Nicky has a family!

Of all the lovely children featured on Reece’s Rainbow little Nicky was one of the first to touch my heart. He looked so sad and lonely, and yet I had a feeling that this little guy could be the greatest treasure just waiting to be discovered. But where was his mummy and daddy? I just wanted to go and snatch him right away and take him home and love on him, just like any adorable little baby boy deserves!

Sad little Nicky got a special place in my heart.

And then the wonderful thing happened! I saw his new photo! And…I saw that someone had committed to adopting Nicky! YAY!! Soon you will go home to your mummy and daddy! 🙂

If you wish to help Nicky’s mummy and daddy bring him home, you can donate to them through Reece’s Rainbow here.

 

143 Million Orphans

It’s still stuck in my head that number. 143 million. That’s seriously A LOT of orphans. That’s as many people as live in all of Russia! Or in Great Britain and Germany together. It’s over 6 times as many people as live in Australia. It’s too big a number to really understand, and in many ways it’s making it even harder to figure out where to start. What can I do to help and make a difference? I’m not at a stage of life where adoption is a possibility (yet), and I most certainly will never be able to adopt 143 children!

When I was a kid I wanted 20 children – at least! Then I learned how children ‘arrived’ and figured I might have to revise my plan. That was when I first thought about adoption.

Right now many families (though probably far from 143 million) are in the process of adopting children from all over the world. I admire them. One day I hope to be like them too!

However, you don’t have to adopt to help! There’re still many things you can do to help an orphan or a family in the process of adopting. Even if you can’t possibly find the space and money to adopt 143 million children, you can still make a difference!

– You can make a donation to a child on Reece’s Rainbow. (Or through any other adoption agency you know and trust)

– You can advocate for a child, tell your friends about him/her and post his/her story on your blog or facebook.

– You can help the families who have committed to adopting a child by donating to their adoption through Reece’s Rainbow.

– You can spread the word, tell your family, friends, and colleagues about orphans, and show them that even the tiniest gesture will make a difference for a child.

 

Don’t they deserve a family too?

   

 

Reece’s Rainbow

In my last post about Down Syndrome I didn’t actually mention why I was all of a sudden thinking about children with Down Syndrome. It has been altogether too long since I have had the pleasure of working with a person with Down Syndrome, so that’s not where my inspiration has come from. However, while I have been lagging in updating my own blog, I have been spending time surfing the internet! And, on my great adventures into bloggy land, I have come across a place combining two of my passions – children with special needs and adoption. The site is called Reece’s Rainbow and basically helps find families for orphaned children who are harder to place (special needs, HIV etc.) mainly from Eastern Europe and Asia.

From their mission statement: The mission of Reece’s Rainbow is to rescue orphans with Down syndrome through the gift of adoption, to raise awareness for all of the children who are waiting in 25 countries around the world, and to raise funds as adoption grants that help adoptive families afford the high cost of adopting these beautiful children.

Reese’s Rainbow is there to help children find a loving home, and in a world with an estimated 143 million orphans, they are needed! They also help other people help, which makes it even better. 🙂

No child deserves to be an orphan. Sometimes children with special needs are not wanted and therefore abandoned. They are seen as a burden and a shame, and sometimes even hidden away without getting the love, care and treatment they need. They have not deserved that. They need a loving mummy and daddy just like any other child!

All of these children are orphans and in need of a loving mummy and daddy. Is that you?

     Heather

 

     Katie

 

     Cain