RE: [ES] Reece's Rainbow - The Cornishes are going to Ukraine TODAY to get Aleksa!

[Guest guest]

Hi Beth,

I have begun to seriously contemplate adopting a child from

Russia, Ukraine, or Uzbekistan. To share with others - In a number of

countries, when a child with DS reaches the age of 4, they are

transferred from the orphanage to a mental institution. However, in

these particular 3 countries, the mental institutions are " CLOSED

FACILITIES " , which means once you are admitted, you cannot be adopted!

Four years old - possibly coming from a good orphanage with loving

caretakers, and suddenly placed in a room with hundreds of other crying

and dying children, who are many times bound to their beds. No one

taking care of them anymore - lucky to have their basic needs met, like

getting their diapers changed and getting fed. That's it. That's their

life now. Until they die.

When I first heard of this, it saddened me to point of

depression. I started reading the Adoption blogs who were going through

Reece's Rainbow, I read a report that was released by the MDRI - Mental

Disability Rights International, on similar treatment of these children

in mental institutions in Serbia, and I COULD NOT SHAKE the sadness for

weeks. Then, an insightful mom, Meredith Cornish, who is currently

going through the adoption process, AND FLYING TO UKRAINE TODAY (1/18)

TO GET HER DAUGHTER, ALEKSA!!!!

http://www.cornishadoptionjourney.blogspot.com/passed , shared a

beautiful poem, that helped more than I could imagine (see attached

poem).

Meredith's blog also has a memorial in there about Sergey, and a couple

of pictures of his sweet and happy face!

I mourn along side of you, Beth. And I pray for these children every

night, hoping that they may find a family, or if they are in agony, I

pray the Lord take them into His arms and end their misery.

And I pray that I can find conviction to actually begin the adoption

process!

Love and peace,

, mom to 4 yr old twins, Warren (DS) and Sam : )

Re: [ES] Reece's Rainbow

I started looking at Reece's Rainbow in December to give a small

donation thinking I could never adopt or do the required traveling. I

was excited to see that after I put some money into Sergey's account (

along with other people's donations) that a family decide to adopt him.

I was so happy because he was the most 'at risk' at the time of getting

sent off to a mental institution. Sergey was in a good orphanage that

had a therapy room.

He was happy, CUTE, smart, healthy and 5 years old (one month older than

my lin). I then found out the next day that Surgey had already

been transfered to the mental institution during the summer of 2007 and

died in November. I guess 80% of these children die within the first

year of being in these mental instutions! If Sergey would have had that

money in his account 6-7 months earlier, he would probably be here in

America with a family. I was extremely upset about this but I have been

told that I shouldn't focus on his death too much so the country in

which this happened doesn't get embarrased by any possible human right

violations and shut down the whole adoption program and then none of the

kids would get out of there.

We want as many kids out of there as possible! There are 15 + kids (3-5

years old) on the Reece's Rainbow web site who could be facing the same

fate as Sergey if they don't get adopted soon.

Most of the families that are adopting these kids already have a child

with Down syndrome. It makes a lot of sense, not only are you getting a

wonderful new family member but you are giving your child with Down

Syndrome a friend for life that will probably not leave them behind to

go to college or have a career and you are saving a life. Or maybe it

could take the responsibility off the typical sibling who would feel

guilty leaving their sibling with DS behind when they go to college

because they don't want their sibling to be lonly? My son is only 5 but

I've heard that lonliness can be an issue for kids with DS when they get

older. The family that was mentioned here, the Bedfords, who adopted a

child with DS and didn't already have a child with DS is now going to

Serbia to get another! There are other families who go and get 2 kids

with DS at the same time!

We are the families that will make the biggest difference in these

orphans'

lives. We need to save them! We can all do something. Please spread the

word about this wonderful organization to everyone you know including

your local Down Syndrome association who could maybe do an artlcle in

their newsletter or something? Donate if you can. Adopt if you can --

there have been some pretty decent grants showing up for some of these

kids. And I think there are other sources for applying for loans and/or

grants -- info on the web site. Many of the kids don't have the pictures

showing but is super fast and will get them to you if you just

ask.

CHeck them out:

www.reecesrainbow.com

Beth (mom to Edison 8 years and lin (DS), 5 years)

[ES] Reece's Rainbow

> There is actually someone on the Einstein list who is currently in

Hungary

> adopting a little boy with DS from Hungary. Martha rarely

posts,

> but her family includes Aidan (DS) who is about 5 years old. They

found

> their new son through Reece's Rainbow.

>

> I also happen to know the Bedford's who adopted Xander from Ukraine

(we

> live in the same town). They are a unique adopting family in that

they

> didn't already have a child with DS.

>

> My closest friend went to Ukraine this summer to adopt. I kept her 3

> year old with DS during their 2 trips to complete the adoption.

Their

> new daughter, Macey, is adorable and very bright. You can visit their

> blog to see pictures and read the story.

> http://saundersgang.blogspot.com/ It hasn't been able to update

very

> much lately--you can imagine how busy a household would be with " twin "

> three year olds with DS!! (Don't worry about that tongue protrusion

> that Macey has....we're doing all the oral motor we can with her, and

it

> is improving!)

>

> Apparently adopting is contagious, since altogether I know 6 families

that

> have adopted children with DS since June!!! Or maybe it's something

> about living in Virginia....

>

> Beth Lennox (mom to 3 including Hannah, age 9)

>

> ===============

>

> " Hear,O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one. And you shall

> love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul

> and with all your might. " Deuteronomy 6:4-5

>

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> Web site: http://www.einstein-syndrome.com

>

===============

" Hear,O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one. And you shall

love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul

and with all your might. " Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Subscription changes and list archives available at:

http://listserv.tbinet.org/archives/einstein-syndrome.html

Web site: http://www.einstein-syndrome.com