleep is calm.
The agency has additional pictures and videos available for interested families.
Because we only have this child's file for a short time, he will not be able to receive donations until a family is found for him.
Boy, born October 2002
Mental delay
Boy, born September 2013
Open oval window, open arterial duct Q 25.0, retinopathy, severe delay of psychological and motor development.
Sweet baby Finley will likely need some genetic testing for further diagnosing when he gets home.
Girl, born February 2009
Slight mental delay, crossed eyes
What a dolly!
Lora will be available for adoption in July 2014.
Boy, born October 2001
Hydrocephalus, mental delay
From a family who met him in January 2014:
We saw Brad quite a few times while we visited our daughter. Brad is very short for his age, and his head is definitely big proportional to his body. We observed him dancing in a recital two different times. He seemed coordinated. He is curious and intelligent. Brad always had a twinkle in his eye! I would love to talk about Brad to seriously interested parents.
Boy, born August 1999
Emotional disorders
Boy, born May 2004 (old picture)
Visual impairment, slight mental delay without behavioral disorders
Boy, born January 2012
Spastic dyplegia, completely deaf
Sweet boy has such beautiful, dark eyes.
Update from a family who met him in early 2014:
Teddy crawls- he's very high functioning. He does have some autistic type behaviors- but I think it's because he cannot hear. In other words- he stims from boredom, and when they call his name, unless he's looking at their faces when they speak, he appears not to respond. Which is to be expected, as he is deaf.
Boy, born October 2011
Cerebral palsy, spastic tetraplegia, optic nerves atrophy
Boy, born January 2000
Secondary cardiomyopathy
Eben is a communicative, friendly boy. He studies well at school, and is interested in computer sciences.
Girl, born May 2008
congential defects of development
From a family who met her in January 2014:
Maia is a sweet little girl. She was able to follow orders and do everything that her teacher asked her to do. She doesn't speak but giggled a lot and made some noises. Her doctor said that while she was unsure if Maia would speak, she felt the prognosis was good. Her eyes are crossed. Vision and hearing are otherwise fine. Maia has mental delays and would benefit from focused attention and education. Maia is lively and active and ready for a family who is ready to play!
Girl, born August 1999
Turner syndrome
Nella is a good-mannered girl, studies well, reads much. Height 150 cm (4′ 9″) due to Turner syndrome.
Boy, born October 2000
Nelson is a quiet boy. He is fond of mathematics and computer science.
Girl, born February 2000
Calista likes to sing and dance. She is a little shy, very positive. She studies well, likes English very much.
Boy, born February 2000
Secondary cardiomyopathy
Edison is a fun loving boy, very active, likes sports, is fond of soccer, average student.
Annie #40-4
Diagnosis: delays in development -report indicates that due to delayed speech, Autism was initially suspected. However, no formal testing has been done and the child's development is continuing to improve.
Annie is 8 years old. Her motor skills are well developed. She walks, runs, catches & throws a ball, climbs, hops on one foot and participates in musical games that require movement. Her fine motor skills are developing as well. She can open/close scissors and is learning to cut with them. She draws on paper, though she is not yet writing letters. She plays with play dough and builds a tower of 12 blocks. She is in the 1st grade and attending school outside the orphanage. She follows verbal directions and responds to her name. She tries to imitate words said by adults. She currently expresses herself non verbally. She is very protective of her possessions. She doesn't often initiate play with the other children, but she will play close to them. She will join in organized group activities for short periods of time and is very emotionally responsive to familiar adults. She needs extra time to complete tasks and has a short attention span. She stops inappropriate behaviors when redirected by an adult. She feeds and dresses herself. Since she is non verbal, she does not yet indicate that she needs to go to the bathroom on her own, so she is taken on a schedule and is completely toilet trained using this method.
Update March 2014:
She was recently transferred to a mental institution.
The child has moderate mental delay and her neuropsychological development is delayed mostly with regards to her speech. However, as you will see in the videos, the girl is repeating words after an adult and trying to pronounce them as the adult does. She knows and shows all her body parts, she knows how to write the first letter of her name. She also tries to write her full name but still has some difficulties as she is changing the order of the letters. The girl understands everything she is told by adults. She follows instructions and does errands. She is very musical. In the videos you will see her perform dance movements when asked by an adult.
It is obvious that this is a lovely, affectionate child, who seeks adults' attention, caress and closeness. She is willing to learn new things and I believe that with a constant family environment, providing her with comfort, encouragement, love and attention and with regular individual sessions with a speech therapist, this child could achieve much more progress in her development.
Additional photos & videos are available.
Klive #272
11 year old boy
Diagnosed with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss.
The child likes to play soccer, basketball and badminton. He likes physically activities. Klive looks very smile and smart. I think that he does very well at school because there are people who understand him and people that he can speak to. He likes his life at the boarding-school and when we asked him if he wants to back there, he said yes. I am sure that if Klive lives with parents who have commands of sigh language and pay him the needed attention, he will advance a lot as he is very smart and looks really motivated. He is an open, communicative and bright child! He is healthy and active little boy, who for sure will flourish in a family environment!
Klive has normal intellect. Good emotional background. Positive emotions prevail.
Klive is sociable, active, lively, open, and lightly and boldly interacts with people. Has does not have habits for keeping distance. He constantly seeks contact with the children from the group. Shows willingness and cooperates with the adults. He has acquired good manners. He can work individually as well as in group.
Photos are available from the agency.
Because we only have this child's file for a short time, he will not be able to receive donations until a family is found for him.


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When a mother-to-be gets cancer, it can make turn a joyful occasion into one filled with worry. What many people don't realize is that pregnant women can receive the same treatment as other cancer patients without endangering their babies.
"Ecstatic. I was ecstatic. I have twins on both sides of my family. I knew I would always have twins. I was absolutely out of my mind with happiness," said Jeanie Taddeo, breast cancer survivor.
Jeanie Taddeo and her husband, Phil, tried for twelve years to have a baby, but their joy quickly turned to fear when this 8th grade Spanish teacher felt a lump in her right breast.
"It turned out it was Stage 2 breast cancer. It was the most devastating news I could ever have imagined at the happiest time of my life," said Jeanie.
Jeanie couldn't believe it. She was only 36 years old with no family history of breast cancer.
"I thought, 'What is going to happen to my girls?' It wasn't me. It was my girls," she said.
Dr. Susan Domchek with the Hospital University of Pennsylvania says it is possible to safely give chemo in the second and third trimester.
"We do have to time the birth of the babies and when we give the chemotherapy and we don't want to give chemotherapy too close to the birth so it does make things more challenging," said Dr. Domchek.
Dr. Domchek says the placenta protects the baby.
"That's the idea, that the baby is in sort of a safe haven and really doesn't have a significant effect from the chemotherapy," said Dr. Domchek.
Jeanie's husband Phil admits it was scary.
"You see what the chemo drugs do to the person getting the chemo and to sort of rationalize that nothing is going to happen to these two little girls takes a big leap of faith," said Phil.
Two months before her due date Jeanie gave birth. The babies weighed just 2 and 3 pounds, but otherwise were healthy. Now almost two years old, little Giavanna and Gillian are healthy, happy, and a handful.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in pregnant women, affecting approximately one in 3,000 pregnancies.


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August 1, 2014
The United Auto Workers and Daimler Chrysler have reached a tentative labor agreement.
The four-year contract must now be ratified by the workers, but it has the unanimous endorsement of the UAW negotiators.
UAW negotiators will remain at the bargaining table with Ford and General Motors though.


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Amor Ceremonies by Kelly Atkin54 Reviews
Non-Denominational Wedding Officiant
Albuquerque, NM | 505-453-8602
A Non-Denominational Wedding Officiant looking beyond the boundaries of race, color, sexual orientation, national origin or religion! Let's take a...(more)
Rev. G. Bruce Brashear19 Reviews
An Experienced Wedding Officiant
Albuquerque, NM | 505-730-0070
As a trained minister and wedding officiant, I find it a joy to help all couples create a beautiful ceremony that is unique to them. I have...(more)
Jamie Rose - Hummingbird Ceremonies LLC12 Reviews
Certified Life-Cycle Celebrant®
Albuquerque, NM | 505-269-2356
Whether you want a religious, non-religious or spiritual ceremony, Hummingbird Ceremonies provides meaningful, heartfelt wedding ceremonies that...(more)
Pat Murphy19 Reviews
Life Cycle Celebrant®
Santa Fe , NM | 505-670-9030
I am a Non-Denominational Minister, and life-cycle celebrant. I honor all faiths, beliefs and traditions. It is my honor to custom-craft for you...(more)
Ceremony of Love13 Reviews
Taos, NM | 575-751-1452
Ceremony of Love with Rev. Susan Varon. A hand-tailored wedding is an occasion of special joy. I will work with you to create a ceremony that will...(more)
Enchanted Circle Ceremonies3 Reviews
Susan Carpenter Sims, Celebrant
Taos, NM | 575-770-3946
It is my joy to collaborate with my couples in creating a warm and fulfilling wedding ceremony that truly reflects their values and taste. Whether...(more)
Rev Sharon Lewis
Santa Fe, NM | 801-718-2212
I perfom one of a kind ceremonies for your special day. I have never performed the same ceremony twice. I help you custom write a ceremony that...(more)


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Bluefield Daily Telegraph
— —
I first heard of Bluefield more than 25 years ago when I was driving to a job interview in Georgia. That job didn't pan out, so I kept looking. A couple of months later, Tom Colley, who was the executive editor of the Bluefield Daily Telegraph, called and invited me down for an interview.
My first view of Bluefield was from the back of a Greyhound bus. Somebody had slashed my car's coolant hose — to this day, I think the perpetrator mistook my car for one belonging to a neighbor — so I had to scramble and find alternate transportation. The bus went down Bland Street, and I was impressed right away. I saw rows of nice homes on well-kept yards. I got off at the old bus stop in South Bluefield and asked where I might find the Daily Telegraph. A clerk gave me directions and I started walking with no idea how far I would have to go.
My route took me through downtown Bluefield. What was my first impression? Well, I thought about turning around and getting back on that bus. I found streets full of vacant and not very appealing storefronts. Then I found the old Telegraph building and really started having second thoughts about that job. Did I really want to live here?
Finally, I found Bluefield Avenue and arrived at the Daily Telegraph's new building. I was impressed, and Tom decided he would "take a chance on me." He was surprised when I told him how far I had walked and gave me a ride back to the bus station. I scrambled and found an apartment on College Avenue; it wasn't much, but I managed.
I gradually learned more about the region's history and learned what a thriving place Bluefield and the surrounding communities used to be. I drove to assignments and saw dilapidated houses and businesses. I also saw a lot of things I liked, and often saw the good and the bad standing side by side.
Those sort of sights are still easy to find today, but when I set those first impressions I had years ago with the sights I see today, I know there has been some improvements. Downtown Bluefield is much cleaner and has more businesses and more activity. The same can be said for places like Mercer Street in Princeton. Yes, there is still a lot to do, but people are realizing change is possible. People are looking at places like Lewisburg and realizing the same sort of transformation is possible in their own communities.
One change is coming to the region on four small wheels. ATV riders are coming to the new Pocahontas Trail in Mercer County, and there are plans for the Spearhead Trail in neighboring Tazewell County. More people are coming to the region and getting first impressions of it. For instance, I know we are hearing about the town of Bramwell being busy on Saturdays thanks to ATV riders from out of state.
Places like nearby Bluewell are also seeing more traffic thanks to ATV visitors, and this could spread to communities like Matoaka and Pocahontas, Va. Thousands of people are coming to our region, which means thousands of people are getting a first impression.
The job now is to make sure their first impression isn't like my first impression. I stayed and gave the area a chance because I needed a job. The ATV tourists coming here now are free to make a choice. If they don't like what they see, if they are not pleased with that first impression, they will take their four wheelers and their money somewhere else.
Fortunately, there are efforts underway to make the region look better. In Bluefield, volunteers with a beautification program have put flowers in the downtown and keep trash picked up. In Bluewell, more flowers are being put up and volunteers work to keep their community clean and appealing. Similar efforts can be found throughout the two Virginias.
All of these efforts are good, but the volunteers could use more help. One of the best ways to make a contribution is to keep your own property looking good. This means keeping grass mowed, keeping junk out of sight and doing some painting once in a while.
In Princeton, a recycling program helps residents get rid of old mobile homes, old cars and other junk. Private property, when you consider all together, amounts to a much larger area than all the region's downtowns and business districts combined.
When you drive along the highways and secondary roads, most of the property you see is private property. You see plenty of presentable homes and businesses, but there are still a lot of vacant, collapsing and even burned-out structures. Princeton and Bluefield both are addressing this problem by conducting demolition programs to eliminate dilapidated structures.
I think if I came to Mercer County for the first time today, my first impression would be better than the negative gut reaction I had 25 years ago. I would be more inclined to stay, job or no job, and give the region a chance.
Greg Jordan is the Daily Telegraph's senior reporter. Contact him at email@example.com


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August 1, 2014
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Minnesota has fired Tubby Smith one day after the Golden Gophers lost to Florida in the NCAA tournament.
Athletics director Norwood Teague announced the decision Monday and said it was time for a "fresh set of eyes" on the program.
Smith was 124-81 (.610) in six seasons at Minnesota. He arrived in 2007 from Kentucky, immediately ramping up expectations for a team that was buried by an academic cheating scandal.
Smith won 20 games five times. But he went just 46-62 in Big Ten play and never finished higher than sixth in the conference. The Gophers made three NCAA tournament appearances under Smith. They beat UCLA this year before losing on Sunday.
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