Why Not Local?

Why aren't we adopting locally? The great news is that here in the USA there is a waiting list of families willing to adopt a child born with Down syndrome. That just makes my heart swell. :0)


The bad news? It's not like that everywhere. In Eastern Europe it's nothing like that. Almost all babies who are born with a disability are placed in an orphanage. Over there a disability is very much like leprosy - you don't want to associate with someone who has a disability. In some countries the government even advises parents to put their disabled children in an orphanage. Once that child with a disability is placed in an orphanage they are treated differently there too. The children are played with less, left out of activities, and segregated from the typical children.


It gets even worse. At age 4 most children with disabilities are transitioned to a mental institution. For almost all children this is a death sentence. For all children it is a life sentence for misery. Children are not taken out of their cribs for hours and sometimes days. They are not held. They are tied to their cribs. They are not fed regularly. They do not experience love. Most fail to survive. I watched this video months ago. It is heart wrenching.

Now imagine someone you know being placed there. It is a desperate situation. It's a situation that shouldn't even exist. At least one little girl will never have to know that kind of misery. We are coming for you Evan!