Special Needs Adoption

I wanted to share with you a glimpse of my child.  Once called Guo Xin.  She had been in the care of an orphanage for 8 years waiting to be 'chosen' to be someone's baby girl.  She waited and waited.  She was determined 'unadoptable' due to her special needs.  Guo Xin had a scary sounding medical report including ambliopia, cognitive delays, scoliosis and pulmonary valve stenosis.   So she continued to wait.  Until finally it was decided that she would be part of a special program through Holt International and this lucky mommy was told that her baby girl was found!  Unsure of what her future would hold, this mommy and daddy took a chance and decided to love Guo Xin with everything they had.


This past weekend was a special celebration for this family.  Not a birthday, not a 'gotcha day'.  Not a holiday of any sort.  But a wonderful celebration of love!  We played at the park.


Guo Xin is now our Elaina Xin May and she is constantly surprising us with her own strength and capacity to love!


Her scary medical file?  The scoliosis is so minor it is a non issue at this time.  Her eyes have been beautifully corrected through surgery and she gets to wear really cute glasses!  Cognitive delays?  Home for just 15 months and she is fluent in English, rapidly learning ASL, beginning to read in Chinese and first grade level in English.  Her pulmonary valve stenosis;  she has had one balloon procedure and will probably have 2 more as she grows.  As an adult she will likely have a valve replacement.

I so enjoy seeing my 'special needs' child running and playing.  She is a delight!