Reaching Wesley

UPDATE:  

Wesley's family reached him the week before his birthday and he is HOME now with his family!  

My oldest son is 14 years old.

OK...here he was only 6...but in my mind he still looks like this! 

He is responsible and level-headed...relatively good at keeping his room clean and doing the dishes.  He even mows the lawn and does his own laundry (when he runs out of clothes because he did not bring me his laundry)!  He is terribly independent, but he is only 14.  

Therefore, he still needs us (parents) for academic, social and emotional reasons...and for us to pay for the crazy amount of food the skinny as a rail  tall, thin young man can consume!  He is NOT an adult.  Nor will he be for several more years in the eyes of the U.S.  And even that age is questionable at times.

However, things are different in China.  At the age of 14, children "age out."  This means that on the day of their 14th birthday, and not one day later, they totally lose their chance of having a family to call their own.  This can mean many things depending on the area these children live, but for now I think that losing their chance at a family says enough.  

And here we find Wesley.  

Wesley is a healthy young man with albinism.  He does well in school and is not a picky eater.  He loves to hang out with his friends, watch cartoons, and play ball outside.  

Wesley is said to be a happy boy with a shy personality.  He gets along well with his peers and is well-liked.  

Wesley needs a family to commit to him SOON!  His file is on the shared list so any agency with a China program will have access to his file.  Although a family who is already in-process would be ideal, it is possible for a family just beginning the adoption journey to reach him in time.  

Finding Wesley's family will take a miracle.  Time is so short.  But just in case his family reads this blog, or one of the several other advocacy blogs that are posting about him this week, a concerted effort is being made.  

Please pray for Wesley...and for the hundreds of children in China that will soon age out.  Pray that their family sees their pictures, listens to their stories, and pursues these amazing children.  They have so much to offer our families...they are just waiting for their chance! 

Wesley has a $10,000 grant available to help his family complete his adoption.  In addition, families who choose to use WACAP as their agency may qualify for an additional $4,000.  If you couple those things with the current adoption tax credit, this adoption would be essentially of NO COST to the family when all is said and done.  He just needs his family to say "YES!"

For resources on parenting a child with albinism, check out the following:

Raising a Child with Albinism

National Organization for Albinism and Hyperpigmentation (NOAH)

Videos by NOAH

Bai China Yahoo! Group

Video depicting how a person with albinism sees

For support in completing an aging out adoption at WARP speed, this Facebook group is full of families that can offer their advice to reach him as quickly as possible.  

A Tale of Two Decades

The countdown has begun...in 10 days the youngest child to come from my belly will turn 10.  After a roller coaster pregnancy, our "special surprise from Jesus" entered our family and I absolutely cannot imagine our lives without him.  He brings joy to my heart everyday...even on the days that I want to duct tape him to his school chair  rough days.

For 10 years we have watched him grow, change and mature.

Some days with him have been REALLY long, and other days I pray for more time to enjoy this little boy who isn't so little anymore.     Lord, help me to remember that my time with him is SO limited.  Help me instill in him the values and faith that he needs to become the man of God you have destined him to be.

There have been 10 birthdays, 10 Christmases, 10 Easters, 10 summer vacations, and even 10 lost teeth.  There are innumerable photos, LOTS of funny stories, and even new words that will forever be a part of our family thanks to this sweet boy.

A lot happens in 10 years, and I am excited to watch the next decade as well.  

There is another little boy whose life also started 10 years ago, but his story, up to this point, is quite different.  He was born on another continent and to a family that was unable to care for him.  Finley is a happy, healthy boy who now waits for his forever family to find him.  Did you read that?  HEALTHY...WAITS...FOREVER FAMILY.  He has spent 10 birthdays, 10 Christmases, 10 Easters. 10 summer vacations and quite a few lost teeth....ALONE.  

But oh the joy he has in that smile!

Ten year old Finley is a healthy, quiet, introverted boy who spent his first several years in another institute before coming to his current orphanage in August 2012. Despite this big transition, he is doing very well! He is close to his caretaker and roommates, and likes playing with the other children and watching TV. He is attending school at the orphanage, and does well in class, obeying the rules and listening carefully. He is a helpful boy who will often assist the teacher by sweeping the floor or cleaning the blackboard. The orphanage feels that because he didn’t have early education, his performance is just average and he learns a little slower than his peers.  However, they also feel that his language and writing are excellent! He can do simple math, and has even learned some basic greetings and names of fruits in English. His motor skills are all normal; he can run and use the stairs, pick up small objects with chopsticks, and draw geometric figures. He can sing songs, and recite Tang Dynasty poetry, though his pronunciation isn’t always proper. He can do all his daily care tasks of dressing, eating, and bathing, but this little boy still longs to be adopted. He hopes he can have a caring family! 

Finley had a small hemangioma or lipoma on the back of his neck, but it receded without treatment.  He is now a healthy little boy whose greatest need is for his family to find him.

Finley is currently on WACAP’s designated list.  There is a $4000 grant available for families who qualify to assist with this adoption.

Yes, a lot happens in 10 years, but still so much more for Finley and his family to look forward to!  

Please email me  or contact Elizabeth for information on beginning the journey to bring Finley home.