~Welcome to the story of our journey to save another Eastern European princess with down syndrome and an older child! In 2010, we traveled half way around the world to adopt a twenty month old (now three years old) precious girl with down syndrome, Gabby. Now, less than two years later, we are on a mission to adopt another precious little girl that is in the same orphanage Gabby was in, Ava. Not only Ava, but yes....one more "Elaine". That means we are trying to adopt two more children!!!! If you are unaware of the situation in most, if not all Eastern European countries, please continue to read. In these countries children with down syndrome and special needs are most often placed in orphanages and if not adopted by the age of four or five (depending on circumstance), they are transferred to institutions where the likely-hood of them ever seeing outside of the institution walls remain slim to none. Many will live very short lives due to lack of appropriate care. Please don't allow this to happen to our sweet Ava! "Elaine" was fortunate enough to escape a very bad institution but nonetheless is in an institution and is an older child whose chances of coming home if we can't adopt her are not good. Having adopted and fully funding ourselves the previous adoption such a short time ago, we will need all of the help we can get to reunite these two angels and bring their big sister home. We utilized all extra resources with our first adoption and so fundraising is essential with this adoption. Whether it be from your prayers, helping to fundraise, buying from fundraisers, donations, etc...your help is much appreciated and is very much needed in order to make this dream a reality. Thank you so much for following our journey~

Monday, July 2, 2012

Notice anything different?

If not, you should!!!!! There is an additional face at the top of our blog! A face that LORD WILLING will be coming home with us and Ava in the near future! YES, you read correctly! We are adopting 2 children!!!

Before I continue on this long post, please note that at the bottom of this post is information containing our current giveaway/fundraiser. Please read this!

Back to our wonderful news! The newest addition to our family is an older child (older than Gabby and Ava). She is referred to on RR's website as "Elaine" although this is not her name. We haven't decided the name she will be given yet but we have decided that just like Gabby and like we decided for Ava as well, that her name that was given to her in her birth country at birth, will also be kept. Being she is older, which name she goes by/is called, will be her decision :) ! We are so excited to finally be able to announce this decision.
Thank you to everyone that made it possible for us to commit to Elaine a couple of nights ago. The way you all came together to support our efforts of committing to another child to save a life was incredible! I am now asking you to please stick with us through this journey so we can get these kids home! We are now searching for anyone (family, friends, advocates, families already funded, families already back, just anyone) to help us coordinate fundraisers or ways to bring these girls home quickly!

We have already applied to USCIS and we are awaiting approval as of 6-21-12, after that it is time to submit the dossier and wait for a travel date! We need to move quickly!

I am asking that all of those people who fight so hard for to find families to commit to children (especially older ones), now fight just as hard to help a family bring them home once they have committed! Please message me, comment, or email me at jsgamiddleton@gmail.com if you have any ideas or anything you can do to help!!!

Right now we have a current iPad or $500 cash giveaway going on that includes second and third places prizes as well. Also free gifts are included! We also have a donor willing to donate $1,000 if we meet our $2,500 goal! We have currently made $1,941 of our goal...that leaves only $559 to meet our goal! Please consider entering!!! This extra donation of $1,000 is so needed and will not be received if we don't reach our goal!You can find the details of the giveaway by clicking the tab at the top of my blog that refers to the giveaway (its right beside of the "home" tab).

Again, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH and I hope you will continue to follow and support our adoption!!!

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10 comments:

  1. ShellyJuly 2, 2012 at 3:38 AM

    I am so moved by the hugeness of you hearts. Utterly moved. I will be doing more to help.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SylviaJuly 2, 2012 at 3:46 AM

      Thank you so much Shelly!!!! I assume you got my invitation to our blog now that it's private?

      Delete
    2. SewJuly 2, 2012 at 3:51 AM

      Why did you go private?

      Delete
    3. SylviaJuly 2, 2012 at 4:25 AM

      The "trolls" we're getting ugly with their comments regarding international special needs adoption in general. Also the closer we get to the adoption the more secure we need to be with posts because of privacy issues :) I can explain more in email if you want :) just email me!

      Delete
  2. BeckyJuly 2, 2012 at 4:26 PM

    I think it's great the two girls are getting an older sister! It's so weird to me how people have a problem with international adoption. I understand what their objection is, (though I don't agree), but God has plenty of adopting parents to go around...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SylviaJuly 3, 2012 at 7:38 PM

      Thanks Becky!!! We are back to public. I ran out of space for invites so had to come back to be public!

      Delete
  3. Becky D.July 2, 2012 at 5:20 PM

    Thanks for the invite. I did a chipin for $21.00. You're getting so close to getting the extra money. Please enter me in the giveaway. So excited for all of you and praying.

    ReplyDelete
  4. ChantalJuly 3, 2012 at 7:11 PM

    Hi please E-mail me to invite me to your blog. chauvet.c@gmail.com

    Not too sure why I can log on from the library but glad I can...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SylviaJuly 3, 2012 at 7:39 PM

      We are public again because I ran out of space for invites! :)

      Delete

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