Saving Orphans

May 2009

Dear Friends and Family:

As you know, I work with children with varying levels of disabilities. About a year ago, one of the young girls that I work with became very ill, and we were told to start planning for a funeral. Even though, not her direct family, this child had made a huge impact on me, and I had no idea how to grieve the notion that she may not make it through the week. I started researching grieving the loss of a child. What I found was a family, who was experiencing the unknown. This family, adopted two children from Eastern Europe, but not just any children. Two children, with Downs Syndrome, with significant medical issues. Upon returning to the United States, they were told their daughter’s heart condition was “inoperable,” and that her future may not be too long.

Children in Eastern Europe who have disabilities are often given to the orphanages upon birth. Families are told that this is the best for them, and that they have no place in society. Many of these children have Downs Syndrome, and heart conditions that need medical care. At the age of four, if not already adopted, they are transferred to institutions where medical care is scarce, adequate nutrition is uncommon and leaving their beds is rare. Basically, they are left to die without knowing the love of a family, and 85% die within the first year of being in the institution.

The young girl that I work with, made a miraculous recovery, and is thriving today. The adoptive family’s daughter came through heart surgery and is progressing daily. Between the child at work, and the adoptive family’s story of their daughter, I can not look at the children at work, and forget the children left in orphanages and institutions. I had planned to do a garage sale this summer to get rid of some junk and to invite anyone else that wanted to sell their “treasures” too, and I still plan to do that, but instead of making myself some money, I want to save a child from imminent death.

Specifically, this garage sale will help the Fox family. The Fox Family committed to adopting a child with Downs Syndrome and were seeing the light at the end of the tunnel to bring him home when the country closed its doors to international adoption. Heartbroken, and saddened, the Fox family was lost. Some time passed, and another child grabbed their attention, and they decided to change their grief into motivation and stated the process of adopting him. Unexpectedly, the first child’s country changed their minds and has allowed them to continue with his adoption. They had planned to adopt one child, but now, knowing the fate if they were to leave either in their country, they have committed to bringing both home, whatever the financial cost. As you can imagine, the cost will be huge. But the sacrifice to save two childrens’ lives, will be priceless. (www.ridinthewavewithulord.blogspot.com.)

To make the sale even more of a success, I am asking for your help! Would you consider going through your closet and donating items to sell? Would you volunteer your time to help advertise or on the day of the sale? Would you ask your church, school or friends to consider how they could help too? If you can not help at the sale directly, or even if you can, would you consider skipping a night out to dinner or a new DVD or outfit, and donating financially, $25, $50, or even $100 to help this family?

Whatever you can do to help would help this family and would save these boys. Each are living on borrowed time before they are transferred to an institution, where their future is unknown. If you would like to help in ANY way, please contact me at the information below. Please also feel free to share this, and invite others to participate as well!

For more information on adoption of children with disabilities, waiting around the world, please visit:
www.reecesrainbow.org, an organization dedicated to saving children’s lives.

Love Always,
Ali Rae McManamon
AliMcManamon@yahoo.com