Angel In Waiting

Isn't she a beauty??  Just by one photograph I feel warmth, joy, happiness, and innocence exuding from this little person a few months shy of her third birthday.  A little girl I really know nothing about aside from her first name and birthday but yearn to know more about her story.  After all, everyone has a story, and in this little girl's two and a half years of life I'm sure there is quite the story to tell.

Andrea Roberts, the director of Reece's Rainbow, must be getting tired of all my e-mails, yet she replied within minutes of each note I sent her the other day, asking question after question in the hopes of helping a sweet child find their forever family.  I first applied to be a Christmas Warrior for Reece's Rainbow, but when I inquired a few days later after no response, Andrea e-mailed me back to tell me that every child on Reece's Rainbow already had a Christmas Warrior!  My first thought- WOW!  What wonderful news!!  Each precious angel waiting to find their forever family will have someone on their side, raising money toward their adoption grant to hopefully save them from the fate of being sent to a mental institution. This grant gives them the chance to find a forever family to love on them and provide as many opportunities as possible, just as EVERY child deserves.  Bedtime stories and snuggles at night.... an education and a LIFE.  Things we absolutely take for granted here in the United States... things I couldn't bear to see my own children do without.

Andrea went on to tell me that even though all the children have a Christmas Warrior, I could still choose a child and raise money toward their fund.  This is when my heart sank a bit.  Looking through all the precious children on that site, how would I ever be able to choose just one?  Reading their stories, I wish I could save them all.  So heartbreaking to read about different living conditions in various orphanages, but none could be as bad as the mental institution where they would be sent if they haven't been adopted by 4-5 years old.  Some of these children's profiles have disclaimers that their particular orphanage is known to drug the children, explaining the sleepy or "doped up" expression on their face in the photograph.  By the expression on Leesia's face, I feel reassured that she is in good hands for the time being while in her baby orphanage.  I did learn from Andrea that Leesia is in the Ukraine and she is healthy.  I believe in my heart she will find her forever family very soon.  I wish we could be her forever family.  I would bring her home here in a HEARTBEAT if we had the means to do so.  I know she would be readily accepted into our family and loved unconditionally.  *sigh* Oh, how I wish.

Some profiles have quotes from other adoptive families who have met the child while visiting their child they are in process to adopt, expressing how sweet and lovable the child is.... Some have quotes from caretakers in the orphanage who break down in tears at the thought of the child being sent to the mental institution.  These caregivers know exactly what lies ahead- some described how a child's life in an institution would consist of staying in a crib all day in a darkened room.  Can you imagine?  An innocent child left alone in the dark- this is often a child's worst fear yet it is reality for many of these poor things who don't understand what they did to deserve such a cruel punishment, simply for being alive.  Sadly, once a child enters the institution, they don't usually survive very long.  One blog I follow cited another blog written by a mom who recently adopted one of these sweet children who was sent to an institution and lived there for a year before she was able to bring her child home.  I will warn you it is horrifying, but this is the sad truth for these innocent children.  She writes from first hand experience, witnessing the horrible living conditions, not out of abuse or neglect on the caretakers' part, but out of sheer poverty.  

While exchanging e-mails with Andrea from Reece's Rainbow, she assured me that yes, children can still be adopted once they are sent to the institution, as we saw from Julia's story, but of course living conditions are horrible, so it's best to get them adopted as soon as possible.  Andrea also assured me that if, God forbid, something did happen to the child, the money in their grant is transferable to help another child in need.  

I hope I tugged on your heartstrings a bit... maybe I brought you to tears.  Please pray for these children that they are able to find their forever families before being sent to an institution.  Pray for our precious Leesia, that she will find herself wrapped in loving arms while listening to that bedtime story before drifting off to sleep in a warm bed.  Please consider a contribution to her adoption grant, no matter how big or small.  

http://reecesrainbow.org/leesia-5