I know many of you share our concerns about providing care and finding homes for orphans. It’s been a busy week as there is a lot going on with the China program concerning the needs of numerous children in our partner orphanages. As Director of Nightlight's China program, please allow me to introduce to you several children for whom we have advocated this week. Please take a few moments to meet these precious kids, pray for their needs and that they find a forever family, consider adopting one of these children, and/or donate toward their care
*Some names have been changed to protect identities. Other children’s English advocacy names are being used as I share their stories.
and two caring doctors in China
BROOKE – Brooke is a 9.5 month old beautiful baby girl who desperately needs a liver transplant. She lives in one of our partnership orphanages and needs urgent medical treatment. Initially, we tried to get her into New Day Foster Home in Beijing for treatment, however, they would not accept her. The orphanage director agreed to allow her to come to the US for treatment but the provincial government would not agree. Our next plan is to expedite her adoption file so that she can find a family and come here to be cared for by her forever family and receive treatment. We are heavily advocating for Brooke on various social media sites and continue to search for a home for her. This week, Brooke is in a larger hospital undergoing tests to determine the severity of her liver damage and receiving much needed care to help while she awaits a family. If you are interested in donating toward the needs of Brooke's current hospitalization and testing as well as preparation of her file – Donate Here
shown with Cristina from a visit
to China in May, 2014
CRISTINA – Cristina is another little girl in one of our partnership orphanages. Right before the Chinese National Holiday she underwent surgery to remove a lump from her backside which had appeared and was causing pain. I learned over the weekend that the tumor was malignant and had to share that devastating news with the family who is in the middle of the travel process to bring her home. We continue to gather facts to determine her diagnosis and prognosis while the family makes a tough decision with very little information. We have requested that the orphanage run additional tests which include a CT scan, an MRI and blood tests so that the family can make an informed decision concerning her prognosis. We are collecting information to see what the costs of these tests will be. If you would like to help with these expenses - Donate Here
ANDREW – Andrew is a 2.5 pound premature boy who came into one of our one-to-one partnerships over the weekend. The orphanage is not equipped to care for such a tiny baby. The U.S. physical therapist working in the orphanage has done an excellent job trying to teach them that the baby must not go 10 hours through the night without food, that he requires skin-to-skin kangaroo care and that propping his bottle with a cut nipple is unsafe and harmful to his health and development. At first, the orphanage was not willing to make exceptions however the director agreed to finding a foster mother to care for him. April bought supplies and trained the foster mother to care for him correctly. At the same time we began talking to Little Flowers, a foster care facility in Beijing who specializes in caring for premature infants. The foster mother has done an excellent job caring for Andrew and Little Flowers finally had a bed open up and will accept him! The orphanage is transporting him from southern China to Beijing this weekend so he can be cared for by Little Flowers. The cost of two chaperones to travel from Southern China to Beijing, including flights, food and lodging, are estimated at $1,500.00. To help with these costs - Donate Here
DEXTER & TIMOTHY – Dexter’s file was added to our individual agency list at the request of a family who was considering his adoption after seeing advocacy of him for many months. After they had made the decision and been approved by our agency to adopt Dexter, we went in to lock his file last Friday afternoon and it was GONE! The China program director searched everywhere – individual list, shared list, children released files. Honestly, based on the grim reports we had received of his deteriorating health, we were concerned that he had passed away. The CCCWA had experienced some computer problems but luckily, worked last Saturday and were able to find his file to put back on our list. Fortunately, neither I nor his prospective adoptive parents had to go the entire weekend not knowing! This experienced adoptive family has been given the rare approval to adopt two children at the same time. Both Dexter and Timothy appear to have metabolic disorders and are very small for their ages. Dexter, at age 2 years and 8 months weighs that of a 5.5 month old. Timothy, at nearly 5 years old weighs the same as an average 11 month old. We are working with the family to expedite both adoptions. With adopting two children brings additional expenses. If you are interested in assisting this family specifically, please contact me directly at dana@nightlight.org.
out of their cribs and enjoying the sunshine!
CHENG – Baby Cheng is a little boy who received care through Little Flowers for a severe heart defect. We successfully expedited his adoption because he needs to be in the United States for further treatment. His mother is currently in China traveling to bring him home while his father remained in the US with their four other children adopted from China. Our prayer is that Baby Cheng will remain healthy through the stress of travel and with the transition into a new family. Pray for Cheng’s mother as she is having to give medication around the clock and is exhausted. We pray for a successful family reunion and transition and hope for a good report once he is examined by physicians in the United States. Halfway through the trip, Baby Cheng is doing great!
KATHERINE* - Katherine arrived home 1.5 years ago from China. She is nearly 3 years old. She and her parents were on vacation in Myrtle Beach, SC when her mother “Kay*” became severely ill and underwent emergency surgery. Luckily, Katherine’s paternal grandparents were also vacationing with them. Kay was in ICU for a while and had trouble being weaned from the ventilator. I received a phone call from Kay on Sunday afternoon letting me know what had happened and to share with me that their daughter had been in the care of grandparents back in Kentucky for a month. At the time I spoke with Kay she was still in the hospital but was hopeful that she could return home soon. Katherine had returned to Kentucky with her grandparents and had not seen either parent for one month. Kay returned home to KY on Tuesday. Please pray that she continues to heal. Please also pray that Katherine will continue to show resilience and that the separation from her parents caused by this emergency will not be detrimental to a wonderful attachment which has already been formed.
HAILEY – Hailey arrived home in the US with her parents in August. She was adopted from one of our one-to-one partnerships and is currently 2.5 years old. She received her first surgery on Monday to repair her cleft lip. The surgery went well and she’s doing great. We can’t wait to see her new smile but, like her family, had fallen in love with her original sweet smile. Pray that her recovery is quick and remember her as she will be undergoing additional surgery in December.
APRIL – Please continue to pray for April Clark, a doctorate level physical therapist who is working on a part-time basis at one of our One-to-One Partnerships in Southern China. April’s heart has been broken this week for Brooke and for Andrew as well as the other children who are living in less than optimal circumstances. She is doing an amazing job of helping care for the least of these while also fighting a system who does not always value the life of an orphan. I can tell, through speaking with April, she is overwhelmed and saddened, yet continues to see the light of Jesus through her work. April has extended her stay in the orphanage city this week to help with the care of both Brooke and with transporting Andrew. It is a true blessing that we have April on the ground in China caring for these children! Without her inside these walls, we are convinced that some of these children would not have survived. Because of her, they are given HOPE! Please pray that April’s spirits will be lifted as she has had a tough week. We pray that she will be able to see the good works which are being done through her in the name of Jesus. April has taken an unpaid leave of absence from her job as a Physical Therapist in a major hospital. Nightlight has committed to financially supporting April for the work she is doing at the orphanage. Please consider giving a tax-deductible donation toward our One-to-One Partnership program so that we can continue to support April for the excellent opportunity and extra care she is providing to these sweet children. – Donate Here. To follow April's blog, go to: www.glory2one.blogspot.com
ROBERT – Robert is the little guy we had transferred from our partnership orphanage to New Day Foster Home in Beijing for treatment of hydrocephalus. We continue to search for a family for Robert. He is doing wonderfully at New Day. See for yourself by clicking HERE!
CAMERON – Cameron was a little boy identified when April first arrived in Beiliu as needing additional care. He was tiny and showing signs of Failure to Thrive. He was accepted at Haven of Hope and is now thriving in their care. Cameron is being fostered by an American family living in China. We pray that his file can soon be prepared so that he can be joined with a forever family! Please pray that the orphanage will consider preparing his file. The cost of file preparation for our agency is $200. If you would like to give toward this, click HERE!
CHILDREN FOR WHOM WE CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE:
Corbin, Jonah, Robert, Trey, John, Amber, Stephen, Jason and Andi
Please pray that Nightlight Christian Adoptions can locate families for each of these beautiful kiddos!
To view information about the children, please go to: https://nightlight.org/waiting-children/
NEW FILES
This past week, we received two new files. Both files have been presented to families for review. We pray that each family will receive a good report from the doctors who are reviewing the file and feel a peace about accepting the referral so they can move forward to bring both children home quickly.
CHILDREN WHO ARE STILL WAITING TO COME HOME
Please remember the children who have already been matched. Most families are either waiting for their Letter of Acceptance or in the travel process and will be traveling soon. Some continue to work on their home studies and dossiers. We pray that these children will be well cared for as they await their parents’ arrival. We also pray for smooth transitions into their new families.
When we are dealing with crisis, we sometimes get behind on regular tasks. Fortunately, I have Hannah Walker as an assistant to make sure that doesn’t happen. We continue to diligently search for matches for waiting families and work extended hours when China adds children to the shared list. Our China program continues to grow and our matching numbers have increased greatly this year. We remain committed to both our waiting families and especially to the children for whom we advocate and serve through our partnership programs in China. While prayer is always appreciated, our monetary needs at this time are great, especially when we have so many children who require special care. We ask that you please consider donating to our One-to-One Partnership programs so that we can ensure that each of these children receive the care they deserve.