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National Adoption Month 2017: Spotlight on Special Needs

This year for National Adoption Month, we are shining a spotlight on special needs. All month long, we will share videos and stories that demystify some of the most common — or most misunderstood — special needs, from cleft lip & palate to HIV to children who are older in age when they come home.  Follow us on social media this November for myth-busting information and first-hand experiences of adoptees and families! Who knows, you may be surprised by what you learn, and how you could be the perfect family for a child with special needs.

As we prepare for National Adoption Month, we think of children like Elizabeth, Tanner, Aubrey and Braxton.

Eight-year old Elizabeth is smiley, easy-going and kind. Tanner is also 8 and is extremely social, helpful and caring. Six-year-old Aubrey is outgoing and loves riding her tricycle. Thirteen-year-old Braxton is shy and patient and enjoys practicing calligraphy.

But despite their differences, these children all have two notable things in common. One, they are all waiting to join a permanent, loving family of their own. And two, they all have a special need. Continue reading “National Adoption Month 2017: Spotlight on Special Needs”

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Nigel’s Turn

Recently, Jessica Zeeb — Holt’s child match coordinator for the China program — met Nigel,*  a boy who has just two years to find a family before he becomes ineligible for international adoption. Below, she shares about their visit, what impressed her about Nigel and why it’s Nigel’s turn to join a loving family. Please share his story!

Born January 16, 2003, China

Nigel in Captain Hat“Who are some of your favorite friends?”

The little girl I am interviewing smiles as she names several other children her age. Then she pauses for a moment, and her face breaks into a huge grin. “And Big Brother Nigel!” she finishes with a flourish, gesturing toward the 12-year-old boy sitting quietly to my left. Nigel smiles back at her and then lowers his gaze to the floor, perhaps a little embarrassed by all the attention. She is not the first child who has named him as one of their favorite friends.

At 12 years old, Nigel is one of the oldest children in the orphanage, and he has lived here all his life. He is a role model and big brother figure to many of the other children, and it’s hard to imagine a boy better suited to this role. Steady and kind, Nigel gets good grades at the public school he attends and cooperates well with his caregivers, teachers and friends. Continue reading “Nigel’s Turn”